Hasta La Gadget!

Gun control and violent video games have been a hot topic recently. Ever since the shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut, critics have put blame on violent video games as the source of violent behavior by teenagers and young adults. And now, a Missouri lawmaker is proposing a new bill that would levy a 1% tax on the sale of violent video games.

Missouri House Representative Diane Franklin is sponsoring a state bill that would see the tax applied to video games based on their ESRB ratings, and the revenues from the tax would go towards “the treatment of mental health conditions associated with exposure to violent video games.” The tax would be applied to video games with at least a “T” rating (Teen).

The Associated Press mentions that both Missouri’s Democratic governor, and the Republican majority controlling the general assembly oppose any new taxes, so it’ll be interesting to see exactly how far this bill goes, but the rise of concern among violent video games may change some lawmakers’ minds about the subject.

If the bill ends up passing, games such as Starcraft 2, EVE Online, Tropico 4, and even The Sims 3 would all be taxed in Missouri because of the amount of supposed violence in them. Other proposals for a tax levy on violent video games were brought up in Oklahoma last year, and in New Mexico in 2008, both of which failed to pass.

Missouri lawmaker wants to levy tax on violent video games is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you like to look at guns more than you like to fire them, check out these amazingly detailed paper guns, made by cardboard artist Asif Farooq. Forget about the whole gun/anti-gun controversy for a moment and just admire these harmless weapons for all of their amazing detail.

Each one was planned out in meticulous detail, before Asif cut up the pieces and created his cardboard arsenal. No, they don’t fire cardboard bullets, although that would be cool. They just look great and are made to be admired as eye candy.

It’s a great way to recycle those old cardboard boxes you have lying around – the problem is that most of us are not as talented as Asif.

[via Obvious Winner]

Here at ShowStoppers during CES 2013, TrackingPoint is showing off a next-generation rifle/scope combo that includes some amazing technology that we’ve never seen before in a firearm. The company had the rifle and scope on display, and we ended up checking it out for ourselves to see what kind of features and high-tech goodies that it offers.

TrackingPoint has developed the world’s first precision-­guided firearm (PGF) system and essentially, the company is putting fighter-­jet style “lock and launch” technology into rifle systems. The company says that this creates the most accurate shooting system in the world, and it can enable anyone to be an elite long-range marksman within minutes.

As far as what the scope and rifle system can do, users can stream video to a smartphone and display what you see through the scope on the screen of a mobile device over a WiFi or data connection. The scope can also control the trigger weight in order to guide the shooter, so when the shooter is off target, the trigger weight is temporarily inflated to defer launch, but when the shooter precisely intersects the target, the trigger weight is decreased, which allows normal trigger use.

The system also utilizes computer vision-based digital image processing to track targets. Images from the optical sensors are analyzed and targets are identified and tracked, thanks to techniques such as edge detection and blob detection. As far as buttons, there’s a focus adjustment, a zoom rocker, a mode button, and a wind adjuster. The rifle system is expected to be available some time this year at a price between $15,000 and $20,000.

TrackingPoint XactSystem precision-guided rifle system hands-on is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Most New Year’s revellers are happy to celebrate the occasion by watching the ball drop in Times Square—or just getting completely blotto. But as we’ve discovered time and time again, Joerg Sprave isn’t your average Joe. And to welcome 2013 with a bang—literally—he’s created a special slingshot capable of launching firecrackers with gusto. More »

Donating to charity is always a good thing to do, but what if you got something in return? How about a Portal gun replica that’s signed by the entire Valve team? Games Art And Music (GAAM) is auctioning a full-size replica of the Portal gun with signatures plastered all over it on eBay, and 100% of the proceeds go directly to charity.

Valve signed a replica Portal gun for the Games Art And Music charity event in Florida, and now that the show is over, GAAM is auctioning it off on eBay, with all of the money benefiting Child’s Play, a charity that provides children in hospitals with video games and toys — the same charity that benefits from the popular Humble Bundle.

If you feel like giving to those who are less fortunate and you happen to have an empty space on your shelf, there’s no reason not to join in. You’ll have to hurry, though. The auction ends today at 1:37 PM ET. At the time of this writing, the replica gun is at $650 with a total of 42 bids — not a bad price to pay for some classic video game memorabilia.

The replica gun is about as lifelike as it gets. It doesn’t shoot actual portals, but it does features orange and blue LED lights, unique sounds that correspond to each color, 3-way switch between blue, orange, and off, sound effects that let you hear the infamous portal blast when you pull the trigger, and extendable and posable claws at the front.

[via Joystiq]

Portal gun replica signed by Valve being auctioned for charity is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.