US Navy Issues Spy-Proof E-Reader

The US Navy has launched an e-reader device suitable for use on military vessels, designed to prevent location or other sensitive data from leaking to the enemy.

The NeRD device achieves this by having no WiFi capabilities, no ports and no removable storage, meaning there is no way of adding or deleting content. It does, however, come pre-loaded with hundreds of books.

"What would be considered limiting [for] the technology is actually perfecting the device for its designated audience," said Findaway World, the company that built the e-reader.

"When you think about a submarine or a ship in the Pacific, they don't have access to Wi-Fi and they're not allowed to have cameras because of security reasons."

Until now Kindles, iPads and other tablets and e-readers have been forbidden onboard naval vessels. The only access to literature was through the Navy General Library programme, which stocks a limited number of physical books and audiobooks on each ship and submarine.

The NeRD will be feature 300 titles, including fantasy titles like George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series.

"Navy Installations Command is constantly seeking to provide our proud sailors around the world with new tools and resources that can enrich their lives," said Nellie Moffitt, Navy General Library programme manager.

"NeRD addresses this goal head-on, with a library of digital titles in a convenient and secure package that circumvents longstanding challenges in content storage. By partnering with Findaway World, we now have the ideal reading solution for the digital age."