Follow Newser on Twitter   Friend Newser on Facebook
Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Pentagon Backs iPhone, iPod Apps for Combat Troops

Pentagon develops apps for ubiquitous Apple devices

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted May 11, 2009 8:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – With more than 30,000 third-party applications now available for the iPhone and iPod touch, a new organization is getting into the game: the American military. As the Independent reports, the Pentagon thinks Apple's gadgets are ideal for "network centric warfare" and is funding projects for everything from translation to bomb disposal. Some soldiers on the front lines are already using the technology.

The versatility of Apple's operating system allows the military to load up iPhones and iPods with dozens of apps at minimal cost. They can also be used on a secure wireless network, permitting troops to upload sensitive material such as combat reports or images of detained suspects. The director of army intelligence and e-warfare said that the gadgets "may be all that the personnel need."

In this photo taken Friday, May 1, 2009, a US army soldier briefs his Iraqi army colleagues while on patrol in east Baghdad, Iraq.
In this photo taken Friday, May 1, 2009, a US army soldier briefs his Iraqi army colleagues while on patrol in east Baghdad, Iraq.   (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)
A poster touting applications available for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch is seen at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco.
A poster touting applications available for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch is seen at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
Iraqi soldiers consult a book of Arabic phrases in Mosul after a Feb. 24, 2009 shooting that killed a US solider and an interpreter and wounded five others.
Iraqi soldiers consult a book of Arabic phrases in Mosul after a Feb. 24, 2009 shooting that killed a US solider and an interpreter and wounded five others.   (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, file)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Panetta: US Combat Role in Afghanistan Over in 2013

Google Tries Again with Gmail iPhone App

Apple Boots Developer Who Exposed Security Hole

Gmail Immediately Pulls Buggy iPhone App

Just 1 in 3 Vets Say Iraq, Afghanistan Wars 'Worth It'


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne