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Burglar alarm marks territory with pepper spray

Aggressive alarm aims to stop break-ins with the power of Scoville units.

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Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

Burglar Blaster
Heracles Research Corporation

Burglar alarms usually work by scaring off criminals with loud noises and the threat of police action. The Burglar Blaster from Heracles Research Corporation takes the law into its own hands.

It comes loaded with 4 ounces of painful, burning pepper spray. That's enough to dissuade a small elephant from stealing your flat-panel TV and cubic zirconia jewelry collection.

The concept behind the Burglar Blaster is really pretty simple. You screw this little terror to the wall where you expect criminals to come busting in. An intruder triggers the passive infrared motion sensor and the Blaster commences spraying mace at the offender. It runs on batteries, so all you really need for installation is a screwdriver and some determination.

I know what's on your mind. What if you forget you have a Burglar Blaster and you come stumbling home late Saturday night with a hot date? Hopefully, you had the foresight to set the entry time delay at up to 40 seconds. The device emits an obnoxious high-pitched tone to remind you to shut it off using the key or the hidden manual switch.

The Burglar Blaster probably isn't the best solution for people who keep a Great Dane in the house or have sugar gliders on the loose. The potential to accidentally trip the mechanism is too high. It's also not ideal for cheapskates, as this pain dispenser costs a budget-thumping $600. Just be sure to warn your mother-in-law before she shows up for the weekend with a spare house key.