November 2018

Zebra on the Xplore Technologies acquisition
After Xplore Technologies, one of the very pioneers of rugged tablets that had toughed it out for many often difficult years, was suddenly acquired by Zebra, there were a lot of questions and concerns. In a blog entry entitled "Integrity drives our business growth," Zebra explains its reasonings and plans. [See blog entry] -- Posted Thursday, November 29, 2018

Teguar presents new industrial touch screen displays with IP66 front rating
In response to demand for industrial touchscreen monitors, Teguar has released the TD-45 line of industrial displays with availability in ten sizes. The TD-45 series monitors can be connected to a rugged box computer or industrial all-in-one PC to provide a durable touchscreen user interface. The front bezels of the TD-45 industrial monitors are IP66 rated, so they are protected from dust and high pressure water jets when they are panel mounted into a cutout in an enclosure. They also include VESA mounting holes on the back side, so they can be attached to a stand, arm, or hung on a surface. [See Teguar media release] -- Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Added: Unitech TB85 8-inch enterprise Android tablet
Unitech recently released the Android 8-based, IP67-sealed, module-expandable TB85 tablet for all sorts of multifunctional business deployments. Larger than the largest smartphones but smaller than a standard tablet, the 8-inch capacitive multi-touch TB85 has programmable hardware buttons, a large and easily replaceable quick-charge battery, yet weighs just 1.4 pounds. Snap-on modules include 1D and 2D scanning and MSR. There is 802.11ac wiFi, BT 4.1, GPS and LTE WWAN. Starting price is US$1,200. [See description, analysis and specs of the Unitech TB85.] -- Posted Monday, November 26, 2018

How bright is your screen? (Lumens, Nits and Watts)
Handheld Group's Rugged Informer blog ran RuggedPCReview.com Editor-in-Chief Conrad Blickenstorfer's contributing article "How bright is your screen? (Lumens, Nits and Watts)." In it, Blickenstorfer explained the importance of screen brightness to productively using a rugged handheld, tablet or laptop outdoors. He explained technical terminology — watts, lumens, lux, etc. — and the concept of luminance, which is generally measured in "nits," and called for all rugged mobile computing specs to include luminance ratings. [See "How bright is your screen? (Lumens, Nits and Watts)"] -- Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Zebra Technologies rugged tablets receive new network certifications
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 the new Zebra L10 Windows tablet series is certified for AT&T and Verizon Wireless' cellular networks. In addition, the rugged Zebra XSLATE D10 Android tablet has received full certification with AT&T's Enhanced Push-To-Talk (EPTT) service for near real-time voice communications, highly secure messaging, and location features required for workers to stay productive in the field. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Kyocera launches rugged, military-grade, waterproof DuraForce PRO 2 smartphone with Verizon Wireless
Kyocera International Inc. launched the rugged DuraForce PRO 2, a 4G LTE Android smartphone now available through Verizon Wireless. Designed for business and enterprise use, DuraForce PRO 2 features a 5-inch Sapphire Shield Display, IP68 waterproof and dust proof certification and MIL-STD-810G protection against shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, immersion, temperature shock and icing/freezing rain. Certified Non-incendive Class I, Division 2 (Group A-D, T4), the device is ideal for plant and field operations needing durability and safety where concentrations of flammable gas, vapors or mists are not normally present in explosive concentrations but may exist. [See Kyocera media release] -- Posted Friday, November 16, 2018

Ruggedness testing Xtreme
When it comes to ruggedness testing, we usually think of MIL-STD-810G. But there's also MIL-S-901D, a military specification for high impact mechanical shock which applies to equipment mounted on ships. And that involves a lot more than just dropping a device from four feet. The folks at Chassis Plans demonstrated that by simulating an attack on a ship or submarine to assure equipment continues to function (in this case the company's rugged military grade computers). [Watch Chassis Plans' MIL-S-901D barge test] -- Posted Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Added: Panasonic Toughbook 31 Mk6
The Panasonic Toughbook 31 is definitely a classic. Not only is it the original Toughbook that eventually spawned all the other Toughbooks and Toughpads, but it is also a design that has hardly changed at all in over two decades. This workhorse is for those who value a tough laptop that works with pretty much every Toughbook accessory and dock ever made and runs the same old custom software that has gotten the job done for years and years. And the Toughbook 31 now has the latest tech under the hood. [See RuggedPCReview's description, analysis and specs of the Panasonic Toughbook 31 Mk6] -- Posted Monday, November 12, 2018

