August 2018

Durabook Americas created the DURABOOK U11 to meet the growing demand for fully-rugged tablets in military, public safety and other demanding environments. RuggedPCReview examined the attractively styled fanless 3-pound tablet with its large 11.6-inch FHD IPS screen, choice of high-efficiency Intel Kaby Lake Y-Series processors, security-centric design, great expansion potential, and impressive ruggedness. [See full review of the Durabook Americas DURABOOK U11]

Xplore rugged tablets enable MH Equipment's migration to fully paperless sales, service operations
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, announced that MH Equipment has successfully transitioned to a fully paperless operation using a rugged tablet-based mobility solution from Xplore Technologies, which was recently acquired by Zebra, and TPI, a Platinum Xplore Partner. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Wednesday, August 29, 2018

RuggedPCReview.com to add display luminance testing
The rapidly growing use of mobile computers in the field makes outdoor and sunlight viewability ever more important. A good outdoor viewable display must have many qualities. Among the most important is luminance, the intensity of light emitted from a surface per unit area. It's commonly measured in "nits," which is display-industry slang for "candela per meter squared." RuggedPCReview has procured display luminance metering test equipment, and we will add luminance testing to all of our product reviews. -- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2018

Waterproof, dustproof: Mobile device IP ratings, explained
In its latest Get Rugged blog entry, Juniper Systems discusses ingress protection rating, i.e. the system that condenses a device's resistance to dust and water into a simple 4-digit code. The article represents a great summary Q&A, including how, exactly, IP68 differs from IP67. [See Juniper's Waterproof, dustproof: Mobile device IP ratings, explained] -- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2018

Durabook Americas updates website, expands product lineup, renames warranty program
Durabook Americas, Inc., the North American subsidiary of Twinhead International Corporation, today announced news on multiple fronts. The company has recently completed a revision of its website, added a new E-Tools Cabinet Solution, and renamed its warranty program. These changes are a reflection of the rugged computer manufacturer's commitment to meeting the needs of its customers in the military, law enforcement, field service and other markets, and to providing a solution-centric approach for its customers. [See Durabook Americas press release] -- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2018

Winmate's new IP67-rated IoT gateway for outdoor deployment
IoT, the Internet of Things, heavily relies on remote sensors to monitor conditions and activities. Sensor data is then processed in office/factory servers or processed in cloud services. Increasingly, however, a degree of processing is required on-site, wherever that may be. That's the market Winmate Inc is addressing with a new IP67-rated IoT gateway for outdoor deployment. Powered by an Intel Apollo Lake N3350 processor and running Windows 10 IoT Enterprise or Linux, the EAC Mini EACIL67 can be deployed in the harshest environments, including outdoor oil&gas, wind turbine, substation, and other public infrastructure applications. [See Winmate EAC Mini EACIL67 introduction and spec sheet, -- Posted Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Full review: ARBOR Technology FPC-9002-P6
With machine vision applications becoming increasingly important, ARBOR Technology released the FPC-9002-P6 Machine Vision Controller as part of its highly configurable FPC line of industrial Box PCs. Providing Power over Ethernet to six cameras, supporting three independent displays, and running cool all day long thanks to Smart Fan control support, the FPC-9002-P6 represents a remarkable COTS solution for numerous machine vision applications, more general factory applications, as well as use in autonomous vehicles. [See full review of the ARBOR FPC-9002-P6] -- Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Zebra Technologies introduces new healthcare specialization program for channel partners
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, today announced a vertical specialization for healthcare technology providers in North America, Latin America and parts of Asia-Pacific. The new Healthcare Specialization Program, developed as a strategic component of the Zebra PartnerConnect Program, recognizes partner expertise and investment in healthcare technology solutions. It also provides qualified members with competitive differentiation and benefits that empower business growth and development. [See Zebra press release] -- Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Handheld expands agreement with world's leading package delivery company
Handheld Group, a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, today announced an expansion of its strategic agreement with the global leader in logistic solutions. According to the agreement, Handheld will develop the next generation turnkey solution for innovative package sorting and printing across the customer's package sorting facilities. [See Handheld press release] -- Posted Monday, August 20, 2018

Getac Technology first half 2018 sales up, buoyed by rugged PCs
According to DigiTimes, Getac Technology is optimistic about its performance in the second half of 2018, and expects to post a double-digit revenue growth for the whole year thanks to brisk demand for rugged PCs and automotive components, according to company chairman James Hwang. Getac had consolidated revenues of US$370 million for the first half of 2018, up 11.45% on year. In the first half of 2018, the ratio of revenues from sales of rugged computers surged to 48% from 42% in 2017, serving as a major revenue growth driver for the period. [See DigiTimes news] -- Posted Monday, August 20, 2018

Military-grade rugged case for Microsoft Surface Go introduced by MobileDemand
MobileDemand, an authorized reseller for Microsoft Surface devices and the first company to offer a rugged case to pass all requirements for the Microsoft Surface Pro in the Designed for Surface program, is introducing its military-grade rugged xCase for the 2-in-1 Microsoft Surface Go. Along with the rugged case for Surface Go, MobileDemand will offer a Surface Go bundle that includes the Surface Go, a MobileDemand proven rugged military-tested Surface case, and a chemically strengthened screen protector. [See MobileDemand media release] -- Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Zebra reports Q2 2018 financial results
Zebra Technologies reported sales of US$1,012 million for Q2, 2018, up from US$896 million a year ago. Operating income for Q2 2018 was US$125 million, up from US$58 million for Q2 2017. “Our second quarter results were driven by strong growth from our product and service offerings and disciplined operational execution. Sales and earnings results exceeded our previously communicated guidance ranges and strong free cash flow allowed us to reduce our net debt leverage ratio to 2.5x,” said Anders Gustafsson, chief executive officer of Zebra Technologies. [See Zebra Q2 2018 financials] -- Posted Wednesday, August 8, 2018

