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A Computer-based Smart Rifle With Incredible Accuracy, Now On Sale
WheezyJoe writes "A story on NPR reports that the TrackingPoint rifle went on sale today, and can enable a 'novice' to hit a target 500 yards away on the first try. The rifle's scope features a sophisticated color graphics display (video). The shooter locks a laser on the target by pushing a small button by the trigger... But here's where it's different: You pull the trigger but the gun decides when to shoot. It fires only when the weapon has been pointed in exactly the right place, taking into account dozens of variables, including wind, shake and distance to the target. The rifle has a built-in laser range finder, a ballistics computer and a Wi-Fi transmitter to stream live video and audio to a nearby iPad. Every shot is recorded so it can be replayed, or posted to YouTube or Facebook."
If you want aim assist, play a console FPS. Otherwise, what's the point? I enjoy shooting, but to me this is not shooting.
The point is to actually hit what you are shooting at. While I enjoy the challenge of target shooting as well, the actual primary purpose of a firearm is to kill/injure. There is a reason guns have targeting/tracking systems when used in anger. Perhaps you have forgotten that a gun is a weapon?
With technology like this, you aren't hitting the target, the computer is.
Sometimes the point it just to hit the target and it doesn't matter who gets credit for the aiming.
No, the Super aEgis II (sentry gun) is the ultimate "Aimbot". I wouldn't fucking go near one of those in a time of war. Hell, I wouldn't walk in front one even if someone told me it was in shutdown mode.
Life is not for the lazy.
Next you'll be petitioning against adding rifling to barrels.
Agreed. The "real" way to do something is whatever somebody grew up with. People talk about a manual tranny being real driving, but I say it's degenerate ever since they added synchromesh. A caveman, heck, somebody from the early 19th century would think a modern rifle is cheating.
Bah!
If you're not barefoot and hunting with hand-lapped flint point on a spear, you're cheating.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Are you implying that a tank with one of the best operational records in the history of tanks
You don't get "one of the best operational records in history" by pitting your tank against competing models that are two generations older than it (and then also trimmed-down export models). You rack up kill count, yes, but it's not the same thing. And I'm not aware of any instance in which Abrams actually went against any of its direct competitors.
And yes, Abrams does have quite a few WTF moments about it compared to most other modern tanks that are in the same category. They aren't secret, either; but there's no real point in fixing them since massive tank-on-tank WW2-style battles are not happening any time soon, and it does work great against older tanks or in counter-insurgency operations, which is the kind of things that it's actually being used in today.