The infantry is using smartphones to text message updates about their surroundings, send pictures with an attached GPS location, pull up maps, and quickly fill out regular reports.

CNN: U.S. Army may soon equip troops with smartphones

If you still manage to leave your favourite jacket behind, it will send you a text, email or Facebook message with the GPS coordinates of the last known location so you can track it down on Google Maps.

BBC: Wearable technology: The bra designed to shock attackers

Google Maps allowed a few bright Kenyan bloggers to display the incidence of post-election violence reported by text message.

ECONOMIST: The internet and government