TransTalk: Welcome to the Socially Conscious edition of Cool New Apps, where we’ll examine a few apps that make the world a better place and/or help us live in a more free, enlightened society (cue the abacuses and poetry pamphlets!). Did you know that the Army has its own personal app store for soldiers? Well, it does! In fact, the United States Military is taking smartphone technology very seriously, even going so far as to test iPhone and Android phones in the field to see how they function as practical navigation and communication equipment. App developer Raytheon has been working on a new translation app specifically for soldiers that will translate English into Arabic, Dari and Pashto, with an emphasis on phrases that are commonly used between soldiers and civilians in the Middle East. The app hasn’t been approved for inclusion in the Army’s app store yet, but it’s obvious why such a tool would prove infinitely useful. How many lives can be saved and how many problems can be solved if we remove miscommunication from the equation?

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