Janam expands relationship with Century Software
Janam Technologies LLC, a leading provider of rugged mobile computers, announced today that its newest rugged mobile computers are technically certified to run Century Software's TinyTERM Enterprise mobile application. TinyTERM Enterprise enables organizations to easily transition from legacy handheld mobile computers to multi-function Android devices without any changes to back-end systems. Combining highly configurable secure terminal emulation with an industrial web browser, TinyTERM makes it quick and easy to deploy purpose-built rugged mobile computers that require access to legacy hosts or web applications in modern Android environments. [See Janam media release] -- Posted Friday, November 9, 2018

Rapid Prototyping — Ruggedization Design for Military and Industrial Applications
Over the years, some aspects of designing rugged computers using COTS components have remained the same, while other areas have greatly changed. Steve Travis of Chassis Plans presents the latest on design and manufacturing of ruggedized systems for harsh environment applications, including shock and vibration, temperature, protection from dirt and dust, and EMI/RFI shielding. [Read
Rapid Prototyping — Ruggedization Design for Military and Industrial Applications] -- Posted Thursday, November 8, 2018

Gearing up for the coming logistics revolution
The ground is shifting in the logistics arena, and lucrative new markets are opening up. As in any revolution, there will be both big winners and big losers. Wholly new ideas, and rapidly changing concepts, such as the IoT, AI, big data, robotics, and drones, are driving amazing new applications that are creating these new markets today. Innovation such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies could fundamentally undermine traditional business models, disintermediating entire market segments and leaving many long-established organizations without a role to play. This article, contributed by RuggON Corporation, examines key applications and technologies, together with product strategy concepts that can help you navigate the evolving world of logistics today and well into the future. [Read Gearing up for the coming logistics revolution] -- Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Enhanced TOUGHBOOK 31 device meets evolving needs of today's mobile workers in the federal, utilities and public sector industries
Panasonic, announced the U.S. launch of its newly upgraded TOUGHBOOK 31 laptop computer. Specifically designed for the mobile workforce, which has relied on the TOUGHBOOK brand for two decades, the TOUGHBOOK 31 offers improved safety and functionality to optimize productivity for workers in challenging and extreme environments. Upgraded with the latest Intel Core i5-7300U vPro processor, the TOUGHBOOK 31 is more powerful than ever before, offering peak performance, enhanced graphics, standard features such as faster 16 GB DDR4 memory and a 256GB SSD, an advanced LTE module, in addition to several additional new improvements. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Military contractor case study shows value of Durabook semi-rugged devices in extreme environments
Durabook Americas, Inc., the North American subsidiary of Twinhead International Corporation, today announced the release of a new case study focused on the use of a semi-rugged Durabook computer by a military contractor. The contractor needed to find a laptop that would be able to withstand the extreme environmental conditions he was scheduled to face in Afghanistan and the Middle East, including sand and snowstorms, severe temperatures, and heavy rain. After careful reviews of available rugged devices, a Durabook semi-rugged laptop was selected for its offer value and ability to work reliably in demanding conditions. [See Durabook Americas media release and read the full case study at http://bit.ly/Durabook-Contractor -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2018

New: Android-based Trimble Nomad 5
Trimble introduced the Nomad 5 Android 8.1-based handheld computer October 2018 as the next generation of its time-tested series of rugged Nomad handhelds. Built for tasks such as data collection, asset management and inspections, the 5-inch, IP68-sealed Nomad 5, which lasts for 35 hours on a charge, is designed to help professional field teams conduct their work with maximum productivity and efficiency. The Nomad 5 can be expanded via Trimble EMPOWER modules that can add RFID/barcode reading, sub-meter L1/L-Band GNSS or custom functionality. [See description, analysis and specs of the Trimble Nomad 5] -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Future technologies and the impact on mobile workforces and their devices
Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensors will be the technology trends most impacting mobile workforces over the next 12 months, say mobile technology buyers in the latest research from Panasonic. When asked to rate the importance of technology trends for use by their mobile workforce, buyers rated Big Data (52%) the most important, closely followed by IoT (51%) and Sensor technologies (41%), including atmosphere, temperature and biological sensors. The main drivers for the technologies were improved business efficiency and productivity. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Zebra Technologies announces Q3 2018 financials
Zebra Technologies reported sales of US$1,092 million in Q3 of 2018 compared to US$935 million in Q3 of 2017. Net sales in the Enterprise segment (i.e. what used to be the enterprise business of Motorola Solutions) were US$739 million in Q3 2018 compared with $611 million in Q3 2017. Net income for Q3 2018 was US$127 million, compared to a net loss of US$12 million in Q3 2017. [See Zebra press release] -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2018

