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Android Approved By Pentagon

Posted by samzenpus on from the getting-the-greenlight dept.

sfcrazy writes "The Pentagon has approved a version of Android running on Dell hardware to be used by DoD officials, along with the BlackBerry. The approval of Android by the DoD is a major setback for Apple's iPhone. This doesn't mean that DoD employees can use any Android phone. The Pentagon has approved only Dell's hardware running Android 2.2. Interestingly Dell recently discontinued its Streak phone which runs Android 2.2. Dell is now offering Dell Venue which runs on Android 2.2. So, this is the phone which DoD employees can use."

5 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No goodies for the DoD by gcnaddict · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Right, because rooting a phone you plan on using for handling sensitive compartmented information is such a good idea.

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  2. Given the DoD's ongoing love affair with Windows by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... I have a hard time believing the open-source-ness of Android played any real part in the decision, no matter what TFA says. Someone at Dell made the right deal with the right people at the Pentagon.

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    The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
  3. Re:Carrier IQ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They're the ones writing things like Carrier IQ.

  4. Also Windows is just as open to them by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The idea that Windows' source code is some massive secret is rather funny. It is closed source, but it is no secret. Not only do governments have it (which they require if it is to be used for anything classified) but universities do too. MS licenses it to various universities with some conditions. Students can see it and mess with it, but not copy it and that kind of thing.

    Any OS the DoD is going to use, they'll have the code for. So to them Windows and Android are no different in that regard.

  5. Re:No goodies for the DoD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    woosh.... MAJOR fucking WOOSH!

    you're like that insecure jackass at every party who cannot just laugh at something. he has to turn around and see if anyone else is laughing. if they are, so does he. if they aren't, he nervously shuts up.

    the reason "woosh" rhymes with "douche" is that only fucking douchebags get their jollies pointing it out. might as well just post a "nigger joke" and be done with it.