RMI Corporation partners with MobileDemand
RMI Corporation -- which delivers software and support for businesses that rent, sell and service equipment -- announced a partnership with MobileDemand where RMI will sell or lease MobileDemand T7000 rugged Tablet PCs to work in conjunction with RMI's ADVANTAGE software. [See press release -- Posted Wednesday, May 16, 2012 by chb

Free Motion Computing webinar: Empowering the Mobile Worker with the Right Tablet PC
On Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. CDT, Motion Computing and VDC Research will hold a free webinar that will outline the advantages of mobile field computing and discuss things to consider when deciding on the best purchase decision. [Free registration] -- Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2012 by chb

Foxconn scores US$34 billion sales in Q1 2012
It's stunning how big electronics contract manufacturing companies have gotten. Hardly anyone knows their name, but in terms of sales they pass and dwarf some of the world's most recognizable brands. Foxconn, for example, makes a lot of the electronics products sold by Apple, Sony, Microsoft and Amazon. The company just announced Q1 2012 revenues of US$34 billion, up almost 40% from Q1 2011. In annuals sales, Foxconn is bigger then IBM, Sony, Toshiba, Microsoft, Hyundai or BMW. -- Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2012 by chb

Full review: Advantech DS520 digital signage player
With digital signage increasingly being used for all sorts of informative, entertaining and interactive applications, there is a flurry of new digital signage player product releases. These players are usually very compact, durable and virtually maintenance-free. RuggedPCReview.com analyzed the ARK-DS520 digital signage player from Advantech, which is powered either by an Intel Atom N455 or D525, and uses NVIDIA ION2 graphics to display on two different screens in six possible permutations via VGA, DVI-D or HDMI. And it starts at only US$730. [See review of the Advantech ARK-DS520 digital signage player] -- Posted Monday, May 14, 2012 by chb

Amplicon video explains basics of Windows 8
Industrial electronics company Amplicon created a very useful 5-minute introductory video to Windows 8. Watch it at http://www.amplicon.com/tv/Windows8.cfm -- Posted Monday, May 14, 2012 by chb

RIM announces approval of BlackBerry 7 smartphones for U.S. DoD networks
In a piece of good news, RIM announced DoD-wide approval for the use of BlackBerry 7 smartphones. Working with U.S. Army and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) sponsors and partners, BlackBerry 7 smartphones have undergone successful testing through Army labs leading to a listing on DISA's Unified Communications Approved Product List (UCAPL). -- Posted Monday, May 14, 2012 by chb

NY Times blog on rugged Android tablets
"Companies May Accept Sturdier Android Tablets" is the title of an article in the New York Times Bits blog. In it, author Brian X. Chen argues that while the market for rugged handhelds is relatively small (about two million devices in 2011 according to IDC, expected to rise to 2.7 million by 2014), it's a valuable one, and one that Micrsoft could lose to Android. [See "Companies May Accept Sturdier Android Tablets"] -- Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 by chb

Juniper Systems Mesa torture test video on YouTube


Juniper Systems posted a new video compilation of outrageous torture testing of its Mesa Rugged Notepad on YouTube. You have to see this to believe it. [See Juniper Systems Mesa torture test video] -- Posted Wednesday, May 9, 2012 by chb

Trimble introduces rugged smart GNSS timing antenna
At CTIA Wireless 2012, Trimble introduced its latest generation of timing receivers, the Acutime GG smart antenna with multi-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capabilities. Slightly larger than a baseball and housed in a rugged, sealed enclosure, the Acutime GG provides a pulse-per-second (PPS) output synchronized to UTC within 15 nanoseconds. The Acutime GG can operate in extreme temperatures (-40 to +185 degrees Fahrenheit) and the kind of RF-jamming environments typically encountered at wireless network transmitter sites. -- Posted Tuesday, May 8, 2012 by chb

Rugged Computing Industry Discussion -- Part 2
Rugged Tablet PC company executives answer RuggedPCReview's questions about opportunities in the rugged and semi-rugged tablet market as a result of the iPad's popularity. In Part 2, the Handheld Group and Motion Computing answer the questions. [Read Rugged Computing Industry Discussion - Part 2] -- Posted Monday, May 7, 2012 by chb

RuggedPCReview.com archives revamped
Need to know what happened in the summer of 2007 in the rugged computing world? Or in November of 2009? Easy. At RuggedPCReview.com we're archiving all of our news by month so that you have easy access to it. And we've now just redesigned our main archive page. Check it out! [See RuggedPCReview.com Archives] -- Posted Thursday, May 3, 2012 by chb

The gulf between consumer and vertical market smartphones
Almost everyone has a smartphone these days. Smartphones are selling by the tens of millions every quarter. In Q1 of 2012, Apple and Samsung sold over 30 million smartphones each. Smartphones have become part of modern life. Everyone is tapping, pinching and zooming. Everyone except those who need a rugged smartphone. Because there isn't one. Now to be fair, there are rugged smartphones ... [read more] -- Posted Thursday, May 3, 2012 by chb

