Ernst Mauch, the designer of the smart gun that is close to hitting shelves in the US, has written an op-ed in The Washington Post defending the technology. The gun, the Armatix iP1, only fires when paired with a companion watch worn by its owner. The technology sparked an uproar among gun rights advocates, who worry that the government will start mandating that all guns be smart. Then: I have a deep appreciation and respect for the United States’ firearms culture. The iP1 is not a threat to gun rights, he says;