Taser's on-officer cameras catch you in the act, right to remain silent imperative

Taser International has released an update to its on-officer system, the AXON Flex. The new rig provides law enforcement officials with body-mounted cameras that capture video evidence "from the officer's perspective." These recording devices can be affixed to the hat, collar, shoulder or on specially designed Oakley shades and are ruggedized to IPX2 standards. That's all well and good, but what really gives this setup nerd-cred is what can be done with the captured video. Through a partnership with evidence.com, the Flex system can send footage to a "military grade" cloud-based storage system for safe keeping; there is also an on-site storage option for IT-savvy forces. As if that weren't enough, Taser and Looxcie have co-developed a smartphone app -- available for iOS or Android -- that will allow officers to review captured clips and add GPS coordinates, notes or timestamps. The system's goal is to protect officers from "false claims, enhance public trust [and] decrease litigation." AXON Flex is set to be released in Q1 and will have a base price of around $700. Don't tase film me, bro.

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TASER Sets New Bar for Law Enforcement Video with AXON Flex System

Point of View Video System Mounts on Oakley Eyewear and Introduces Advanced Bluetooth™ Streaming to Smartphone Platforms

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 21, 2011 – TASER International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TASR), a global provider of safety technologies that prevent conflict, protect life and resolve disputes, today introduced the AXON™ Flex™ on-officer camera – an on-body video recording system that captures video evidence from the officer's perspective.

TASER, the world leader in on-officer cameras, created the new AXON Flex point of view camera, a technological breakthrough in the world of on-officer video devices. With multiple mounting options, including a seamless integration with Oakley, Inc's Flak Jacket eyewear, AXON Flex™ systems are TASER's newest offering in the field of evidence-capturing technology and allows officers flexibility, simplicity and wearability. In addition, AXON Flex systems feature Looxcie Inc.'s proprietary video over Bluetooth™ streaming technology that allows officers to review events on a smartphone application supported by Apple iOS™ and Google Android™ operating systems. To complement the camera solution, TASER provides EVIDENCE.com™ service, an industry-leading, military-grade encryption and evidence management system with the option of "cloud" or on-site storage capabilities.

NEWS FACTS
• AXON Flex on-officer camera system is a self-contained, tactical, audio-video recording and networking device designed for and worn by law enforcement officers

• AXON Flex system's ability to capture evidence from the officer's point of view helps protect officers from false claims, enhance public trust, improve civilian behavior, decrease litigation and make communities safer at a lower cost than incar dashboard cameras or other video solutions

• AXON Flex technology is a customer-centric product, designed to address officer requests for simplicity, flexibility and ease-of-use by incorporating features such as smartphone compatibility

• AXON Flex cameras can be worn on one of Oakley's top-selling eyewear accessories, the Oakley Flak Jacket. AXON Flex systems also offer the following additional mounting options at launch, with more to come:
− Collar Mount
− Epaulette Mount
− Ball Cap Mount− Helmet Mount

• TASER will provide free access to the secure, cloud-based evidence storage solution EVIDENCE.com service for a full year to every agency purchasing the new AXON Flex cameras
o EVIDENCE.com service provides a level of data security and management that agencies simply cannot provide for themselves without a dedicated IT staff

• AXON Flex units are expected to begin commercial shipments in the first quarter and will be competitively priced at $700 for the base camera with a wide variety of accessories available

• Features of the AXON Flex system:
− The extended controller module offers 12-hour battery life for a full-shift video buffer that can record the 30 seconds preceding an officer's activating the unit so incidents are fully captured
− The hardware has been designed to protect the camera from impact and withstand the elements with IPX2 weather resistance
− AXON Flex cameras uses an industry-leading imager and sensor, which have been engineered to mimic the human eye's capabilities, capturing a high level of detail in low light conditions
− The head-worn Flex DVR camera and magnetic clip weigh only 15 grams, resulting in significantly greater comfort than any other law-enforcement video system

• Using the AXON Flex™ Mobile app (available for Android and iOS enabled platforms), officers can use their own smartphones to view a live feed of Flex footage, review videos stored on the camera and add information such as notes, timestamps or GPS location to those videos.

• Looxcie and TASER joint-developed the video-to-smartphone technology in order to bring an advanced, hands-free durable camera targeted for the law enforcement market