Casio's latest rugged high-tech watch
Casio has long been building some of the best rugged watches, and the new Pro Trek PRG550 is among the best ones yet. It keeps Atomic time, runs on solar power, can handle 330 feet of water, temperatures down to 14F, has a digital compass as well as an altimeter, barometer, and thermometer. Available starting June 2012 for about US$300. [See Casio Pro Trek site] -- Posted Thursday, May 3, 2012 by chb

Panasonic and Toshiba exiting notebook fan business?
Digitimes states that Panasonic and Toshiba are losing interest in notebook fan production, with customers only from Japan-based notebook brand vendors. Not all of Panasonic's rugged Toughbooks need fans, but some do, and Panasonic has always prided itself in making virtually all components itself. With fans being one of the most failure-prone parts, no longer making their own fans may have an impact on overall failure rates. [See Digitimes article] -- Posted Thursday, May 3, 2012 by chb

UK Ministry of Defense to use Trimble GeoManager
Trimble announced it is partnering with Babcock, a UK engineering support services organization that provides and manages the fleet of approximately 14,000 administrative vehicles for the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD). As part of a four-year agreement, Babcock will use Trimble's GeoManager field service management solutions to equip the MoD with tools to more efficiently manage its fleet utilization, fuel consumption and driver safety. [See Trimble GeoManager GPS Fleet Management page] -- Posted Thursday, May 3, 2012 by chb

MobileDemand on rugged Tablet PC systems used in aerospace and defense
MobileDemand posted a brief description and analysis of rugged Tablet PCs used in aerospace and defense applications in its Ruggedized Computing Blog. The entry lists the capabilities those two fields require from device manufacturers. [See Rugged Tablet PC Systems Used in Aerospace and Defense] -- Posted Wednesday, May 2, 2012 by chb

United Flower Growers increases accuracy by 90% with Motion Computing Tablet PCs
British Columbia-based United Flower Growers is a Dutch-style auction that sells over 50 million stems of flowers and more than a million potted plants per year. Each morning, truckloads of flowers and plants arrive at UFG's 26 loading bays where they are visually inspected for quality. Sales data is scanned into custom software using Motion Computing F5v Tablet PCs, dramatically reducing manual input errors by 90%, which translates to a considerable cost savings. Motion Tablet PCs are also starting to be used in other areas of the operation, where UFG expects to increase efficiency by up to 40%. [See Motion Computing press release] -- Posted Wednesday, May 2, 2012 by chb

ecom and Intermec announce intrinsically safe rugged handheld
ecom instruments Inc. and Intermec announced a new intrinsically safe handheld mobile computer for use in hazardous environments that include oil refineries and drilling platforms, petrochemical, pharmaceutical production, agriculture processing and other explosion-classified environments. The new i.roc Ci70 -Ex, which is based on the Intermec 70 series platform, is the first product offering resulting from the partnership between Intermec and ecom announced in late 2011. The i.roc Ci70 -Ex will be exclusively sold and distributed by ecom. -- Posted Tuesday, May 1, 2012 by chb

Intermec Q1 2012 revenues flat, CEO Pat Byrne departs
Intermec reported Q1 2012 revenues of US$179.7 million with a net loss of US$16.4 million, compared to Q1 2011 revenues of US$178.5 million and net loss of US$6.1 million. While North America revenues increased 17%, most foreign revenue declined. Intermec also announced the departure of CEO Patrick Byrne and his replacement, on an interim basis, with Chairman of the Board Allen J. Lauer. [See Intermec press release] -- Posted Tuesday, May 1, 2012 by chb

More rugged technology in the field: Panasonic Toughbooks for analyzing Bugatti Veyron datalogs
And another rugged technology sighting: one of our favorite car magazines, Motor Trend, ran a feature on development drive testing in a 1,284 horsepower 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. Well, a photo in Motor Trend revealed that the technicians are using a Panasonic Toughbook 19 and what appears to be a Panasonic Toughbook 52 to analyze data downloaded from the Bugatti's onboard data logger. -- Posted Monday, April 30, 2012 by chb

Rugged technology seen in the field: Trimble GNSS Geodetic antenna at Folsom Lake College, California
It's always good to see rugged mobile technology used in the field. The picture to the right shows a Trimble Zephyr 2 Geodetic antenna installed at the Folsom Lake College athletic field construction site in Folsom, California. Specially designed for construction GNSS applications, the Zephyr 2 antenna is part of a receiver system that provides accuracy down to 8 millimeters (a third of an inch!) for larger construction site applications. [See Trimble Site Positioning Systems brochure] -- Posted Monday, April 30, 2012 by chb

iSiS-Ex unveils new 19-inch Zone 2 workstation
Industrial computing deployments often face what's called "Zone 2" requirements, i.e. there may be explosive gas mixtures present for short periods. iSiS-Ex specializes in hazardous area computing, and just announced their new 19-inch Zone 2 PC workstation that has a footprint no larger than that of their 15-inch model. [See press release] -- Posted Monday, April 30, 2012 by chb