What happend in rugged computing 10 years ago: November 2008
In November 2008, Fujitsu unveiled its elegant Esprimo Mobile Clinical Assistant tablet, while Panasonic announced their own Mobile Clinical Assistant, the Toughbook H1. Fujitsu also updated two of their convertible notebooks, the P-Series and the U810 Lifebooks. Intermec had very strong sales and earnings, outpacing analyst expectations (why is that so important, and now they're part of Honeywell anyway). Motorola demonstrated its super-fast 4G LTE network, while Fortune Magazine declared WiMax one of the year's top flops). RuggedPCReview examined the totally unique Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA-based Black Diamond SwitchBack rugged UMPC, the interesting DAP CE8640B UMPC, and also the ultra-rugged DRS ARMOR X10 tablet. [See what happened in rugged computing five years ago in November 2008] -- Posted Monday, November 5, 2018

Brother expands its premier portfolio of RuggedJet mobile printers
Brother Mobile Solutions, Inc. (BMS), a provider of award-winning mobile and desktop printing solutions, today introduced the RuggedJet 4250WBL — the latest addition to Brother's popular family of compact mobile receipt and label printers. Unmatched in the industry, the 4" RJ4250WBL is equipped with dual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios — and features built-in Apple AirPrint capability with seamless Apple MFi and Android integration. This means the printer is 100% compatible with iPod touch, iPhone, iPad and Android devices, allowing mobile and field workforces to print instantly from the device, without the need to download special drivers or interfaces. [See Brother media release] -- Posted Friday, November 2, 2018

Tablet market sees modest decline in Q3 2018
According to IDC, the worldwide tablet market declined 8.6% during the third quarter of 2018 as global shipments fell to 36.4 million. Slate tablets accounted for the majority of the market with 31.6 million units, down 7.9% from the previous year. Detachable tablets also declined, down 13.1% from the previous year, to account for 4.8 million unit shipments. Apple continued to lead the tablet market with nearly double the shipments of its nearest competitor. Samsung came in second, with Amazon, Huawei and Lenovo next. [See IDC media release] -- Posted Friday, November 2, 2018

JLT Mobile Computers strengthens its 10-inch tablet offering with new integrated keyboard and high-performance versions
JLT Mobile Computers, a leading developer and manufacturer of reliable computers for demanding environments, announces an expansion of its tablet lineup with two new products that will help customers improve productivity. A new high-performance version of the rugged MT2010 tablet provides processing power for the most demanding software applications. The new MT2010K complements the MT2010 tablet form factor with an integrated keyboard for easy data input. [See JLT Mobile media release] -- Posted Friday, November 2, 2018

Motorola Solutions Q3 2018 financials
Motorola Solutions reported Q3 2018 sales of US$1.862 billion, up 14% from US$1.645 billion Q3 2017. About US$145 million of revenue growth was related to acquisitions. The Products and Systems Integration segment grew 10% driven by the Americas and EMEA. The Services and Software segment grew 22% with growth in all regions. Net earnings for Q3 2018 were US$247 million versus US$212 million Q3 2017. [See Motorola Solutions financials] -- Posted Thursday, November 1, 2018

Janam and Georgia SoftWorks collaborate to deliver terminal emulation solution
Janam Technologies LLC, a leading provider of rugged mobile computers that scan barcodes and communicate wirelessly, announced today that it is working with Georgia SoftWorks to help organizations quickly and efficiently port their Windows- and Android-based WMS, ERP and other enterprise applications to Janam's most advanced rugged mobile computers. Georgia SoftWorks enables organizations to access their business-critical, server-based applications on Janam's rugged mobile computers without any change to existing system infrastructure — eliminating the cost and time associated with new application development. -- Posted Thursday, November 1, 2018