Government bans the iPod but only in the Ministry of Defence. According to Reuters, the pocket sized MP3 player is one of a number of gadgets that the military has decided to ban from its buildings. The fear is that the latest digital devices, especially those with USB connectors (so not just the iPod!), can be used to siphon data from its computers. Other devices which have been given the boot include digital cameras and USB memory cards.

The policy has been put in place as a result of the MoD switching to the USB friendly Microsoft XP operating system. RAF Wing Commander Peter D'Ardenne told Reuters: "If you plug (these devices) into the computer you can bypass passwords and get right onto the system. That's why we had to plug the gap."