IBM introduces new foundation for mobile computing
IBM unveiled its first ever Mobile Foundation, a comprehensive portfolio of software and services designed to help organizations capitalize on the proliferation of mobile environments including laptops, smartphones and tablets. IBM's Mobile Foundation offers capabilities in a) connecting mobile and cloud environments, b) building mobile apps for various platforms just once, c) secure management of all mobile devices, and d) extending existing enterprise capabilities to mobile devices. [See IBM press release] -- Posted Monday, April 30, 2012 by chb

Motorola Solutions survey shows 66% of retailers interested in Mobile Point of Sale
Motorola Solutions released the findings of a survey that shows increasing interest from retail, hospitality and field service industries for mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) solutions for improving customer service. Retailers in particular (66% of those surveyed) showed a strong interest in deploying mPOS over the next couple years. In terms of equipment, retailers and field service responders saw big increases in rugged handhelds and tablets, a modest increase in smartphones, but stagnation or decline in walkie-talkies and kiosks. [See Mobile POS Study results] -- Posted Monday, April 30, 2012 by chb

Intermec releases two new rugged high-speed industrial mid-range label printers
Intermec announced the PM43 and PM43c industrial mid-range label printers, featuring the fastest throughput in their class. Suited for harsh industrial environments including transportation, manufacturing and distribution centers, the metal-constructed PM43 and more compact PM43c printers are built to perform by increasing uptime and reducing maintenance costs. [See Intermec PM43 brochure and press release] -- Posted Monday, April 30, 2012 by chb

GD-Itronix opens online store for its rugged computers and accessories
Once dismissed as minor adjuncts to more traditional sales channels, online stores have become important parts of business. General Dynamics Itronix has now joined the ranks of computer companies with online stores. The new store offers current GD-Itronix rugged models (GD300, GD400, GD2000, GD3015, GD3080, GD4000, GD6000, GD8000, GD8200) as well as refurbs and accessories for both current and legacy models. The store is powered by GroupMobile, but is exclusive to General Dynamics' rugged computing products. [See GD-Itronix online store] -- Posted Monday, April 30, 2012 by chb

Advantech issues site and brochure for hazardous applications solutions
Advantech issued a newsletter and brochure highlighting its products and solutions for oil and gas exploration applications. See the page -- covering rugged data acquisition modules, controllers, human interface devices and industrial communication gateways, switches and servers -- here and see the Advantech Class I, Division 2 Certified Products brochure. -- Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 by chb

In Ticketing launches InHand Mobile Box Office for mobile ticketing at live events
In the early days of PDAs, expanded functionality (such as storage, wireless, scanning, etc.) was often provided in the form of a sleeve or caddy that accommodated the handheld. Now we're starting the same approach again with sleeve and and caddies for smartphones. An example is the iAPS sled from Daily Systems, an all-in-one mobile POS solution for iPhone and iPod touch that adds bar code scanning, credit card reading and receipt printing to those Apple handhelds. Using the iAPS, In Ticketing has now introduced the InHand Mobile Box Office, enabling sale-to-receipt ticket sales transactions. -- Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012 by chb

Motorola Solutions reports good Q1 2012 with 7% sales increase over Q1 2011
Motorola Solutions announced first-quarter 2012 results. Q1 sales were $1.956 billion, up 7% from Q1 2011 sales of US$1.834 billion, driven by strong worldwide demand in the Government segment. Q1 earnings were US$232 million, up significantly from $169 million for the quarter a year ago. Q1 2012 sales were roughly 1/3 from enterprise sales and 2/3 from government sales. Motorola Solutions also reported it repurchased US$1.4 billion of its shares in the quarter. -- Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2012 by chb

Keynote DeviceAnywhere helps Sprint developers port apps to CDMA rugged devices
Keynote DeviceAnywhere, specializing in mobile application lifecycle management, has announced a collaboration with Sprint to give members of the "Sprint Gets Rugged" program remote access to real devices from Sprint's line of CDMA ruggedized handsets. This will assist developers to port their iDEN apps to handsets by letting them access over the internet real handsets without having to physically acquire the handsets, therefore decreasing the overall cost of development and speeding up their time-to-market. Featured devices include the Motorola MB612, the Sanyo "Taho" 4100, and Kyocera's Duramax Pro 820, DuraCore, and DuraPlus. [See press release and how the virtual lab works]
-- Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2012 by chb

GE releases three rugged Intel 3rd Gen Core-based SBCs
GE Intelligent Platforms announced three new rugged single board computers (SBCs) based on 3rd Generation Intel Core processors. The SBC625, XCR15 and XVR15 bring substantially increased processing power, graphics capability, I/O bandwidth and functional density to customers developing and deploying demanding industrial and mil/aero applications. These include command/control, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), radar/sonar and signal processing. -- Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2012 by chb

e-con Systems executive explains the reality of cameras in rugged computers
e-con Systems is an embedded product development specialist with significant expertise in camera solutions in the Windows CE and Windows Embedded space. We asked Mr. Hari Shankkar, co-founder of e-con Systems, why at a time when every new smartphone includes a superb camera capable of full HD 720p or 1080p video, cameras built into rugged devices generally lag far behind. [Read more] -- Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2012 by chb

