iPod Touch: Latest new recruit to soldiers' armoury

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 US military.

According to a report in Newsweek, 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.

Soldiers can use applications to add translated phrases to maps and photos, as well as show villagers video messages from local leaders. A new program called Vcommunicator translates spoken and written Arabic, Kurdish, as well as two Afghan languages.

Another application developed for the iPhone allows soldiers to take a photo of a street sign, upload it, and immediately receive intelligence on the local area, such as water and sympathisers. Because new recruits are already familiar with how the iPod and iPhone work, it's also easier to train soldiers on loading content, the report notes.

Original article: U.S. military enlists iPod Touch for battlefield from CNET News.com