New: Unitech EA500 rugged Android handheld
"Data collection technology changes at a fast pace," said Brian Silence, Director of Business Development at Unitech, and that's why the company announced the EA500 as a device "designed to stay on trend and within budget." What does "budget" mean in this context? An MSRP of US$800 for a rugged Android handheld with 1D/2D barcode reading ability. [See description, anaysis and specs of the Unitech EA500] -- Posted Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Added: Panasonic Toughbook FZ-M1
Panasonic's compact and handy 7-inch Toughpad FZ-M1 has been around for a while. It's a tried-and-true design. Between that and Panasonic's frequent updates to the M1, the tablet remains fresh and relevant. The latest upgrades enhanced tech, changed the name to Toughbook, and made the M1 available in several application-specific models, including versions with depth and thermal cameras. [See description, analysis and specs of the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-M1] -- Posted Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Trimble reports Q2 2018 financial results
Trimble reported sales of US$785.5 million for Q2, 2018, up from US$659.9 million a year ago. GAAP operating income for Q2 2018 was US$89.5 million, up from US$59 million for Q2 2017. "The second quarter revenue and income exceeded our expectations and continued the strong momentum that we have seen during the last year in all segments," said Steven W. Berglund, Trimble's president and chief executive officer. "The performance confirms the strength of our market position and the success of our strategy to transform those markets through technology." [See Trimble press release] -- Posted Tuesday, August 7, 2018

New: Opticon H-29 4.3-inch keypad Android handheld
Many data collection and data lookup applications continue to benefit from physical keypads. Opticon's new H-29 rugged 4.3-inch capacitive touch mobile computer merges the benefits of the traditional keypad layout with a modern Android device. Industrial-grade scanning, the availability of an extended battery, and remarkable ruggedness combine for an attractive product. [See description, analysis and specs of the Opticon H-29] -- Posted Monday, August 6, 2018

Motorola Solutions' FirstNet Ready LTE device enables secure real-time data sharing
Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) continues to support the rollout of FirstNet with the FirstNet Ready LEX L11 handheld device. The company's public safety LTE device is designed for use on FirstNet — the nationwide public safety LTE communications platform dedicated to America's first responders — or similar global public safety networks. [See Motorola Solutions press release] -- Posted Monday, August 6, 2018

Global tablet shipments to hit 40 million units in 3Q18
According to DigiTimes, global tablet shipments are expected to hit the level of 40 million units in the third quarter of 2018, up from 37.08 million units in the second quarter. Global tablet shipments for the whole 2018 are forecast to reach 150 million units, down 4-5% on year. In terms of second-quarter shipment performances by brand vendors, both Samsung and Lenovo saw slight decreases in tablet shipments, Apple and Huawei enjoyed significant shipment increases, while Amazon registered a flat performance. -- Posted Friday, August 3, 2018

Motorola Solutions reports Q2 2018 financial results
Motorola Solutions reported sales of US$1.760 billion for Q2, 2018, up 18% from US$1.497 billion a year ago. GAAP operating income for Q2 2018 was US$273 million, up 5% from US$261 for Q2 2017. Approximately $154 million of revenue growth was related to acquisitions. [See Motorola Solutions press release] -- Posted Thursday, August 2, 2018

Enhanced Panasonic FZ-G1 and FZ-M1 tablets deliver customized choices for evolving needs of mobile workers in demanding and extreme environments
Panasonic, an industry leading manufacturer of mobile computing solutions that are purpose-built for the way people work, announce the launch of the latest version of its acclaimed FZ-G1 and FZ-M1 tablets. These fully-rugged tablets are both leaders in their categories: the FZ-G1 remains one of the world's bestselling 10.1" tablet and the FZ-M1 is one of the lightest and thinnest in its class at just 1.27 pounds. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Thursday, August 2, 2018

Full review: MobileDemand's high-performance xTablet T1270
There are jobs that need all the performance you can get. On a screen large enough to do serious work. That's what MobileDemand's 12.2-inch xTablet T1270 is all about. The xTablet T1270 is definitely high performance, especially when ordered with one of the two high-end Intel "Kaby Lake" Core processors. Combine that with speedy PCIe-based NVMe solid state disks (very highly recommended) and dual channel RAM, and the xTablet T1270 is a beast. [See full review of the MobileDemand xTablet T1270] -- Posted Wednesday, August 1, 2018

2Q18 worldwide smartphone sales stagnating
According to IDC, 342 million smartphones were shipped worldwide in 2Q18, down from 348 million 2Q17. In terms of marketshare, Samsung led with 71.5 million, then Huawei with 54.2 million, Apple with 41.3 million, then Xiaomi (31.9 million) and Oppo (29.4million). This was the first quarter since the iPhone that Apple wasn't #1 or #2. [See IDC press release] -- Posted Wednesday, August 1, 2018