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In the early 1970s, the music industry was transformed by the arrival of a practical solution to mobile music—the 8-track player. The world embraced this technology, which infected car stereos, home entertainment systems, portable players and lifestyles. While transformational, this technology soon was replaced by the cassette, followed by CDs and audio DVDs until Apple came out with the iPod—another game-changing technology. The market has created many forms of iPod docking stations for cars, clock radios, entertainment systems, airplane seats, pillows and every possible application. Uses include photos, FM radio, podcasts, videoconferencing and Wi-Fi. This technology is significantly smaller, faster, more comprehensive, more capable and inherently more user-friendly than its 8-track progenitor. The same lessons from this progression can be applied to command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) and government information technology.

A U.S. soldier used his own savings to develop an iPhone app that can help troops track the Taliban.

Access Systems Incorporated, Reston, Virginia, has named Kirk W. Ingvoldstad director for its U.S. Department of State programs.

Brig. Gen. Robert D. McMurry Jr., USAF, has been assigned director, Iraq Security Assistance Mission, U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S.

There has been recent news over the last several weeks related to SecDef Gates and his intention to cut $78B from the overall budget over five years and pare-down the DoD IT budgets specifically, which are currently absorbing about $37B annually. I sure hope you haven't lost any sleep over this… it amounts to well less than 3 percent. So, while I give the SECDEF high marks, these would not be considered bold cuts by anyone's definition. (I don't count the congressman or senator who may lose a single program as legitimate criticism... politics will always create disproportionate whining when it comes to cuts).

For some folks, capture management if a four letter word! To get some insights, I tuned into a Federal News Radio program hosted by Larry Allen. His guest back in 2009 was Bob Lohfeld, President of the Lohfeld Consulting Group; as you'd expect, the nature of capture management is much more than just the proposal effort. (see: http://www.wfed.com/index.php?hlpage=6&nid=46&sid=1805751)

Lt. Gen. Purl K. Keen, USA, has been assigned chief, Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan, U.S. Central Command, Pakistan.

Lockheed Martin Corporation, Maritime Systems and Sensors, Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded an $11 million option exercise modification for the manufacture of hardware for the Acoustic Rapid Comme