Intel formally introduces high end "Ivy Bridge" quad-core 3rd Generation Core processors
After much discussion of the "Ivy Bridge" platform of next-gen Intel Core processors, Intel officially introduced a number of higher end quad-core versions of the platform. Called "3rd generation Intel Core processors," the new chips are based on 22 nanometer manufacturing process, have much more powerful integrated graphics with DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.1 and OpenCL 1.1 support, and also come with the new "Panther Point" chipset family with native USB 3.0 and PCIe 3.0 support, as well as new Centrino wireless modules. As usual, there is a dizzying variety of desktop and mobile versions that all promise to be about 20% faster and twice as powerful in graphics than corresponding 2nd generation chips. The new 22nm process, for the first time, employs 3D tri-gate transistor design, perpetuating Moore's Law (doubling transistor count every 18 months) for years to come. The new processors, which do not yet include low and ultra low voltage versions of special interest to vertical market mobile/rugged systems, also benefit from a variety of security and power conservation enhancements. [See Intel press release and 3rd Gen Core Processor presentation] -- Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2012 by chb

Laird Technologies issues White Paper on FIPS 140-2 validation for WiFi clients
FIPS 140-2 defines the U.S. federal government standard for modules that protect sensitive but unclassified information through cryptography, or encryption and decryption. Laird Technologies has issued a free White Paper entitled "FIPS 140-2 and Wi-Fi Client Devices" that discusses whether organizations contemplating FIPS 140-2 for Wi-Fi client devices should consider whether or not WPA2TM- Enterprise with chip-based AES-CCMP provides sufficient security. [Get white paper] -- Posted Monday, April 23, 2012 by chb

Rugged tablets in agriculture
Rugged tablets are increasingly used in farming where the concept of precision agriculture has introduced advanced GPS, GIS and management systems to prepare, optimize and run farming operations. SOYL Precision Farming and the Samwell Group demonstrated how small, rugged tablet computers mounted on All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) can get the job done. [See Rugged tablets in agriculture] -- Posted Monday, April 23, 2012 by chb

Media tablet era medical tablet: Cybernet CyberMed T10
Cybernet Manufacturing has developed the CyberMed T10 tablet designed for use in clinical environments. The Intel Atom N2600-based tablet, which has about the same footprint and display as the original iPad, runs Windows 7 or the upcoming Windows 8. The aluminum and glass enclosure is easy to clean, has antimicrobial coating, and sports a fanless design. The 2-pound device, which starts at US$999, has dual cameras, WiFi/Bluetooth, USB and HDMI, and also optional RFID and barcode scanner. [See description and specs of the Cybernet CyberMed T10 medical tablet] -- Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 by chb

Vocollect introduces Vocollect VoiceExpress
Vocollect, a business unit of Intermec, announced the introduction of Vocollect VoiceExpress, a new host interface solution that provides distribution center and warehouse operators with the benefits of voice across almost any distribution workflow quickly, by eliminating or reducing common customer adoption barriers of voice solutions. VoiceExpress allows certified partners to easily reengineer processes without host changes or significant IT resources to create integrated voice solution. [See Vocollect press release] and Vocollect VoiceExpress data sheet] -- Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 by chb

MobileDemand's xTablet rugged Tablet PCs certified on Brother printers
MobileDemand announced it has teamed with Broomfield, Colorado-based Brother Mobile Solutions, a global provider of mobile printing and label solutions designed to improve performance and efficiency on the road, on the shop floor and in the warehouse. All MobileDemand products -- the xTablet T7000, T8700 and C1200 tablet PC systems have been certified on the PocketJet and RuggedJet mobile printers from Brother Mobile. [See news release] -- Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012 by chb

The nature and potential of Windows 8 for ARM devices
By announcing the upcoming versions of Windows 8 and what role the separate ARM version will play, Microsoft has clarified the situation a bit. And a thorough prior Microsoft blog post on building Windows for ARM had already added a lot more detail. So what IS the nature of Windows 8 for ARM devices, and what do we consider its outlook and potential? [Read The nature and outlook for Windows 8 for ARM devices] -- Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012 by chb

Microsoft announces Windows 8 editions
In a post on the Windows Blog, Microsoft announced that there will be three versions of the upcoming Windows 8. For PCs and tablets based on x86 processors, there will be plain Windows 8 and and the more business-oriented Windows 8 Pro that adds features for encryption, virtualization, PC management and domain connectivity. Windows Media Center will be available as a "media pack" add-on to Windows 8 Pro. A third version, Windows RT, will be available pre-installed on ARM-based PCs and tablets. Windows RT will include touch-optimized desktop versions of a new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. [See Announcing the Windows 8 Editions. Also interesting: Building Windows for the ARM processor architecture] -- Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012 by chb

