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New York law requires gun permit applicants to submit social media accounts for review
Under a new law, those seeking a permit need to show they have the 'character and conduct' to be trusted with a firearm.
Investors in gun-detection tech tested at NYC City Hall donated to mayor's PAC
The CEO and founder of two investment firms put $1 million behind Eric Adams’ election bid.
Ghost Robotics strapped a gun to its robot dog
The company has previously made other machines for the military as well.
The legal battle over 3D-printed guns is far from over
Last year, Defense Distributed won a legal battle, which allowed it to continue uploading and sharing blueprints for 3D-printed guns. The decision was immediately criticized by states and gun-reform advocates. Now, a US District Judge has overturned the ruling. Once again, it is illegal to publish blueprints for 3D-printed guns online.
DoJ pushes Google and Apple to ID 10,000 users of a gun scope app
The US government has reportedly ordered Apple and Google to hand over the names, phone numbers and IP addresses of at least 10,000 users of a gun scope app. The data request is part of an investigation into weapons export violations, but it has privacy experts understandably concerned. According to Forbes, this is the first known case of US investigators demanding personal data from users of a single app from Apple and Google.
Recommended Reading: Taylor Swift and Spotify are... best friends?
Taylor Swift is getting friendly with Spotify ahead of her new album, 'Lover.' Times have changed. Tim Ingham, Music Business Worldwide Not too long ago, Taylor Swift shook off Spotify, pulling her entire catalog from the service and slamming music streaming as "a grand experiment." Nearly five years later, amid a huge blow up with her former label, she's mighty cozy with the Sweden-based company that went public in 2018. It looks like the two sides have put aside their bad blood -- for now.
Nerf's first ‘Fortnite’-inspired gun is the AR-L Blaster
Last month, Hasbro and Epic Games announced that some Fortnite-themed Nerf guns were on the way. And now we have a model and a release date. The first Nerf gun from the line is the Fortnite AR-L Blaster, and it features rapid-fire motorized blasting and flip-up sights. It also comes with a 10-dart clip and 20 Elite darts.
AI camera can spot guns and alert law enforcement
Athena Security has developed a camera system that uses artificial intelligence and cloud technology to spot guns and alert authorities. The company says that because the system can recognize weapons and notify police quickly, casualties may be prevented in places where the system is implemented, such as schools or businesses. It has already been installed in Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania.
3D-printed gun advocate Cody Wilson resigns from Defense Distributed
Cody Wilson, the man behind the 3D-printed gun company Defense Distributed, has stepped down as CEO of the company. Paloma Heindorff, who has taken over as the chief executive, said in a press conference today that it was Wilson's decision to resign and he would no longer have any role at the company.
Texas company sells plans for 3D-printed guns despite ban
A judge may have extended a ban preventing Defense Distributed from publishing plans for 3D-printed guns, but that isn't stopping the company from finding loopholes to continue offering the weapons. Company owner Cody Wilson has started selling the plans to US customers through his website on his belief that the ban only rules out publishing the plans online, not selling them directly. Those who purchase the plans can receive them by email, secure file transfers or even USB thumb drives shipped by mail.
Judge extends ban on publication of 3D-printed gun designs
A federal judge in Seattle issued an injunction today that blocks Defense Distributed from publishing its 3D-printed gun designs online. The move extends a temporary ban issued last month and the injunction will remain in place until a lawsuit brought forth by a number of state attorneys general is resolved. Washington, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Oregon, Maryland and Washington, DC signed onto the suit last month in an effort to reverse a US Department of State settlement that allowed the 3D gun designs to be published online. Eleven additional states joined the lawsuit earlier this month.
When body cams had bullets
Just as GoPros have given us a whole new perspective on everything from extreme sports to animal behavior, so have body-worn cameras offered new insights into policing. Law enforcement agencies around the world now use body cams to record the activities of officers in the field, though they've only become commonplace in the last few years. But the idea of documenting the volatile situations officers can find themselves in -- providing both evidence against offenders and holding police accountable for their actions -- is much, much older. The first attempts were very different from the body cams of today, however, as releasing the shutter required pulling the trigger of the gun the camera was attached to.
