You might think strapping your smartphone to a firearm is the last thing you'd want to do with it, but what if it could provide helpful information while hunting or during target practice? That's just what inventor Jason Giddings and his new company, Inteliscope, LLC, decided to do when they combined guns with smart devices to launch the Inteliscope Tactical Rifle Adapter. Along with an iOS app, the adapter allows gun owners to mount their iPhone or iPod Touch to a firearm and use it as a sight with a heads-up display showing real-time data on their surroundings.
The Inteliscope adapter provides a protective cover for an iPhone or iPod Touch that can quickly attach and release from a Picatinny (Mil-STD-1913) or Weaver tactical rail. Using an app, the iOS device can then act as a gun sight, complete with 5x digital zoom and an adjustable mount that lets users peek around corners. The app also works in portrait mode, so the adapter can be affixed to the side of a firearm if needed.
It's hard to imagine an iPhone giving a clearer view than a standard scope, but the included app does offer some features to turn it into a handy heads-up display. Aside from a choice of different cross hairs, users will be able to see data on local prevailing winds, GPS coordinates, a compass, ballistics info, and a shot timer, all at a glance. The attached device can even act as a mounted flashlight or strobe, but probably the most useful feature is the ability to record and play back video of each shot.
The Inteliscope system is not without its drawbacks though. The company has noted that the iPhone/iPod Touch's camera optics only support short range targets, and using calibers larger than .223 or 5.56 mm could damage your smart device. The developers have also advised potential customers to make sure hunting with electronic-enhanced devices is legal in their region. Still, it does provide a fairly cost-effective means for giving any gun a snazzy high-tech upgrade. Just make sure to detach the adapter before accepting any phone calls.
Inteliscope is currently accepting pre-orders through its website, with adapters available for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPod Touch. They cost US$69.99 each and are expected to ship in June.
Check out the video below to see some initial tests of a prototype Inteliscope Tactical Rifle Adapter.
Source: Inteliscopes
Also, it's the optics that make a sight effective. Smart phones don't have that. I'm pretty sure I can tell what the wind is doing if the target is 10m away.
It's a gimmick.