Trimble introduces rugged Pro Series GNSS Receivers
Trimble introduced the next generation of its Trimble GPS Pathfinder family -- the Trimble Pro 6H and Pro 6T receivers for GIS data collection and mobile mapping. The series offers a new streamlined form-factor and dramatic productivity improvements in difficult GNSS environments with Trimble Floodlight technology that allows for decimeter accuracy data even in tough GNSS environments. [See Trimble Pro Series receivers page] -- Posted Tuesday, April 17, 2012 by chb

Brazilian hospital uses Motion Computing tablets to improve safety and work conditions
Motion Computing reports that in 2011, the Samaritano Hospital of Sao Paulo, Brazil, implemented a mix of mobile computingsolutions, including Motion C5v Tablet PCs, notebooks and carts on wheels, for real-time access to electronic medical records throughout the hospital. The mobile devices are an integral part of the hospital's effort to increase patient safety and improve work conditions for clinicians, effectively modernizing the care process. The devices were chosen because they were configured specifically for the hospital environment and in line with infection control protocols. [See Motion Computing press release] -- Posted Tuesday, April 17, 2012 by chb

Intermec releases two new rugged mobile receipt printers
Intermec announced yet more printers. The new two-inch PR2 and three-inch PR3 mobile receipt printers are small, light, durable and, according to Intermec, designed for all day comfort for mobile field professionals in direct store delivery (DSD) route accounting, field service,and mobile point of sale and electronic citation. [See Intermec PR2 and PR3 product page] -- Posted Monday, April 16, 2012 by chb

Will GPS drown in commercialism?
The world has come to rely on GPS. Location-based services rely on it, as do countless transportation management and optimization systems, let alone hundreds of millions of individuals. But what if "sponsored locations" and GPS spam take over, just as email has been taken over by spam? Unfortunately, it's already starting. [See Will GPS down in commercialism?] -- Posted Monday, April 16, 2012 by chb

LXE executive joins Advantech DLoG
Advantech DLoG announced that Didier Cousin, LXE's former Channel Director for Europe, has joined Advantech DLoG with the same title. LXE became part of Honeywell in 2011. -- Posted Sunday, April 15, 2012 by chb

New accessories for the Motion CL900 Tablet PC boost field productivity
Motion Computing announced the availability of a number of accessories for the CL900 Tablet PC. The CL-Series ReadyDock can store/charge/sync/secure 5, 10 or 15 CL900s; the CL-Series Keyboard Portfolio is a stand and Bluetooth keyboard combined; the CL-Series X-Strap is a simple but effective one-handed carrying solution; and there's also a Micro-HDMI to VGA adapter for connection to projectors. -- Posted Friday, April 13, 2012 by chb

Top medical apps
The folks at iMedicalApps.com present a terrific resource with their attractively designed "Top Apps" section where healthcare professionals can find lineups and reviews of medical apps. [See iMedcialApps.com's Top Apps} -- Posted Friday, April 13, 2012 by chb

Doha port implements terminal operating system including handhelds and rugged LXE vehicle-mounts
The Gulf Times reports that Milaha, previously known as Qatar Navigation, is implementing a new Terminal Operating System at Doha Port. The new system is geared to enhance productivity and efficiency at the port that currently uses a paper-based system to manage 400,000 container movements annually. Doha Port staff will use hand-held computers at the entry and exit gates for trucks and enter the required data for each incoming container, while documentation required for container pick-up will be printed on the spot. Each straddle carrier is equipped with an LXE half-screen vehicle-mounted computer, which displays the container to be taken from the truck or ship and where the container has to be placed. -- Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2012 by chb

AIS expands line of rugged military displays and computers
American Industrial Systems Inc. (AIS) announced an expanded offering of ruggedized COTS military- and marine-grade solutions to be offered through Avnet Embedded. The selection includes Intel Atom D2700-powered vehicle mounts with display sizes from 8.4 to 15 inches, as well as display-only versions in the same sizes. [Check AIS Ruggedized Computers and Displays for Military Applications] -- Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by chb

Trimble launches free iPad field fitting input app
Trimble announced its Trimble Field Fitting Input app for the Apple iPad, providing contractors the ability to rapidly collect sheet metal dimension information in the field and then share with the fabrication shop for output. The app itself is free, but requires a Trimble Field Fitting Input Import license for importing fittings into the Vulcan CAM software that drives Lockformer Vulcan plasma cutting tables. [See Trimble Field Fitting Input app] -- Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by chb

Intel reveals studybook Learning Series tablet reference design
Intel introduced another interesting reference design, the Intel studbook. Part of the Intel Learning Series, the studybook concentrates on classroom features and educational software. The reference tablet measures 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.65 inches, weighs 1.15 pounds, has a 7-inch capacitive multi-touch screen with 1024 x 600 (i.e. early netbook class) resolution, is powered by a single-core 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z650 processor, can have up to 32GB of SSD storage, and optional 0.3mp front and 2mp rear cameras. There's 802.11b/g/n WiFi, optional Bluetooth and 3G WWAN, a micro-SD card slot, USB, mini-HDMI, and battery life up to 5.5 hours. The device is said to be able to run either Windows 7 or Android Honeycomb. While the Intel press release refers to "ultra rugged design," we're really only talking a 2.5 foot drop and IP41 sealing, enough perhaps for a classroom. Intel expects pricing of US$200-300, depending on installed options. Intel claims that over 7 millions of its earlier Classmate PC are in use, and that the hardware and software elements of an Intel studybook have been piloted in more than 2,000 classrooms in 36 countries. [See Intel studybook product brief] -- Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by chb

