DARPA Seeks App Developers For War App Store 174
MrSeb writes "DARPA has a problem on its hands: Satellites, unmanned drones (UAVs), and myriad other worldwide sensors are now so ubiquitous and omnipotent that the Department of Defense (DOD) doesn't actually know how to make the best use of them. In other words, the hardware is there, but the software isn't. To tackle this particularly tricky issue, DARPA is looking for smartphone app developers to help build 'sophisticated, adaptive applications.' Yes, DARPA wants to give smartphone developers access to the DOD's fleet of Hellfire missile-equipped UAVs. Instead of using a single, remote pilot to fly just one UAV, DARPA imagines 'an app [...] that allows a swarm of small deployed UAVs to be controlled as a single unit (a hive [mind] so to speak).' DARPA also wants app developers to help out with easy-to-use app interfaces, novel uses of smartphone-like sensors (accelerometers, cameras, gyros) — and ultimately, it wants to make a War Market where a soldier can simply log in with his DOD-issued smartphone or tablet and download Angry UAVs, Nuke Ninja, and other battlefield apps."
Better stay away from xcode (Score:5, Interesting)
SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR XCODE
8. Export Control... You also agree that you will not use the Developer Software for any purposes prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture or production of missiles, nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
Re:Interesting problem (Score:4, Interesting)
Anyone else in favor of a constitutional amendment for a "no confidence vote," where the public can hold a referendum at will to dissolve our currently elected officials of their offices, ban them for life from ever holding another position (municipal, state, federal, etc.), and hold general elections for their replacements?
Broken Window Fallacy (Score:2, Interesting)
We could have developed all of those things without military objectives. But it is easier to justify the costs to the public if you claim it is for national security -- in much the same way as "protecting the children" is used to justify censorship and Internet surveillance.