Since you generally don't want to kill the person, just incapacitate them, Taser have incorporated some new safety features which can automatically adjust the electrical output to avoid permanent damage.  The Pulse Calibration System and Charge Diffusion Probe design are both tied into the X3's Trilogy Log record, which tracks usage and then can upload those stats wirelessly for review.  Alternatively, if more than one X3 is being used – and you invest in the TACOM Digital Power Magazine – you can synchronize each weapon to shoot simultaneously.

The U.S. end user price of the full X3 system, which includes the Magnesium Holster and data download kit, is $1,799.95. The company will offer generous trade-in programs for both the X26 and ADVANCED TASER(r) M26(tm) through December 31, 2009 to help our existing customers' transition to this groundbreaking new capability suite.

The X3, which is capable of firing three cartridges without reloading, is the first new handheld ECD by TASER International since the introduction of the TASER(r) X26(tm) ECD in 2003.

Remember that entertaining-yet-disturbing video of three Taser employees being taken down by the company's latest "less lethal" weapon?  Well, the device responsible is the Taser X3, capable of firing three cartridges without reloading together with putting on an intimidating "warning arc" lightshow without requiring the cartridges' removal first.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 27, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TASER International, Inc. (Nasdaq:TASR), a leading provider of technology solutions and the market leader in electronic control devices (ECDs), today launched its new TASER(r) X3(tm), the next generation product line of its proprietary ECDs, at its annual TASER Conference in Fountain Hills, AZ.

Since July 1, TASER International has provided daily reveals of the new features and technology of the X3 at www.TASERX3.com. Several of the key technology breakthroughs noted in more detail at today's X3 unveiling include:

There's also a dual laser sight system and a full color screen for status updates.  None of this comes cheap, though; the full Taser X3 system, including a holster and data download kit, amounts to $1,799.95, though you can also trade in your old Tasers for a discount.

The X3 uses a revolutionary Pulse Calibration System(tm) to constantly monitor and calibrate electrical output to provide more consistent effects on the target and to provide enhanced safety over the current proven and widely accepted TASER(r) technology.

TASER International's products protect life. TASER provides advanced Electronic Control Devices (ECDs) for use in the law enforcement, medical, military, corrections, professional security, and personal protection markets. TASER devices use proprietary technology to incapacitate dangerous, combative, or high-risk subjects who pose a risk to law enforcement officers, innocent citizens, or themselves in a manner that is generally recognized as a safer alternative to other uses of force. For more information please call TASER International at (800) 978-2737 or visit our website at www.TASER.com.

"The TASER X3 is the most sophisticated handheld weapon ever developed," said Rick Smith, CEO of TASER International. "The X3 will improve effectiveness and safety over the previous generations of TASER(r) devices while also providing the ability to store and retrieve more information and diagnostic analysis on the use and performance of the device than the X26. While our flagship TASER X26 is recognized as the leading law enforcement tool to deliver a less-lethal response to resistance, it is limited by being only a single-shot system. Developing a multiple-shot capability makes sense to increase officer safety through the ability to recover from a missed shot or even simultaneously stop up to three separate targets. The remarkable technology advances of the X3 will provide more safety for officers and the communities they protect as well as more transparency in reporting and analyzing dynamic confrontations with law enforcement."