Habey USA introduces ultra-slim Atom N2800/D2700 mini-ITX board
Habey USA, a manufacturer of embedded computers and an Associate member of the Intel Embedded Alliance, introduced an ultra slim mini-ITX board based on Intel's next gen Atom N2800/D2700 processors. The new MITX-6932 board has a total board height of just 20mm (0.8 inches) with heat sink, yet offers greater processing power and 4 times the graphics performance of previous Atom designs, as well as DirectX9 support on Windows and Linux, additional smart connective technologies, and power consumption under full load of just 12W. [See Habey MITX_6932 product page] -- Posted Monday, April 9, 2012 by chb

Advantech announces rugged 1,200 nits LED display kits
Advantech announced the launch of IDK-2000 series of 1200-nit ultra high brightness LED display kits ranging from 8.4" to 19". The kits -- which include a 1200-nit industrial grade LCD panel, a LED driver board, and optional resistive touch screen integration -- are 3 times brighter than standard IDK-2000 models, providing superior sunlight readability and wide operating temperature support for outdoor applications such as gas pumps, payment kiosks, vending machines, etc. [See 1200-nit IDM-2000 lineup] -- Posted Sunday, April 8, 2012 by chb

Intermec's trade-in program is back
Intermec announced that its trade-in program is back. Select Intermec printers, scanners and mobile computers qualify for trade-in rebates with savings of up to US$525 on a qualifying purchase. [See Intermec Trade-In Program] -- Posted Friday, April 6, 2012 by chb

Allscripts introduces iPad app for EHRs
Allscripts announced the release of Allscripts Wand, which provides users of Allscripts Electronic Health Records a unique, native iPad application that extends the most commonly used functions of Allscripts Professional and Enterprise solutions. -- Posted Thursday, April 5, 2012 by chb

Mercury Computer Systems gets $5M in orders for rugged embedded multi-processing modules
Mercury Computer Systems, a provider of commercially developed application-ready ISR and EW subsystems for defense prime contractors, announced it received $5.1 million in follow-on orders from a leading defense prime contractor for rugged embedded multi-processing modules for two airborne radar applications. -- Posted Thursday, April 5, 2012 by chb

Socket Mobile turns 20!
Socket Mobile is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a provider of mobile computing productivity solutions. Since 1992, Socket has offered portable computing, data collection and remote networking hardware that have helped healthcare, hospitality, retail, and other industries worldwide meet the demands of a growing mobile workforce while eliminating manual processes and maximizing efficiency in mission-critical business applications. For the milestones in this admirably innovative company's history, check here! And here's our description of the latest Socket SoMo 655 handheld. -- Posted Thursday, April 5, 2012 by chb

Advantech launches Advantech Plus iOS app
We're starting to see manufacturers publishing their own apps to allow customers, partners and employees to provide mobile one-stop access to corporate news and resources. An example is Advantech Plus, an iOS app for iPhones and iPads that serves as a portal to Advantech, offering event releases, real-time application notes and videos, contact info with map navigation and direct dial-in function, as well as social media networking. -- Posted Thursday, April 5, 2012 by chb

Toshiba introduces new line of thermal barcode label printers
Toshiba America Business Solutions introduced the B-EX4T2, a 4-inch thermal label printer series that expands its portfolio of industry-leading MFPs and thermal barcode label printers. Built for industrial applications such as manufacturing, transportation, logistics and retail, Toshiba's new thermal barcode printer series includes models offering 200 DPI, 300 DPI, 600 DPI and direct thermal printing. -- Posted Wednesday, April 4, 2012 by chb

Blasting Solutions Inc. realizes 75% time savings with Motion Tablet PCs
Motion Computing published a new case study that shows how Blasting Solutions Inc uses the rugged Motion F5v Tablet PC to reduce the amount of time spent filling out job books by 75 percent. For each job, BSI audits the entire job book from front to back, and what previously took three to four days to complete now takes approximately 15 minutes. [See full case study] -- Posted Tuesday, April 3, 2012 by chb

Getac partners with ProCustom Group for customizations solutions
Getac announced that it has entered into a partnership with ProCustom Group to allow customers the ability to customize Getac rugged products based on the specific needs and extreme environments where Getac products are used. ProCustom Group provides user-specific customization of COTS rugged laptop, notebook, tablet and handheld products for deployment in harsh and demanding environments in military, aerospace, industrial and first-responder marketplaces. -- Posted Tuesday, April 3, 2012 by chb

