THE US Marine Corps has reported it has been collecting biometric information via Apple iPods, using the device to upload reports and photos of detainees into a biometrics database via a secured wifi connection.
From there, matching software is able to yield matches of known terrorists or wanted criminals.
The U.S. military said it decided to use Apple iPods based on the robustness of the miniature computers in addition to their relatively low cost.
The military said it is also looking into using the media players for guidance systems for bomb disposal robots and providing aerial footage from unmanned aircrafts.
The devices have been embraced by the military because they are relatively easy to use, can safely carry secure software and are far cheaper than manufacturing a version specifically for the army.
Furthermore, the U.S. armed forces are deploying the iPod touch to troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq for use as translation tools and for “networked warfare” linking soldiers to each other and to weapons systems and intelligence sources.
The iPod touch has also become the gadget of choice for analysing data from satellites, drones and ground sensors, the military said.
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