From Newsweek (via Slashdot):

The U.S. military in the past would give a soldier an electronic handheld device, made at great expense specially for the battlefield, with the latest software. But translation is only one of many software applications soldiers now need. The future of "networked warfare" requires each soldier to be linked electronically to other troops as well as to weapons systems and intelligence sources. Making sense of the reams of data from satellites, drones and ground sensors cries out for a handheld device that is both versatile and easy to use. With their intuitive interfaces, Apple devices—the iPod Touch and, to a lesser extent, the iPhone—are becoming the handhelds of choice.

Using a commercial product for such a crucial military role is a break from the past. Compared with devices built to military specifications, iPods are cheap. Apple, after all, has already done the research and manufacturing without taxpayer money. The iPod Touch retails for under $230, whereas a device made specifically for the military can cost far more. (The iPhone offers more functionality than the iPod Touch, but at $600 or $700 each, is much more expensive.) Typically sheathed in protective casing, iPods have proved rugged enough for military life. And according to an Army official in Baghdad, the devices have yet to be successfully hacked. (The Pentagon won’t say how many Apple devices are deployed, and Apple Computer declined to be interviewed for this article.)

From cbc.ca:

New research suggests that if consumers want to avoid making impulse purchases, they should refrain from handling goods while shopping, because merely touching an object increases feelings of ownership.

The research, published this week in the Journal of Consumer Research, also found that touching an object, if the experience is pleasant or even neutral, increases how much money consumers would be willing to pay.

Joann Peck, an assistant marketing professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, said in an interview that the research has implications for consumers, retailers and advertisers.

"Be very careful when you are shopping: if you don’t want to buy, don’t touch," she said.

"Touch increases your feelings of ownership and it also increases the amount you are willing to pay. I would caution people not to touch when shopping."

From amazon.com:

Just stumbled on this nice minimalist flash drive from Lacie, that looks pretty much like a real key!

Are there any other smaller, simpler usb keychains out there that you recommend?

From switched.com (via engadget.com):

Last month, 25-year-old Heather Storey was driving to work through Surrey, British Columbia, as she did most days, with her laptop computer perched on the backseat of her car. When her car was suddenly hit by a towtruck, that innocent laptop turned to a deadly projectile.

Yesterday morning, according to the CBC News, Sergeant Roger Morrow of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told the press, "’What we believe happened [was] that she was struck in the back of her head and neck with this laptop computer. She simply didn’t have it secured within the confines of her car, and ultimately it has been the instrument of her death.’"