Umarex USA offers something new to their customers when they go to their website. They have started using a 360-Degree Product View of some of their products being sold online, and they plan to move this to their whole product range. I tested how it works, while it looks promising, the images are slow to load and they are also small to show details of the product. It would be great if the pop-up window would show larger images at least on the 500px image width and size.

We have no love for the misuse of airsoft guns for criminal activities, and we're happy to note the conviction of two men to 11 years for robbing a jewelry store. They had caused a business to lose US$150,000 worth of items, but then the long arm of the law caught up with them, and they'll be spending a good part of their adult lives behind bars.

­Cidasoft is making raves in the airsoft industry with their Cidasoft grenades which are the safest to handle for airsoft players, though we would not recommend you trying to handhold the grenade inside it while attempting to detonate it with BBs inside as the videos are for demonstration purposes.

The issues that refuses to die down, and it should not until the issue is resolved to give a clear ruling or set a standard set of procedures of how the importation of airsoft guns are treated by the Customs and the ATF as the same airsoft rifles are released in other ports in the USA, and many airsoft retailers are still selling the same things without any legal issues whatsoever.

This one's for the book, and might trigger a trend among airsoft players with some artistic streak to start doing making something similar. Tim Tebow, the Philippine-born college football star of the Florida Gators, and now a draft pick with the Denver Broncos in the 2010 NFL Draft.  Though with this portrait of him being put on the block for a trade by Ripley's Believe It or Not might sound ominous for him even if the NFL season has not started yet. This is not a for-money-auction, but more of a trade-in with something for the company to exhibit.

Many years ago, Ian Hillson owner and founder of Tactical Kit found himself stuck in a 9-5 job, working for an Insurance company. Not wanting to be stuck behind a desk for the rest of his life he decided he wanted to pursue a career in something he felt passionate about.  Being a keen airsofter for over 10 years, he spotted a gap in the market to provide high end, good quality equipment and that’s how Tactical Kit was born.

Slickaxe, our good friend from NLAirsoft has sent in news about an interesting development for airsoft at the European Commission, which is the European Union's Executive Body that proposes legislation and implement decisions made by the EU. This is rather important  for airsoft players based in the member countries of the EU, as it will affect existing laws and regulations in member states if they so implement an EU-wide decision.

An update on the election gun ban as this has kept Philippine airsoft players with too itchy airsoft trigger fingers while waiting for the election season to end. A lawyer who is an airsoft enthusiast in the Philippines petitioned to Supreme Court to exempt airsoft from the election gun ban. Atty. Reynante B. Orceo, has gotten a partial grant with regards to "the exclusion of replicas and imitations of airsoft guns from the term 'firearm' is concerned."

We have posted a story on this previously and we have been wondering if Blackhawk will continue business on its own or will seek another buyer. After two months, they now have a buyer in the form of the Alliant Techsystems. ATK is already a known aerospace and defense company which is listed at the New York Stock Exchange. Life goes on then for Blackhawk, and we still get new gear from them. Press release below:

­The airsoft community is getting the attention it deserves, albeit slowly, but is indeed a welcome development. We may not all have real world tactical experience as compared to servicemen, but we do have the purchasing power to afford what has always been limited to military and law enforcement organisations. The first to realise these are the frontline sellers, the tactical and outdoors stores which find that airsoft requirements are similar to what their other customers require.