July 2012

In July of 2012, RuggedPCReview.com editors joined an expedition on the live-aboard vessel Rocio Del Mar in the Sea of Cortez to swim and dive with whale sharks, dolphins, sea lions and explore the rough Midriff islands. Computer support onboard conditions required a compact, rugged, waterproof and shockproof device with a bright sunlight-readable display. The team chose a MobileDemand xTablet T7000 rugged tablet PC to keep track of project assignments, inventory, interface with life support equipment and more. [See MobileDemand T7000 rugged tablet PC boosts safety, productivity, data capture on marine underwater and exploration expedition in the Sea of Cortez

Review: rugged Canon PowerShot D20 camera
There are rugged cameras, too. We tested the IP68-rated (to 33 feet of water) Canon PowerShot D20 that can also handle 5-foot drops and freezing temperatures. The handy, compact US$349 camera can shoot 1080p HD video, has a 5X optical zoom with image stabilization, and also includes GPS. [See review of the rugged Canon PowerShot 20] -- Posted Thursday, July 26, 2012

YRCW Worldwide to deploy Intermec CN70e to 10,000 drivers
YRCW Worldwide announced that it will be deploying Intermec CN70e handheld mobile devices to more than 10,000 professional city drivers for YRCW Freight, Reddaway and Holland beginning in October. Drivers will be able to maximize productivity, enhance customer service, optimize pickup and delivery operations, and more expediently enter shipment information and communicate it to the dispatch centers. [See YRC Worldwide press release] -- Posted Thursday, July 26, 2012

Motorola Solutions reports very good Q1 2012 with 7% sales increase over Q1 2011
Motorola Solutions announced second-quarter 2012 results. Q2 sales were US$2.148 billion, up 8% from Q2 2011 sales of US$1.984 billion, driven by strong worldwide demand in the Government segment. Q2 earnings were US$278 million, up significantly from $159 million for the quarter a year ago. Q2 2012 sales were roughly 30% from enterprise sales and 70% from government sales. Motorola Solutions also reported it repurchased US$439 million of its shares in the quarter. [See Motorola Solutions Q2 2012 financials] -- Posted Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Xplore reports third consecutive quarter of profitability
Xplore Technologies Corp. announced revenues of US$9.95 million for Q1 of 2013 (up from US$2.7 million for Q1 of 2012). Q1 2013 income was US$819,000 compared to a net loss of US$1,463,000 in Q1 2012. Philip S. Sassower, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xplore, said, "This quarter and our fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, when we achieved $10,832,000 in revenue that represented the single largest dollar amount of revenue in our 16-year history, come at a time when we believe there is a strong increase in awareness and demand for tablet computers". -- Posted Wednesday, July 25, 2012

N-trig offers single-chip pen and multi-touch solution
N-trig, which makes the DuoSense pen and multi-touch user interface, announced that the fourth gen DuoSense chipset family includes single-chip solutions. While competing solutions require either two sensors or multiple chips to support pen and multi-touch, N-trig offers both on a single chip and a single sensor in a compact, low-power solution suitable even for the handheld market. [See N-trig DuoSense overview] -- Posted Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Motion releases more powerful CL910 tablet
Motion released the Motion CL910, a ultra-mobile, durable 2.2 pound tablet with a 1366 x 768 pixel 10.1-inch outdoor-viewable display that offers both the ease-of-use of projected capacitive multi-touch and the accuracy of an active pen. A new dual-core Atom N2600 processor and other tech updates yields significant performance improvements over the predecessor CL900 model. Pricing starts at US$1,259. [See analysis and specs of the Motion CL910] -- Posted Thursday, July 19, 2012

Getac E110 rugged tablet: compelling blend of legacy support and next generation technology
With a 10.1-inch daylight-readable 1366 x 768 pixel resistive multi-touch display that works with gloves on, and a speedy 1.86GHz dual core Intel Atom N2800 processor, Getac's new E110 rugged tablet offer a very attractive blend of legacy compatibility/support and next gen design and technology that should greatly appeal to its intended audience in field service, utilities, industry and public safety. [See description and specs of the Getac E110 rugged tablet] -- Posted Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Arrived for review: Dell Latitude E6420 XFR rugged notebook
Arrived at the RuggedPCReview.com lab: a Dell E6420 XFR rugged notebook computer. Nominally based on the consumer/corporate market Dell Latitude E6420, this heavily ruggedized version is an entirely different animal, one designed to do battle with the rugged notebooks from Panasonic, Getac, GE-Itronix and others. Does this Dell have what it takes to take on the competition from the ruggedness experts? Expect a full and detailed review soon! -- Posted Monday, July 16, 2012

Getac and Synnex sign Australian distribution agreement
Getac Technology Corporation and Synnex Australia Pty Ltd announced a distribution agreement that will give customers access to Getac's wide range of rugged computing solutions through the extensive and well established Synnex reseller network. [See press release] -- Posted Friday, July 6, 2012

Can your rugged computer handle thermal stress?
For regular desktop and notebook computers, ambient operating temperature is hardly ever an issue. Temperatures usually stay within a fairly narrow range, and the systems have more than adequate cooling fans to remove the heat generated by processors and components. The situation is very different for mobile systems that may have to operate within a wide range of ambient temperatures. Will the system continue to perform or will it slow down? RuggedPCReview tested an Xplore iX104C5 tablet over a full 160 degree temperature range.. [read more...] -- Posted Thursday, July 5, 2012

Parvus receives US$4.9 million order for DuraCOR rugged mission computers deployed in mine detection
Eurotech subsidiary Parvus announced that it has received a US$4.9 Million follow-on order for DuraCOR mission computer subsystems specified in the Ground Penetrating Radar Husky Mounted Detection System developed by Virginia-based NIITEK. With the latest contract, Parvus surpasses a $15 Million (USD) order milestone for rugged COTS DuraCOR embedded computers used in this detection system in military and humanitarian landmine road clearance applications. Parvus has been supplying DuraCOR computers to NIITEK since 2009. All new units ordered are expected to ship this year. -- Posted Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Tough Corp calls it quits
Tough Corp, an Australian integrator and seller of rugged portable computing products, has gone into voluntary liquidation and shut down its Sydney, Australia, headquarters and multiple global offices. According to reports, Tough Corp director Francis Bryant blamed the company's decline on falling sales, high staffing overheads and court costs associated with legal cases brought against the company. -- Posted Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Added: Updated Gammatech U12Ci rugged convertible notebook with Intel 3rd gen Core processor technology
GammaTech describes its updated Durabook U12Ci as a convertible notebook computer featuring Ultrabook performance in a rugged platform for mission critical applications. The 5.5 pound ruggedized device has been upgraded with available Intel 3rd generation Core i5 and i7 processors, promising much improved graphics performance, longer battery life, and USB 3.0 support, all at an economical price. [See description and specs of the GammaTech Durabook U12Ci -- Posted Monday, July 2, 2012