Password protect those bullets
By Ryan Block 
posted June 28th 2006 2:25AM
posted June 28th 2006 2:25AM
We've been loosely following the biometric firearm scene for a couple years now, but this might well be the first time we've heard anything about password protection for your bullets. It's only a patent application as of right yet, but inventor Herbert Meyerle dreams of a day when guns have a system for firing rounds by means of a burst of electromagnetic energy, which could only be activated if a password entered into the handgun matches a password embedded in the cartridge of bullets. If that sounds a little roundabout, that's because it probably is; why fiddle with passwords -- which, once activated, wouldn't prevent your gun from being used against you before the password times out -- when biometric firearm verification makes so much more sense? As soon as you're not holding that gun, it just won't work. Or, you know, you can always hit up the swords to plowshares thing, whatever mode of gun safety does it for ya.[Via New Scientist]
/me sets password to "Dodge This."
Sounds a bit like Judge Dredd where it checks the DNA of the user before it can be fired and tags all bullets with DNA.
Better they develop a way for the Gun itself to recognize it's Registered User and not fire unless that person is the one holding it...
Better they develop a gun that is aware of its surroundings, can asess the situation, and weigh who should be able to fire the gun.
Hopefully by the time they get around to the biometric gun they will have the playdough fingerprint hack fixed... I second the Judge Dredd gun.
A gun should be above all reliable. That's why the AK47 is the most popular one. If you add gimmicks the device loses it's function in emergencies.
It's about time they banned all weapons and people learned to get along with each other.
Once the first biometric gun fails and results in it's owner's death, the manufacturer will cease to exist when sued into oblivian. They are designing a firearm to *prevent* it from firing, which is in conflict with it's required function in an emergency. Stupidity.
Password? KISS.
"Have you forgotten your password? Hint: Too Late"
"Safety Lock is ON: Having the Safety Lock on may cause you to enter your password incorrectly."
Totally stupid.
This just screams out that it's a sham to get "funding" from the lunatic gun control people.
There's no statement of just when this would be a helpful technology.
It's not helpful to the military. ("Sorry, private, you can't use my bullets so now we're going to die.")
It's not useful to the police. ("Excuse me, Mr. Bad Guy, will you please stand there, motionless, waiting for me to enter the enabling code?")
It's not useful to hunters.
It's not useful to criminals.
It's not useful to sports shooters.
It's not useful to...anyone except people who want to "sell" the "funding".
This is like those stupid field manuals from the Army about using battlefield nukes. Hint: the enemy wouldn't sit still while "we" took 30 minutes to an hour to get "our" people out of the area.
Great, just another reason to PISS ME OFF. I've got enough f-ing passwords to remember from the workplace and now they are looking to elevate my intolerance for passwords? Mine will be 'postal'.
@My Eyes
"Banning all weapons" isn't going to make people get along. They'll just start hitting each other with un-passworded rocks again.
Fred I think that you are wrong. Police will be exempt, military will be exempt, criminals will use stolen police or military weapons or will find a way to crack the security systems. So the only ones that will be affected will be the law-abiding citizens, not their masters.
Damn fine idea, verification by group would solve the "this bullet can only be shot by the good guys" problem.... but the mechanism of verification by password is flawed. And ridiculous.
STUPID.
Passwords are just plain stupid.
Biometrics have some value except the tech is not ready yet.
Biometrics have a 90%-96% sucess rate. Some advanced biometrics in lab conditions exceed 99.9%. However that is NOT real world and even 99.9% is not enough.
Americans (dont know worldwide) used handguns to defend themselves over 10 million times last year. With a 99.9% sucess rate that means 1/1000 will fail to function on first try. That is nearly 10,000 failures per year under emergency conditions. For biometrics to work on hanguns they need to be automatic (just grab gun), adjust to various grips, hand sizes, and off hand grabs. They also would need to be something like 99.999% accurate. i.e 1 failure per 100,000 uses.
We are nowhere close to that. Maybe in 10-20 years but not today. I would welcome biometric protected hanguns but there is not reason to protect the bullets.
They need to get with the program and just release the Lawgiver Mk. 3
Done and done.
"Smooth up in ya..."
[obligatory Bullet Boys reference]
There is already tech that will stop a modified weapon from firing unless the user is wearing a ring that has been properly encoded. Police don't use it because of the cost to implement and the issue of individual weapon access. I am for the Peacemaker though... DNA is cool
Heh - and I though I would be the only one with a bad enough music collection to spot the album cover Galley! :O)
RikF
you know what i was thinking lets all just be like sheeps waiting for the wolves, then the government could be like the shepard or mabey a sheep dog but if the government is the sheep dog then who is the shepard? We're supposed 2 be the shepards right ohh yeah then we couldn't be sheep cause its not in our f@*$%ing nature as Americans to be sheep and if there are Americans who want to bleat out there existance then let them. Hell they can live in my backyard and keep the grass short if they like. But if your a sheep then you got no freaking opinion on the tools used to protect your silly little asses. Keep your worries to whether or not i water my lawn and your tiny hooves off my constitutionally given rights. It says i have a right to bear arms not the right to bear arms that are previously approved and anointed safe by the church of protect my punk @$$ it means i have the ability to even the odds, and protect my rights. If i have to have a third person (any system that restricts access 2 my gun) approve my actions first i might as well just wait for the bullet that will be fired at me first by the guy who got his gun made by any number of amature gunsmiths who can put together arms with the right equipment and stock. If safety is an issue in your household (crazy wife, stupid kid, drunken neighboor) then by all means password protect you gun, bullets, knife drawer, lawn mower, chainsaw, bathtub, stairs, upstairs windows, and any door leading to the outside world. As far as a criminal comming into my house without a gun ... thats what dogs and a baseball bats are for. No criminal will ever shoot me with my own gun because if mine is out they already have one of their own. If you or your household cannot be trusted with a firearm... so be it dont own one or lock it under combination or biometrics or whatever. Keep your freaking fears and failures out of my household though as i only shoot things on purpose.
excuse me can you wait to rob my house while i enter the password in my gun?
"It's about time they banned all weapons and people learned to get along with each other."
Let's all hold hands and sing cum "Koom-ba-ya".
Oh yeah, that's gonna happen - not!
Rocks, Fists, Remotes, Small Children, Various things can become weapons.
?