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| Taser launches 'stylish' stun gun | Taser launches 'stylish' stun gun |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| US stun gun maker Taser is unveiling a sleeker version of its controversial weapon aimed at safety and fashion conscious members of the public. | US stun gun maker Taser is unveiling a sleeker version of its controversial weapon aimed at safety and fashion conscious members of the public. |
| Available in pink, blue, silver and black, the gun fits into a handbag like a mobile phone. It will be launched at a Las Vegas electronics fair on Monday. | Available in pink, blue, silver and black, the gun fits into a handbag like a mobile phone. It will be launched at a Las Vegas electronics fair on Monday. |
| Taser guns temporarily incapacitate a target with up to 50,000 volts. | Taser guns temporarily incapacitate a target with up to 50,000 volts. |
| Critics have linked their use to dozens of deaths, but Taser says they save lives by reducing the use of firearms. | Critics have linked their use to dozens of deaths, but Taser says they save lives by reducing the use of firearms. |
| The gun has however been at the centre of fresh controversy this weekend over the death of a man in Florida after police used a Taser to subdue him. | The gun has however been at the centre of fresh controversy this weekend over the death of a man in Florida after police used a Taser to subdue him. |
| Its use by police in the UK has also sparked debate. Late last year a man in the north of the country died three days after being shot with a Taser. | Its use by police in the UK has also sparked debate. Late last year a man in the north of the country died three days after being shot with a Taser. |
| 'Consumer friendly' | |
| The new device is likely to be significantly cheaper than the current, larger civilian model - which sells for about $1,000 (£520). | The new device is likely to be significantly cheaper than the current, larger civilian model - which sells for about $1,000 (£520). |
| The company has not yet revealed exactly how many volts it will deliver. | The company has not yet revealed exactly how many volts it will deliver. |
| Taser has however said that it will be sold inert, and activated after the purchaser takes part in an online background check. | Taser has however said that it will be sold inert, and activated after the purchaser takes part in an online background check. |
| The guns are not classified as firearms by the US government and so most states do not require bearers to carry a permit. | The guns are not classified as firearms by the US government and so most states do not require bearers to carry a permit. |
| They shoot darts that pierce the skin and deliver a paralysing jolt of electricity. | They shoot darts that pierce the skin and deliver a paralysing jolt of electricity. |
| "The new device brings our life-saving technology into a new, consumer friendly form factor designed to provide a safer, effective means of personal protection," said Taser's chairman, Tom Smith. | "The new device brings our life-saving technology into a new, consumer friendly form factor designed to provide a safer, effective means of personal protection," said Taser's chairman, Tom Smith. |
| Amnesty International has long campaigned against the use of Tasers, arguing they have been linked to more than 150 deaths in the USA and Canada since 2001. | Amnesty International has long campaigned against the use of Tasers, arguing they have been linked to more than 150 deaths in the USA and Canada since 2001. |