DARPA wants military iPhone and Android apps Bandwagon-bothering boffins at everyone's favourite military tech hothouse DARPA have announced that they would like some apps written for the iPhone or for handsets running Google's Android OS - "with potential relevance to the military specifically and the national security community more generally". The Pentagon deathnerds …
And yet just last week, medical experts dissed the Iphone as being too shoddy for medical work.
What the iphone needs is a ruggedised, docking hotswappable battery/case device, that doesn't increase the size greatly. Then its medical and military purposes will only be limited by the relability of its systems. I can just see it now, Drone crashes due to incoming phone call...
Is to-day March 1st or April 1st.? I think this story has to be a joke, after all there could hardly be a mobile phone less rugged than the iphone. Essentially they are a fashion accessory and as
such do quite a good job. Why those manly, military men would even want one is a mystery. Then just imagine when they have to be on all the time and the batteries need to be replaced will there be customer-service units conveniently out there in "enemy" territory with mountains of spare batteries and specialised service-tools? Multi-tasking would seem to be a key requirement for any sort of military tool yet apple still has to discover how to do this, even the outdated old windows CE software could do it a decade ago !
It has to be a joke, so I guess I (and others) were suckers to be taken in !
"Multi-tasking would seem to be a key requirement for any sort of military tool yet apple still has to discover how to do this, even the outdated old windows CE software could do it a decade ago !"
Another fail-tard who hasn't read any of the articles/comments which clearly say that Apple has turned OFF multi-tasking for 3rd party apps. The device itself is quite capable of multitasking, as long as it's Apple-written apps.
I'm pretty sure DARPA could get their own little exceptions if they asked Apple nicely!
The US Army is /already/ using iPod Touches out in the field, in spite of your well-informed, expert opinion. Those manly, military men don't seem to have a problem with it, unlike you. But then you're not a soldier, are you?
And the lack of basic IT knowledge concerning your comments about "multitasking" - the definition of which is obviously too complex for you - isn't worth commenting on, Oh wait, I did....
That would be awesome. Put me down for one when they come out.
Imagine the software integration you could put in. Google Maps with a touchscreen gesture to launch an ICBM at the spot. Private section of Youtube and Picasa for Bomb Damage Assessment data.
And all you need to do is Buzz "Sgt Joe Bloggs is currently under fire and would appreciate some assistance" and reinforcements would arrive!
If you need to operate a touchscreen with gloves then simply glue a slice of carrot to the end of the fingertip of your gloves. You could alternatively use a frankfurter sausage as a stylus.
^^You will of course need to moisten the carrot periodically (preferably while not in use)
I spy DARPA nerds who wanted an iPhone for their birthday and have just worked out a way to get one.
I can just imagine though, in the middle of an operation and Apple pull your combat app from iTunes for transgressing one of their tenuous rules or does a firmware upgrade and bricks your phone because it's been unlocked to work on the local carrier.
Hey sarge, look at this bunch of donkeys, too busy watching shit on Youtube on their phones to see the insurgents creeping up on them oh shiiiiiiii...
Open source distributions quality assure and source verify the supply chain for tens of thousands of software components coming from very many original suppliers. Proprietary software does not achieve this because intellectual property road blocks prevent this integration from occurring. The outcome for defence supply where lives of troops and mission outcomes depend upon reliable equipment is hardly surprising.
The most widely used, copied, easy to clean and rugged fire weapon in existance - why ? Because it is simple and does what is says on the tin. If we spent less money on these moronic, high tec (read lkely to fail) answers to military requirements (are they though or toys) we might get somewhere. The merkins are great at over engined answers to simple problems. Take the original M16 it was pants: it broke, it was complex to keep clean and was not fit for combat - don't worry the Brits managed the same feat with the early SA80.
About the only possible value I can see for such a device is internal security work where you need up - to - the minute info on "marks" or whatever the palance is for people the sec forces have an interest in.
"Hi mom , eh no I can't talk right now were in the middle of a fire-fight"
AC as all you experts are lible to correct me.
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