January 10, 2007 TASER is well known for its advanced personal protection devices (AKA stun guns or non-lethal weapons) which have now been on the market for five years and are widely used by law enforcement personnel. Now the company aims to give the general consumer an effective way of defending themselves, with the unveiling its new consumer-model US$300 TASER C2 Personal Protector at the Consumer Electronics Show. The TASER C2 is powered by lithium batteries, has a 15-foot range, a 10 year shelf life, and can shock up to 50 people without replacing the battery. There's also a single use cartridge you can clip on to shoot electrodes. The TASER C2 also incorporates a public safety background check technology called SureCheck. TASER C2 units are shipped in an inactivated state and cannot be used until the end user successfully completes a background check using a secure web site. If approved after the check, the user is issued an activation code unique to their serial number. If you were figuring this non-lethal gizmo would be ideal and humane way to rob banks, think again, because each time the C2 is used, it disperses 20-30 bits of serialized confetti, which identifies the owner of the TASER system. First shipments are scheduled for April, 2007.
"The TASER C2 is the next generation in personal protection," said Tom Smith, Chairman of TASER International, Inc. "TASER International was founded to create safer personal protection alternatives, while utilizing technologies to maximize public safety and minimize the potential for misuse -- and the TASER C2 continues in that tradition."
"SureCheck is one more way TASER International is ensuring that our devices are properly used for self protection," added Smith. "The TASER C2 cartridge also continues to include our unique Anti-Felon Identification (AFID) program that disperses 20-30 serialized confetti whenever a TASER Cartridge is deployed, identifying the owner of the TASER system which has proved successful in deterring criminal use for the past 13 years."
The TASER C2 is available in a variety of colors -- Black Pearl, Titanium Silver, Electric Blue, and Metallic Pink. The unit also features a highly intuitive safety cover and trigger design that novice users can easily operate, yet protects the trigger from accidental activation to provide a safer, effective means of personal protection.
The new consumer-friendly design eliminates many of the high-end professional features such as dataport management, digital displays, and the TASER CAM interface, enabling the TASER C2 to be available at a lower cost. "We also we eliminated many of the high-end professional features such as dataport management, digital displays, and the TASER CAM interface, enabling us to make the TASER C2 available at a lower price point, starting as low as $299 while maintaining the effectiveness for which TASER products are known," continued Smith.
The TASER C2 package includes the TASER C2, a smaller and newly designed disposable TASER Cartridge, and training DVD. The TASER C2 has a 15-foot range and is available with or without integrated laser sight. First shipments are scheduled for April, 2007.