Socket Mobile has new COO
Socket Mobile announced the promotion of Tim Miller to Chief Operating Officer. With this promotion, Mr. Miller assumes day-to-day operating responsibility for Socket's worldwide sales and marketing, engineering and operations. -- Posted Tuesday, April 3, 2012 by chb

Juniper Mesa Rugged Notepad used for arctic wildlife monitoring program in Nunavut
Juniper Systems announced that the Mesa Rugged Notepad is being used as part of a community-based wildlife monitoring program, conducted by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, where native Inuit hunters are recording wildlife population data throughout the Canadian Arctic territory of Nunavut. Juniper Systems, along with international consulting firm IMG-Golder and Nova Scotia based Noreca Consulting, have been awarded a contract to assist with the design and implementation of the program, including a complete field data collection solution using rugged handheld computers, the development of mobile software, and a web-based database for uploading and accessing data. -- Posted Monday, April 2, 2012 by chb

Review: Advantech SOM-6765 COM-Express
COM-Express CPU boards are tiny, but provide full computing functionality for embedded systems projects where they are usually used in specially designed carrier boards. We describe and benchmarked the industrial-quality Advantech SOM-6765 powered by a dual-core 2.13GHz Intel Atom D2700 processor. Compared to earlier Atom-based modules, these latest ones are a huge step forward in terms of performance. [See review of the Advantech SOM-6765 COM-Express Type 2 module] -- Posted Saturday, March 31, 2012 by chb

Blast from the past: Scriptel
Scriptel, a global provider of electronic pen and sensor technology, announced the launch of the ST1501 LCD Electronic Signature Pad for Web Environments. The name Scriptel also brought back memories of the ScripTel WriteTouch digitizer of the mid-1990s that was briefly used in Xplore GeneSys rugged tablets. In the meantime, Scriptel apparently has an installed base of almost 3 million units. -- Posted Saturday, March 31, 2012 by chb

IDC: Android to pass Windows platform
According to IDC, the Windows/X86 platform will slip from a leading 35.9% share in 2011 down to 25.1% in 2016, losing the OS lead to Android-based devices running on ARM CPUs. IF, that is, you count smartphones and media tablets as computers. Looking at it that way, of the almost one billion of "smart connected devices" (i.e. PCs, tablets and smartphones) sold in 2011, about half were smartphones. By 2016, IDC expects almost 1.9 billion smart connected devices, and over 60% will be smartphones. Interestingly, IDC's graphs show tablets remaining well behind conventional PCs. [See IDC press release] -- Posted Friday, March 30, 2012 by chb

Red Hat now a billion dollar company
There was a time when Linux was seen as the next big thing and Red Hat was seemingly everywhere (we had our servers and many notebooks running Red Hat). But a number of years ago, Red Hat turned away from consumers/enthusiasts and to business customers. Then Android happened, and further pushed Linux away from public view. All this seemed to have worked out for Red Hat as the company had US$1 billion sales for the first time. [See Red Hat press release] -- Posted Friday, March 30, 2012 by chb

Psion introduces modular rugged Omnii RT15 for field service, delivery, data collection
A couple of months after introducing the modular Omnii XT15 handheld, Psion added another version of the platform, the RT15. With a slightly lower drop spec and IP65 sealing instead of the XT15's IP67, the RT15, which is also priced a bit lower, is geared specifically towards field service and similar applications. [See Psion press release and our description and specs of the Psion RT15] -- Posted Thursday, March 29, 2012 by chb

Solar-powered rugged case for the iPad
Solawerks announced that the company is developing a version of its Solapad iPad cover with space age "hard rubber" type material so that the fragile iPad can be used in rugged environments. -- Posted Thursday, March 29, 2012 by chb

Intermec commits to Cedar Rapids
In an obvious commitment to local employment, Intermec will start construction of a new facility in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in April. The project, according to the Eastern Iowa Government website, will keep "at least 200 high-paying engineering and related jobs in the downtown." [See article] -- Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2012 by chb

ADLINK Technology seeking dominant role in modular computing
According to a press release, Taiwan's embedded computing company ADLINK has big plans. The company, which was formed 17 years ago and has annual revenues of US$170 million, recently acquired German LiPPERT Embedded Computer, after purchasing rugged industrial computer maker Ampro in 2008. Pointing at VDC Research projections for a computer-on-module market of almost US$900 million by 2015, ADLINK president Daniel Yang says he is "confident that the new company is positioned to quickly become the dominant player in the modular computing space." -- Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2012 by chb

Fujitsu offers faster Stylistic Q550
Fujitsu is now offering a top-of-the-line model of the Stylistic Q550 Slate PC with a 1.7GHz Intel Atom Z690 instead of the original 1.5GHz Z670. This model, which starts at US$999, also comes standard with a Gobi3000 technology and carrier-independent WWAN module (available as an option in lesser versions). [See latest Fujitsu Q550 specs] -- Posted Monday, March 26, 2012 by chb