Facebook blocks gun accessory ads to the under 18s
Facebook has tightened the rules about what sort of firearms-related content is visible by the site's underage users. From June 21st, ads for weapon accessories, from optics, flashlights and holsters through to bulletproof vests and camouflage gear, will need to be visible by adults-only. This category also includes gun safes, mounts, gun cases, slings, gun wraps and equipment like clay throwers.
Google Assistant fired a gun: We need to talk
For better or worse, Google Assistant can do it all. From mundane tasks like turning on your lights and setting reminders to convincingly mimicking human speech patterns, the AI helper is so capable it's scary. Its latest (unofficial) ability, though, is a bit more sinister. Artist Alexander Reben recently taught Assistant to fire a gun. Fortunately, the victim was an apple, not a living being. The 30-second video, simply titled "Google Shoots," shows Reben saying, "OK Google, activate gun." Barely a second later, a buzzer goes off, the gun fires and Assistant responds, "Sure, turning on the gun." On the surface, the footage is underwhelming -- nothing visually arresting is happening. But peel back the layers even a little and it's obvious that this project is meant to provoke a conversation on the boundaries of what AI should be allowed to do.
Google joins others in making the gun emoji a water pistol
Google is updating its gun emoji to replace the image of a handgun with that of an orange and yellow water pistol. The change is, according to Emojipedia, rolling out to Android users in an update, and will help to make the squirt gun the de-facto symbol. It's a big step towards eliminating images of handguns from the language, which was started by Apple in 2016.
YouTube bans gun modding tutorials after Las Vegas shooting
Following the deadly massacre in Las Vegas last week, YouTube has begun banning videos that depict tutorials on gun modification. According to a YouTube spokesperson, this was an expansion of an existing policy in the wake of the Vegas shooting to prohibit videos that demonstrate "how to convert firearms to make them fire more quickly." The spokesperson said the company has "long had a policy against harmful and dangerous content." That includes videos that are trying to sell or promote firearms, as well as conversion devices and a device called a bump stock.
'Salt' is a gun and pepper spray in one (update)
Salt's Indiegogo campaign says it "was designed around the belief that a gun does not have to take a life to protect a life." See, it might look like conventional handgun, but its bullets aren't made of lead. Instead, they're pellets that contain a proprietary mixture of powdered chemicals, including oleoresin capsicum: a ghost pepper extract used for pepper sprays. Since the pellets explode when they collide with a solid object, you don't even have to hit your target. Its creators said the powder mixture, which "exceeds the potency of those used by" Homeland Security and the military, causes temporary blindness, makes the lungs constrict and stings the human skin. Update (11/11/15): Salt is now available for pre-order from its official website. The company plans to ship the first 250 pieces out in 2016 and is currently selling the device at $50 less its official retail price ($350).
ICYMI: Gaming mood lighting, a shooting drone and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Virtual Reality by Oculus Rift is about to get way more tactile thanks to a newly acquired hand tracking tech company. Hue lights will now sync with an Xbox One game and oh man, the ambience on your next blood bath will be intense. And a YouTuber uploaded a video of a drone that fires a semiautomatic handgun, which makes crabby old men the world over pleased.
Nerf's higher-powered foam guns are meant for older fans
Nerf guns can be fun if you're a grown-up -- just ask the legions of people who modded the Maverick revolver. They're not really intended for an older audience, however, which is why Hasbro just unveiled a range of Nerf blasters meant for high schoolers (and adults) who take their plastic weapons seriously. The highlight is the Rival line you see above, which shoots foam balls at nearly 70MPH -- they won't sting like paintball rounds, but you're definitely going to feel the blow. You can get the $50 Zeus MXV-1200 if you insist on fast motorized reloads, or the $25 Apollo XV-700 if you're content with lever action.
There's now a steel-reinforced bullet for 3D-printed guns
Despite all the hype surrounding 3D-printed guns (good and bad), they still haven't truly taken off outside of enthusiasts. A reason for this is, perhaps, the lack of powerful ammunition -- something that's not 3D-printed or, put simply, generally made out of plastic materials. But, as Wired reports, a gentleman from Pennsylvania has already started working on a solution, for those who were looking for one anyway. Michael Crumling, a 25-year-old machinist, recently designed bullets that use a rather thick, steel shell, strong enough to keep a hold of the blast from inside without spreading any force to the weapon.
