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What's playing on your Taser MP3 holster? 'Shock the Monkey'?

News out of TASER International Inc. (NASDAQ: TASR) has been ... how shall I put it ... somewhat odd as of late.

First, a few days ago, we heard of Taser Parties. Indeed, like Tupperware Parties, Taser Parties have women gather in someone's home. They get a demo of the recent TASER C2 and even try it out for themselves (on targets, not each other). While this isn't exactly a TASER official marketing strategy, rather a saleswoman's vision, it may not be a stretch to see the stun gun maker endorsing this as one sales tactic out of many.

In fact, TASER has already adopted the concept for its booth at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, where Taser Parties were held. TASER didn't just throw "parties" at CES, but brought Playboy Playmates to ... ahem ... sign autographs.

But wait, that's not all in the odd tidbits realm. At CES, TASER also showcased designer colors for the TASER C2 in addition to the classic black model: fire-engine red, blue, silver or pink. Pink, by the way, in some sort of a "girl power" thing is actually the company's biggest seller. The company also unveiled a new Taser holster in leopard print with a built-in 1 GB MP3 player (preloaded with songs from AC/DC, Shock G, Lightning Bolt and S.T.U.N. ... not really). The reason for the MP3 player, you may ask? "You're more likely to carry it, and it will be there when you need it," VP of communications Steve Tuttle said. How's that for marketing?

Continue reading What's playing on your Taser MP3 holster? 'Shock the Monkey'?

Taser zaps short-sellers

Taser International Inc. (NASDAQ:TASR) today reported strong fourth quarter results, squeezing the short-sellers that have made the stun-gun maker one of their favorite targets.

Net income was $2.3 million, or 4 cents per share, compared with $179,126, or break even, a year earlier, the company said. Revenue soared 53 percent to $19.3 million. Analysts were expecting profit of 4 cents on revenue of $19.2 million, according to Thomson Financial My colleague Melly Alazraki gives a good overview of the history of this company's history here.

Taser has long been a favorite of short-sellers who hold about 11 million shares out of a float of 56.4 milllon, according to Bloomberg News. Shares of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company, which are down about 17 percent over the past year, were up about 4 percent in trading today.

The company continues to attract law enforcement customers and is moving into the consumer market and introduced the C2 "personal protector" at last month's consumer electronics show in Las Vegas which comes in vibrant colors including pink. It begins shipping in the second quarter.

Also check out some other earnings reports that we're following, and let us know what you're expecting.

Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA-93.7910,197.47
NASDAQ-17.882,149.02
S&P 500-11.271,087.24

Last updated: November 12, 2009: 05:37 PM

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