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You Can Take it With You » Stop the Lies! … Pentagon issuing Windows Mobile-based lie detectors

Stop the Lies! … Pentagon issuing Windows Mobile-based lie detectors

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I came across this article: New anti-terror weapon: Hand-held lie detector on MSNBC today.

The article talks about a new hand-held lie detector that the Pentagon is issuing to soldiers in Afghanistan to help in screening local-police, interpreters, etc.

I couldn't find Microsoft or Windows Mobile mentioned anywhere in the article but take a look at this picture of the application screen …

The tell-tale Start icon appears in the top-left corner, and the familiar network activity and sound icons followed by the time appear in the top-right corner.

Something that I found funny … For an overview of the tool, the Pentagon has made a PowerPoint presentation available. J

All joking aside, it's really cool to see Windows Mobile being used in such a critical application

Posted Apr 09 2008, 10:34 AM by jim-wilson

Comments

Paul wrote re: Stop the Lies! … Pentagon issuing Windows Mobile-based lie detectors
on 04-09-2008 9:50 AM
No reason to zoom in to look for the start menu or other icons. The big ugly Windows 3.1 style buttons were a dead giveaway to me when I first saw it!
Jim Wilson wrote re: Stop the Lies! … Pentagon issuing Windows Mobile-based lie detectors
on 04-09-2008 10:24 AM
Paul;

No argument here on the buttons being ugly.

But those ugly buttons could'a been Windows CE as well. :-)

-Jim
valter_minute_AT_fortech_it wrote re: Stop the Lies! … Pentagon issuing Windows Mobile-based lie detectors
on 04-10-2008 6:48 AM
The device is a commercial device:
http://www.tdsway.com/products/ranger

that means that the "lie detector" is 100% software or that the unit displayed was simply a demo one.
I see no point in using WM for such a single-pourpose device.

P.S. Did they do their beta test checking politicians? :P
Jim Wilson wrote re: Stop the Lies! … Pentagon issuing Windows Mobile-based lie detectors
on 04-10-2008 7:23 AM
That fact that it's a commercially available device is exactly the point.

That's why I made the point about it being Windows Mobile (as opposed to Windows CE) - By definition a Windows Mobile device is a commercially available device with one of a few standard configurations.

That's what's cool - they're using a standard (although ruggedized) commercial device to implement an in-the-field military solution - no need to go with Windows CE and a custom rolled OS image or special-purpose device.

P.S. I'm not sure if they could actually do the beta tests with politicians - they'd have no test cases of someone telling the truth. :-)

- Jim
valter_minute_AT_fortech_it wrote re: Stop the Lies! … Pentagon issuing Windows Mobile-based lie detectors
on 04-10-2008 11:56 PM
I think that a "closed" device without an OS that allow people to install software on it would be a better choice for such a critical device (and I'm a bit skeptical about the reliability of such a tool, mostly with people with different cultures and experiences).
WM is open and allows a wide range of connectivity options that may be used to hack the device, IMHO. And it's license cost much more than "barebone" CE (but that's taxpayer money... and I don't pay taxes in the US :) ).

You are right about politicians... but I meant to use them as a sample of people that should get 100% positive at the lie detector, I don't know about an example of the opposite :)

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