One Taser can be handy sometimes for taking down a target -- but what if you had SIX targets? Well, maybe you will sleep easier tonight, knowing that our friends at Taser International have developed something just for you: introducing the new Taser Shockwave.

Hot on the heels of this robot-mounted Taser justice-cannon, the new Taser Shockwave can fire 6 stun-inducing projectiles over a 22-degree arc. Described as an "area denial system", the Taser Shockwave has been developed for military use. Expect to see this new Taser deployed in dangerous areas where multiple electrified flying barbs can be handy for "personal defense."

Unknown to many, the word Taser is actually an acronym for "Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle", and was named after the fictional character Tom Swift, who was an inventor partial to stunning people. Why Taser International decided to name their new product Shockwave is unknown, but it seems logical to presume that it might be named after Shockwave, of Decepticon fame:

A marking promo-video for the Shockwave asks: "What if you could drop everyone in a given area to the ground  / with the simple push of a button?" The Taser Shockwave also allows for easy daisy-chaining of firing, so, if you felt so inclined, you could link multiple units to shoot defensive measures in many separate directions at once. Taser International states that the units stack "like Legos" -- so even a child could do it, which is fantastic. 

In other Taser International product development news, details were also recently released about their new XREPs (extended range electronic projectile.) These wireless XREPs are sort of electro-shock rounds that can be fired out of 12 gauge shotguns. The rounds can fire about 100 feet, can zap for 20 seconds, and release barbs and "cholla electrodes" to incapacitate people at a convenient distance.