Last but not least: Into the trenches with the iPod

The iPod has long since won the battle against its digital competitors. Now Apple's ever-popular multimedia player is supposedly going to war in the real world. As the US magazine Newsweek reports in its latest issue, the American army wants to use the iPod Touch as a new all-purpose operating and communication tool. The advantage over conventional military equipment is not only its robustness, but also its ease of use and affordability. The iPods would make it easier for soldiers to use several other devices, writes Newsweek. For example, they could be used in Iraq and Afghanistan as a translation device, to communicate with comrades and intelligence services or to control bomb disposal robots.
The corresponding software is already being developed. Newsweek quotes the manager of a software developer from Florida as saying that the logistics experts in the US army are currently making enormous efforts to develop applications that will be useful in the war effort. How many megabytes each soldier receives for private films, photos and music has not yet been revealed. Gangsta rap will probably fall victim to censorship by the generals, as it is known to be aggressive...