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.

Comments

Re:There is only one goal

[sycodon]

What is a Smart Gun?

It's a gun that will fire every single time you need it to fire. Which currently disqualifies the current "smart gun" technology.

Finger prints? Don't work on your car or paint the living room.
Special ring? So much for swimming, showering, or any other activity you don't want to expose electronic to.

One thing you can count on computers for. They will never work correctly 100% of the time when you really need them to.