March 2014

Xplore appoints VP of Marketing
Xplore Technologies has appointed John Costello as VP of Marketing. Mr. Costello is tasked with supporting the continuing growth of the company by overseeing the development, planning and execution of Xplore's global marketing initiatives. He has a wealth of technology-focused marketing experience with Acer, Gateway, AT&T Mobility, Vodafone, Go America and Dell. He also provided strategic direction and spearheaded the execution of marketing and eCommerce initiatives for Guthy-Renker, JCH Industries and Simpson Digital. -- Posted Friday, March 28, 2014

Motorola Solutions Real-Time Crime Center Starter Kit
Motorola Solutions says that municipalities may enhance situational awareness and predictive policing efforts now with the Real-Time Crime Center Starter Kit from Motorola Solutions. With 90% of police departments set to increase their use of predictive policing tactics in the next five years, Motorola's system integration and professional consultation services will help public safety officials implement that strategy. [See Motorola Solutions Real-Time Crime Center Starter Kit] -- Posted Thursday, March 27, 2014

Rugged Handheld ALGIZ 7 tablet for electronic forensics
Electronic devices can contain valuable data for those who investigate crimes. But extracting evidence from phones the traditional way requires multiple computers and software applications, and a lengthy set-up process in an indoor lab. The law enforcement organizations and forensics customers of Data Duplication Limited, a U.K.-based provider, needed an easy-to-use solution that could do all that in the field — and they found their solution in the Handheld Group's ALGIZ 7. [See Solving Crimes, Without Cracking Cases] -- Posted Thursday, March 27, 2014

Crystal Group announces RE0813 rugged embedded computer
Crystal Group, a manufacturer of rugged commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) custom-developed computing gear, announced the release of the RE0813 Rugged Embedded Computer. The RE0813—which weighs only 7.5 lbs. with the ability to include 3 SATA 2.5" solid state drives and two USB ports—is made from machined strain hardened structural aircraft aluminum, and can be rack mounted or tray mounted as required. Available with Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processors, the unit has an exceptional operating temperature of -40°C to +85°C with two high speed extended temperature cooling fans. The RE0813 is ideal for applications where high thermal, high reliability, and vibration performance are crucial. [See Crystal RE0813 Rugged Embedded Computer] -- Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Cardinal Systems adds Vr Auto Tie Point and VrBundle to its Vr Aerial Triangulation package
Cardinal Systems, formed in the year 2000 to provide photogrammetric and mapping solutions, announced it has added Vr Auto Tie Point and VrBundle to its Vr Aerial Triangulation package that simplifies the accurate collection, editing and management of aerial triangulation data. VrAutoTiePoint automatically ties images together without GPS or camera data, and VrBundle detects and rejects outlying measurements and offers the ability to adjust difficult geometries. -- Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2014

AMREL announces fully rugged tech-upgraded ROCKY RK10
AMREL announced the fully rugged ROCKY RK10 notebook computer. The RK10, which is a tech update to the company's RK9, is a no-holds-barred rugged laptop for military and industrial applications. As before, the RK10 has a large 15-inch XGA or SXGA screen and plenty of onboard and wireless connectivity, but its electronics have been upgraded to the Intel Sandy Bridge level, which includes a Core i7-2610UE processor with Intel HD Graphics 3000, up to 16GB of RAM, as well as USB 3.0 ports and faster WiFi and mobile broadband options. [See description, analysis and specs of the AMREL RK10 -- Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Motion launches sleek, lightweight Haswell-powered 12.5-inch full 1080p tablet with dual-mode input and a wealth of accessories
Tablet pioneer Motion Computing announced the latest offering in their mobile technology portfolio, the rugged Motion R12 tablet computer. The Intel Haswell-powered R12 has a 12.5-inch multi-touch screen with full 1080p 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution as well as a Wacom pen and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The rugged R12 is just 0.65 inches thick, weighs under three pounds, has dual cameras (2mp and 8mp), 9+ hour battery life, can handle 4-foot drops and is IP54 sealed. There's Wireless-AC plus Bluetooth 4.0, integrated or dedicated GPS, as well as optional 4G LTE, 1D/2D scanner, HF RFID, and desktop and vehicle docks. [See description, analysis, and specs of the Motion R12 rugged tablet] -- Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014

