The American love affair with military technology has stretched out for decades - from the walkie talkies of the post-WWII era to the GPS systems that are used in our cars today. But as military technologies become more sophisticated and information technologies grow more complex, will we continue to love the high tech gizmos the military invents, or want to escape them?  

In a mere 48 hours, Apple will release its widely anticipated and newest product: the iPad. As with every other Apple product launch — including that of the iPod and iPhone — crowds are expected to line up around the block on Saturday, hours before the stores open, to buy iPad on opening day. But some might wonder: what’s the point? Won’t these early adopters just be wasting half a day, paying too much money, and buying a glitch-filled experiment?