New: Opticon H22 rugged WinMo handheld
Opticon has released the H22, a rugged handheld computer running Windows 6.5.3 on a 806MHz Marvell PXA320 processor. The 12-ounce rugged handheld (IP65, 5-foot drop, 14-122F) has a 3.7-inch full VGA touch screen, a numeric or QWERTY keypad, extensive data capture capabilities (1D/2D scanner, RFID, camera, AGPS) and also includes WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G/3.5G WWAN and even an IrDA port. [See description and specs of the Opticon H22] -- Posted Monday, March 26, 2012 by chb

Intermec named to CRN's 2012 5-Star Partner Programs Guide
Intermec announced it has received the 5-star rating in CRN's 2012 Partner Programs Guide, a listing of manufacturers and software publishers that service solution providers and/or provide products to the IT Channel. In building the list, UBM Channel Research developed a methodology in which vendors are assessed on information provided in their completed applications. The objective criteria takes into account each vendor's investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. [See Intermec press release] -- Posted Monday, March 26, 2012 by chb

Handheld's ultra-rugged Algiz XRW off to the North Pole


Handheld Group reports that their ultra-rugged Algiz XRW notebook has been selected by the French scientific North Pole 2012 Expedition for a five week long expedition to the North Pole, starting March 22, 2012. The expedition will be autonomous, without assistance, with a daily travel schedule of 25 km, each member pulling a 150 kg sledge. "The Algiz XRW is really one of the most important pieces of equipment of the expedition," said project leader Alan Le Tressoler: "The entire objective of the expedition is to collect, retain and analyze scientific data, something we can only do with an extremely well functioning mobile computer that is also able to handle extreme conditions." [See press release] -- Posted Monday, March 26, 2012 by chb

Curtiss-Wright releases 1,000 nits LED-backlit rugged mission touch display
Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions announced an upgraded version of its rugged 6.4-inch Skyquest AVDU1626 touch display for connected moving maps use in helicopter and fixed-wing platforms. The biggest change is a switch from fluorescent to LED backlighting with over 1,000 nits while retaining night flight operations standards. [See Curtiss-Wright press release] -- Posted Sunday, March 25, 2012 by chb

Getac PS236 now available with Android in Europe
European offices of Getac announced that the Getac PS236 rugged handheld will now also be available with Android, a move that follows, according to Getac, the manufacturer's collaboration with Android developers across the globe. The hardware (806MHz PXA310, 3.5-inch VGA screen, 3.5G WWAN, IP67, etc.) remains largely the same as for the Windows Mobile version, with the exception of the Android version's larger 256MB RAM and use of USB client 2.0 instead of USB OTG. The Android version may become available in the US as Android gains more traction in vertical markets. [See PS236-Android spec sheet and Getac UK press release] -- Posted Tuesday, March 20, 2012 by chb

Rugged Computing Industry Discussion: Opportunities in the rugged tablet market as a result of the iPad's popularity
Tablets have been around for over 20 years, mostly as niche market products, with brief periods of heightened interest such as the early 1990s (the original IBM ThinkPad was a tablet) and Microsoft's 2002 push with the Tablet PC. Over the past two years, the Apple iPad legitimized the form factor with an elegant multi-touch interface first popularized on the iPhone, and now used on hundreds of millions of smartphones. There is unprecedented opportunity for the tablet form factor, but on the rugged size few products that seek to take advantage of that need. We asked a number of industry executives why that is and how they view the situation. [Read Q&A about opportunities in the rugged and semi-rugged tablet market as a result of the iPad's popularity] -- Posted Tuesday, March 20, 2012 by chb

Poundland boosts warehouse productivity with Motion Tablet PCs
Motion Computing reports that Europe's biggest single price discount retailer, Poundland, has gone live with a deployment of Motion F5 Tablet PCs in two warehouse hubs in the Midlands. The tablets replace legacy data collection equipment and improve the productivity of Poundland QA teams in both locations and ensure Poundland's supply chain keeps pace with demand. [See Motion Computing press release] -- Posted Monday, March 19, 2012 by chb

Charleston County, SC, awards port securities grant to Nova Mobile Systems/Getac
Getac reports that Charleston, S.C. has selected Nova Mobile Systems to provide rugged mobile computing systems to 10 emergency response agencies within the County to protect critical infrastructure from terrorism and other security breaches in and around its port areas. Nova will manage and coordinate the procurement and field installation of 230 B300 rugged notebook computers and V200 rugged convertible notebook systems from Getac, which were chosen based on their ability to perform in extreme environments and consistently provide the speed and performance Charleston law enforcement need. [See RPCR reviews of the Getac B300 and V200] -- Posted Monday, March 19, 2012 by chb

Rugged tablets the perfect tool for Taiwan's utility workers
Even more so than laptops, tablet computers can be used anywhere, anytime. And with tens of millions of people now familiar with the tablet form factor with their smartphones and iPads, they expect the same functionality and ease of use in the computing equipment on their jobs. As a result, tablets are increasingly used in the field as well. Case in point: the utility industry in Taiwan (where most of the world's tablets are made). [See "Rugged tablets the perfect tool for Taiwan's utility workers"] -- Posted Monday, March 19, 2012 by chb