TASER International Inc. has begun shipping the first TASER Cam production units. Production begins following a successful period of test and evaluation field results for its audio/visual recording accessory to its TASER X26 electronic control devices. Law enforcement agencies with existing TASER X26 units can now purchase the TASER Cam system as an accessory upgrade which simply replaces their existing battery system. The TASER Cam, with its microphone and sensitive camera, adds the ability to record audio and video (even in low light environments) to the TASER X26. The TASER Cam is rechargeable and no tools are required. A built-in infrared illumination allows for low-light recording. The infrared light automatically adjusts to the level of lighting in the environment. Because the TASER Cam has an infrared light, the TASER X26 device's low intensity lights are not required for low-light operations. The video is 320x240 resolution in QVA black and white at 10 frames per second with MPEG-4 video/audio compression. The TASER Cam records both video and audio any time the safety is in the up (ARMED) position, and stops recording when the safety is in the down (SAFE) position. (The TASER X26 doesn't have to be actually deployed to use the camera.) A fully charged battery will provide enough power for recording approximately 100 five-second firings at 77 °F (25 °C) and 1.5 hours of audio/video recording.
