Yes, you read the headline correctly. The Inteliscope will link technology with the firearms industry in mid-June. If there was ever a time you wished to use an iPhone as a scope, get excited because your weird and strange wish is now granted.
When I first received word from the InteliScope marketing relations team, I spent a while trying to determine what exactly this product is designed to do. Is it a game? Does it come with a fake gun? Is there a Bluetooth connection to the trigger for some type of modern Duck Hunt experience?
Well, no, it is nothing like that. This is not a game. In fact, one of the advantages of this accessory system, according to the company, is the ability to “shoot around corners with no head exposure.” Creepy. Get the details past the fold…
The InteliScope is marketed as “the premier tactical rifle adapter,” which combines a tactical rail mount with an iOS app designed to provide live environmental awareness to the shooter. Regarding the hardware, it attaches to any firearm with a Picatinny (Mil-STD-1913) or Weaver rail and features a portable quick-release iPhone case/cover. The mount is made of a composite-reinforced polymer and a tactile rubberized finish. With an adjustable mounting position and the ability to use your device in portrait or landscape, getting the sites dialed-in is possible, but not an exact science.
The app provides customizable crosshairs, 5x digital zoom, video recording, a compass, GPS positioning, and local prevailing winds. All the tools needed to take down whatever you point a gun towards. There are a couple of warnings from the company, however.
InteliScope is not intended for use with guns without recoil suppression technology. Another consideration is the complete lack of an optical zoom, limiting the system to close proximity targets. Finally, the company is quick to point out, hunting with electronically enhanced devices may be illegal in some states.
In conclusion, this is not a game. InteliScope is designed to mount to your existing firearm to help take down your targets. In my opinion if there is something blurring the line between violent video games and crazed shooting sprees, this is exactly the type of item the court system should be targeting. However, this is America and nothing will keep us from accessorizing our favorite Second Amendment right.
You can pre-order your InteliScope now for iPhone 5, iPhone 4/s, or iPod touch for a mid-June delivery. Happy hunting.
What are your thoughts about mixing iPhones with firearms? Is this an acceptable accessory genre? Anyone getting in line to buy one of these?