Apple Thoughts: Apple, You're In The Army Now

"The hottest new battlefield weapon in Baghdad is also a hot item on the home front. Apple's iPod Touch is proving to be a valuable tool to members of the U.S. military, according to a report in Newsweek. The report notes that the iPod performs many functions in this time of "networked warfare," enabling soldiers to be linked with other soldiers, as well as intelligence resources, such as aerial images from drones and translation software."

One of the biggest benefits is the linking with other soldiers in what they call "networked warfare," not to mention resources they may need in the field. Some of the resources are aerial images, translations of spoken and written Arabic, Kurdish and two other Afghan languages and using video from tribal leaders to give villagers messages. One of the best things is the training curve on its use, which is a lot shorter since they are already familiar with how the iPod Touch/iPhones work.