This Case Turns Your Smart Phone Into A Weapon

There are a lot of unusual smart phone cases out there, but this one is stunning — literally. Created by 247 Security, this smart phone case is also a stun gun, and though it looks pretty harmless, it’s capable of a 50,000-volt shock. That’s equivalent to the power of a police Taser. Yikes.

Called the “Volt,” the smart phone case does a lot more than simply deliver a powerful shock. Users control the device with an app, which is programmed with fingerprint recognition to prevent people from zapping themselves. When they turn on the app to use the stun gun, they can also turn on video recording, call the police, and alert friends with GPS coordinates. The Wall Street Journal reports that 247 Security, based in South Korea and Silicon Valley, has also announced that they will release a pepper-spray phone case for use by teenagers in countries that don’t allow people under the age of 18 to own stun devices.

I’m not sure if I think this is a great idea for self-defense, or a disaster waiting to happen. I suppose it depends on how likely you are to shock yourself, even despite safe guards in the device to prevent doing so. (Knowing me, it would take me about three minutes to accidentally stun myself).

As Refinery 29 points out, there are still a number of questions to answer before the Volt is released in July, at a price of $150. It’s unclear, for instance, how 247 Security will approach states that restrict or prohibit the use of stun devices. Stun guns are illegal in a number of states, including New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, and they face a variety of restrictions in others (Some, for example, require owners to first obtain a permit).

Check out the Volt in action below:

Images: Pexels; WSJ Video (3)