New on the Xplore Technologies blog
It's always important to get the rugged computing message out there, and Xplore Technologies is certainly doing its share on its very active blog. Recent postings include a feature on park rangers covering more ground with rugged tablets, one on how Common Access Card cards keep data safe for military personnel, one on advancing diagnostic power with rugged tablets in the manufacturing industry, one on how GIS technology on tablets can accelerate pipeline projects, one on rugged tablets helping cable TV installers, and one on warehouses seeing less disruptions working wirelessly. -- Posted Monday, March 24, 2014

CDW and leading developers deliver enterprise mobile apps via new App Marketplace
Business-oriented technology solutions provider CDW announced its new App Marketplace — a single, online destination that connects its customers with leading developers and enterprise mobile apps across multiple business functions. Unlike apps designed for individual users, the App Marketplace provides customized enterprise apps created by developers with proven and relevant experience. These include Avnet, Canvas, IBM, Lextech, SAP, Symphony Teleca and WillowTree, with more being added. [See CDW's App Maketplace] -- Posted Monday, March 24, 2014

HIMSS 14 show a major success
HIMSS 14, the annual conference of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society held this year February 23-27 in Orlando, was by all measures a huge success with record-breaking attendance of more than 38,000 attendees and over 1,200 exhibiting companies. A number of providers of rugged mobile computing equipment exhibited at the show, and anyone interested in seeing what happened should view Health IT Outcomes' HIMSS 14 summary site. -- Posted Thursday, March 20, 2014

Full review: Getac V110 rugged convertible notebook
With the V110, Getac gives a vote of confidence to the concept of the convertible notebook that can also be used as a tablet. The V110, however, is thinner and lighter than earlier rugged convertibles, and its 4th gen Intel Core processors can do more with less. The multi-touch screen is easy to operate; there's an active pen option for precision operations, capacitive replaces resistive touch; Haswell offers excellent performance, better graphics, and lower power draw; communications are updated to the latest standards (802.11ac, BT 4.0, Gobi 4G), and there is a full-scale keyboard. The Getac V110 is a fresh, new iteration of a time-proven design concept that, for now, leaves the primary competition behind. [See full review of the Getac V110 rugged convertible notebook] -- Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Juniper Systems highlights scanning at MODEX 2014 in Atlanta
Juniper Systems' latest Get Rugged blog post is about their Archer 2 and Mesa mobile computers' barcode scanning abilities, showcased at the MODEX 2014 show in Atlanta, GA (March 17-20), booth #5006. MODEX 2014 is the place to go to see the latest and greatest in manufacturing and supply chain management, with exhibitors from industry, commerce, & government sectors. -- Posted Monday, March 17, 2014

Motorola Solutions launches 4th generation of the versatile, rugged, modular Psion Workabout Pro
Motorola Solutions announced the Workabout Pro 4 rugged mobile computer, the latest generation of Psion's Workabout line that sold over 400,000. Including a major tech update, the Workabout Pro 4 forms the centerpiece of a versatile modular system that allows adding all sorts of wireless, data acquisition and other features and options to the device via back cover and/or end cap modules. [See Motorola press release and RuggedPCReview's description, analysis and specs of the Workabout Pro 4] -- Posted Monday, March 17, 2014

Intermec white paper on mobile OS choices
Intermec's latest promo email is entitled "Optimize your Mobile OS Strategy," discussing how enterprise faces a bewildering array of mobile OS choices, and how apps, security, capability, and support requirements determine the optimal OS. To learn more, Intermec provided a link to their "Operating Systems Strategies for Mobile Computers" white paper. -- Posted Friday, March 14, 2014

