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The US Gov't Could Become the Biggest Customer for Smart Guns (computerworld.com)
Lucas123 writes: Smart gun developers have faced pushback from opponents who fear adoption will lead to mandates. But this week, President Obama embraced the technology, creating the biggest customer of them all for smart guns: the federal government. He instructed several departments to "review the availability of smart gun technology on a regular basis, and to explore potential ways to further its use and development to more broadly improve gun safety." Joel Moshbacher, national co-chair of a gun safety advocacy group, said the move this week is "a game changer." Smart gun developers he's spoken with need only a few million to move their prototypes to market, so $20 million would be a windfall for several developers. Donald Sebastian, senior vice president for research and development at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), said federal dollars are the only way to advance the technology because of pushback by opposition groups. For example, when Armatix, a German startup, tried to introduce a smart handgun in the U.S. two years ago, it was met with vehement protests, including threats to burn down a Maryland store that was going to sell it. A second store in California that was carrying it also pulled it from its shelves citing pressure from those opposed to the tech.
Police and LE agencies are *always* exempted from gun legislation.
The California "safe guns list"? No applicable to LEOs or Agencies.
Post '86 machine guns? No applicable to LEOs/Agencies
Magazine restrictions? Again not applicable to LEO/Agencies.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
Even regular guns don't work correctly 100% of the time... plenty of soldiers died on the battlefield clutching a jammed rifle.
If you spent half the time that you did on your sarcasm, you'd have researched this. The special ring spoken about is a specific magnetic device, and it is currently available on certain models of guns. It's not RFID or anything else. Just a simple magnet, and would work on any model made by the same company. (It isn't specific to a certain gun.) Personally, I like to keep magnets away from my computers and handheld devices...
People don't oppose the technology in theory, they oppose the fact that New Jersey had a law mandating the sale of only smart guns after one goes on sale anywhere in the country. This is basically a huge gun ban in disguise, which is why it was opposed.
But why do people object to the principle behind it?
Because there are some state laws on the books that mandate 'smart gun' technology be provided on all weapons sold once it becomes 'available'. So that means (in the extreme) when one manufacturer offers a single weapon model with 'smart' technology, nobody may sell anything else. Offering one 'smart' target range plinking .22 could effectively shut down a state's retail market.
Given the shortcomings of the technology, some people might want to wait a while until the bugs are ironed out and the reliability improves. Early adopters might be willing to be beta testers, but people who's lives depend on a weapon's reliability will not be given that option under current laws.
Have gnu, will travel.
While I haven't researched this specifically, I have been industrially certified to design and install RFID systems. And I am also quite familiar with magnets and electronics. Something you don't seem to have that much knowledge on or you'd know that a magnetic ring isn't going to do anything to your computer or your handheld device. In fact many handheld devices and tablets have cases with strong magnets in them to allow the screen to be turned on or off depending on the proximity of the case cover. I have a Nexus 7 with such a cover sitting right next to me. And how strong do you think the permanent magnets inside your laptop's hard drive are? You'd probably be quite surprised to find out, and those magnets are sitting a few millimeters from the platters all day long.
Computers having problems with magnets was largely a floppy disk and magnetic tape era problem. Though you still had the occasional clod who screwed up their CRT with one. But then again many of those monitors had a degauss button that put out a hell of a magnetic field all on its own - while it was sitting right next to your tower PC....
Expect to see pushback from the agencies saddled with these. It's a solution in search of a problem -- there are already myriad ways to secure guns. We don't need a bunch of extra points of failure built into the guns themselves.
If there's any way to have the GOP disagree with something, all it takes is for Obama to support it and they'll find a reason to hate and reject it.
So smart gun critics rejoice, by Obama adopting it expect all GOP to come out against them.
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