I had a chance to sit down (well, lean against a wall actually) with the incoming CEO of TrackingPoint to discuss the small kerfuffle that erupted after it was announced that their scopes would come with password protection built in. According to the man in charge, it was an option added to assuage the fears of those who believe the technology might fall into the “wrong hands,” and allow some control over the advanced features. The gun will work properly when “locked,” as in be able to fire and even use the scope, but without the tagging capability. As for being enabled from the factory, the word is that the passwords will NOT be enabled by default and will require the end user to enable them before they are functional. Kind of like how computers come from the factory these days, with optional passwords.
… and thankfully knives don’t have passwords (yet). Speaking of knives, check out the review of the new Kershaw knife without a password here: http://www.thetruthaboutknives.com/2013/05/new-edc-for-ccw-from-kershaw-scrambler/
Just helping you guys out and getting the obligatory “knife cross link of the day” out of the way so you can focus on guns.
Someone with the username TrackingPoint and linking to the tracking-point.com website posted in the thread from a couple days ago that “the password feature is optional.”
I thought it was curious, and wondered if they were actually from the company why they didn’t say more than that. Maybe they just didn’t have time.
To be fair, if someone stole it I would be a bit happier knowing it was passworded. Of course, if it prompts for password with every shot… 😉
Yet another damned thing to go wrong at just the moment you need it to work. This is exactly why I love cheap milsurp guns from the Commie Bloc–what you see is what you get, and there’s no confounded pop-up message asking if I’m sure.
+all things in the universe
Yes. Yes a million times.
The thing about advancing technologies like this, exciting though I find it (Capt. Nick at GA harumphs at the thought), they can become required smart technology under laws like that existing in “arbeit macht frei” Germany, or being hustled through the California legislature, even now (SB 293, http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_293&sess=CUR&house=B&author=desaulnier).
Not sure what to do with that, but it is an angle on the continuing fight.
I spent an hour with their lead Linux sysadmin on Sat. The guy gave me the whole run down from passwords to upcoming tech and calibers. These guys were awesome. It jus t so happened that while I was sitting in the drivers seat the big wigs from Berretta came over. They were seriously impressed.
Wait for the version with smarter passwords, that appear to unlock but actually change your point of aim to something it thinks of as a non-target.