TASER's AXON on-officer recording system could revolutionize COPS
[Via Engadget Spanish]
taser posts
[Via Engadget Spanish]
CBC / Radio Canada expos finds Tasers are unreliable killjoys
The CBC and Radio Canada have run a bunch of Taser tests recently, and the results aren't likely to reassure anyone. US-based testing lab National Technical Systems pulled 41 X26 units out of 7 random police stations across the nation, and fired each at least six times. What happened? Well, four of them threw off a current "significantly" higher than a stun gun is supposed to, including some that were 50 percent higher than normal, while three didn't fire at all. All the faulty units were manufactured pre-2005, but the company that makes them (which makes almost all US police employed stun guns), couldn't provide someone for the CBC to interview, so no one seems to be sure of the cause. Of course, it goes a long way toward explaining why so many people need to head to the hospital after getting a taste of the taser. Not cool guys, not cool. [Thanks, Tony A.]
Probe finds one-third of people shot by Tasers need medical attention
While the last Taser study we came across found that the devices were safe and caused only a few trips to the hospital, a joint investigation by CBC News and the Canadian Press has now turned up some decidedly different findings, with about one-third of people shot by Tasers reportedly requiring some form of medical attention. Those numbers were drawn from the Taser-use forms that RCMP officers are required to fill out whenever they draw the device, which revealed that 910 of the 3,226 people shot between 2002 and 2007 had to go to a medical facility, and that "many more" people had minor injuries but never saw a doctor. Needless to say, we somehow suspect this won't be the last such investigation or study on the matter, especially with the lawsuits flying fast and furiously these days.[Via Digg]
Jury finds Taser accountable for man's death, awards $6m settlement to family
[Via Wired]
Mischievous teen arrested for turning camera into taser
Regardless of what the UN / Taser thinks, the fuzz around Clinton, Connecticut aren't too fond of taser-like weapons being in the hands of teenagers. Case in point: a 14-year old with a certain knack for wandering around the intarwebz and filling his brain with all sorts of hacktastic methodologies managed to stumble upon directions (what, these?) for transforming a vanilla disposable camera into something "capable of zapping people with an electrical charge." School Resource Officer Kyle Strunjo even said that the improvised weapon was "potentially capable of a 600-volt shock," though it wasn't actually used on anyone before it got swiped by the boys in blue. Chin up kid, you've got a future waiting for you yet.[Image courtesy of DIYLive, thanks Ninad]
Thor Shield ensures you can't tase me, bro!
[Via Danger Room]
Taser reveals Music Player Holster for your C2
So yeah, Taser International is indeed introducing a leopard print C2 "personal protection device" here at CES, but honestly, that's not what caught our eye. Rather, the MPH (Music Player Holster) -- which is a 1GB DAP / C2 holster combination -- has absolutely and completely captured our imagination. Regrettably, little else is mentioned about the device, but the way we see it, it's all we needed to finally push us into ordering a C2 to call our own.[Image courtesy of MSNBC]
French Taser chief hints at flying shockbot
[Thanks, Craig B.]
Tase me, baby: Taser responds to the UN, says tasers aren't torture
Looks like the Taser parties are back on -- Taser issued a terse rebuttal to the UN today, finding fault with its conclusion that being hit with a taser is equivalent to torture. Saying that the committee is "out of touch with the reality that confronts law enforcement officers every day worldwide," Taser also noted that the criteria used to define torture, "extreme pain," also rules out other common police implements like pepper spray and batons. Like some other reports we've seen, Taser says that since their products don't actually electrocute people, the main danger involved in being struck with a taser is an "unassisted fall," which seems to us like pretty much the only kind of fall there is -- but we're not getting in the middle of this one. Looks like this is going to be a long fight -- everybody got their popcorn?Don't tase me, bro! The UN says it's torture!
In a month that has seen several people killed after being tasered, a UN committee of ten experts has ruled that tasers constitute torture and are capable of killing. This flies in the face of the manufacturer's statement, which is that any resulting deaths after a taser is used are "attributable to other factors." Intended to prevent officers from having to use lethal firearms, the taser has arguably become well established as just another tool in a regular officer's arsenal for use in scenarios where a firearm would never be considered. As for what effect this ruling will have on the sale of tasers, we're guessing "not much" until all the involved parties come into agreement about the lethality (or lack thereof) of the taser.Taser parties all the rage these days?
We realize tasers have been getting an awful lot of attention lately after that Gator down south got a bit too feisty at a John Kerry Q&A session, but we're trying hard to believe that this story is from a parallel universe and not our own. Apparently, some women in America are gathering around hors d'oeuvres and bottled water to hear taser plugs, which is quite a leap from the oh-so-innocent Tupperware parties of yesteryear. As expected, paranoid gals are snapping up the pink versions like they're going out of style, but considering that stun gun-proof garb is just around the corner, you should probably save your cash and just stick with the BlackBerry.[Via TechDigest]
Shock-proof jacket ensures a tasering to the face
[Via Danger Room]
"Largest ever" study finds tasers safe
Not that you needed any kind of study to prove that your shiny new personal stun gun was safe to use, but Dr. William Bozeman and colleagues have just wrapped up an independent study that "suggests the devices are safe, causing a low occurrence of serious injuries." The research was conducted at Wake Forest University, and it showed that out of "nearly 1,000 cases, 99.7-percent of those subjected to a taser had mild injuries, such as scrapes and bruises, or none at all," while the remaining sliver received injuries severe enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. Granted, Dr. Bozeman did admit that tasers could "clearly cause injuries and even deaths in some cases," but insinuated that the risk was quite low. Tase on, we guess.[Via Physorg]
Taser International's C2 taser on sale now
While we're not exactly sure whether to be pleased or concerned that Taser International recently posted record quarterly sales, the firm's C2 consumer stun gun is nevertheless hitting the market. As of this week, civilians who fear for their life or have severely rambunctious children can snap up the C2 at a number of retail locations, and those interested can look forward to wires that fire 15-feet and carry 50,000-volts in order to "temporarily incapacitate a person." Interestingly, Taser must know that there's quite a few proactive ladies that are pondering a purchase as well, as the consumer C2 will reportedly be available in a variety of colors -- including pink. Hurry it up, grab one before your friends do![Via Wired]
Taser's Shockwave 6-shooter makes Harry Callahan look like a princess
Read -- Taser Shockwave
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