Rob Gaines joins iSiS-Ex as global expansion gathers pace
Hazardous area computer hardware specialists iSiS-Ex announced the addition of Rob Gaines, who had been HMI Sales Manager at Azonix, in an effort to beef up its global expansion. Azonix, now part of The MTL Instruments Group, is familiar to rugged computing industry observers and insiders as the company that took over Kontron USA in 2007 or so, the same Kontron that had absorbed pen computing pioneer Dolch of FieldPAC/NotePAC/MilPAC fame in 2005. [See IsIs announcement] -- Posted Thursday, March 13, 2014

Panasonic issues two white papers on tablets
Panasonic alerted us to two interesting white papers. The first looked at attitudes toward business tablets based on a survey of more than 230 IT decision makers representing an install base of 13,000 tablets. The study found that security rated as the top priority at 70%, battery life at 65% and durability at 53% -- but all three areas exhibited among the lowest degree of satisfaction. The second examines issues around reliability of tablets in the workplace, and found that 47% of British workers using consumer tablet PCs in the workplace experienced device failures in the past two years. [Read white papers Panasonic's Toughpad line: Reliable performance, rugged design and Tablet troubles: a study of tablet use in British business] -- Posted Wednesday, March 12, 2014

MobileDemand offers forklift-mounted rugged tablet special at MODEX 2014 supply chain expo in Atlanta
MobileDemand announced a forklift-mounted rugged tablet 10%-off special at MODEX 2014 supply chain trade show and expo at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, March 17-20, 2014. Included in the forklift bundle is a rugged tablet, mounting hardware, power converter, Wavelink Terminal Emulation and Avalanche, and MobileDemand's 3-year comprehensive xProtect warranty. MobileDemand invites you to visit them at MODEX in booth #2428 where they'll also be giving away a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet! [See Forklift-Mounted Rugged Tablet Special Only at MODEX 2014] -- Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2014

New articles on the Xplore Technologies Blog
Xplore Technologies' bloggers have been active. There's an article on How RFID Readers Improve Utility Pole Inspections, one on how Pennsylvania bridge repairs were aided by rugged tablets, and one on how rugged tablets help solar technicians shine on the job. Xplore Technologies adds new articles on how rugged tablets are being used out there in the field every two or three days, so stop by the Rugged Xplore Blog often. -- Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Toshiba announces 15,000 RPM 2.5-inch hard disks
More and more of the devices we're analyzing here at RuggedPCReview.com come standard with solid state disks, which not only use less power, but often present significant performance enhancements. But don't count hard disks out just yet: Toshiba has announced its next generation of 2.5-inch enterprise performance hard disks that spin at a stunning 15,000 RPM, available in capacities up to 600GB. [See Toshiba 15,000 RPM HD product page] -- Posted Friday, March 7, 2014

Dell's new education Latitudes MIL-STD tested
Education needs rugged gear that can handle daily use and abuse, too. That's the message Dell emphasized (Kelli Hodges, Dell Global Marketing Manager, EUC Tablets in picture) at a March 4 press event in San Francisco that covered both rugged and educational computing. On the educational side, Dell, whose products are used in 400,000 classrooms, announced the Latitude 13 Education Series laptop to join the recently introduced Dell Chromebook 11 and Dell Venue tablets in the company's education lineup. The Latitude 13 Education Series is subject to military-standard testing, has rubberized LCD and base trim for drop protection, sealed keyboard and touchpad, scratch resistance with Corning Gorilla Glass on touch screens, and opens 180 degrees to reduce hinge stress. [See Dell press release] -- Posted Friday, March 7, 2014

HeliPaint air tracking now in a rugged, compact 1RU chassis
ChyronHego announced the launch of HeliPaint, an in-the-air news telestration system designed to meet the specific needs of aerial coverage. HeliPaint brings ChyronHego's Paint telestration and tracking technology to the chopper in a rugged, compact 1RU chassis, a high-visibility LCD touch screen that can be seen in the brightest sunlight, and mobile processing that allows the system to consume minimal power from a 12V source. [Read press release] -- Posted Friday, March 7, 2014

noax releases 21.5-inch full 1080p industrial touch panel PC
noax Technologies has added the noax C21 to its lineup of compact industrial panel PCs. The C21 has a 21.5-inch touch screen with full 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, making it suitable for deployments that benefit from a larger display and higher resolution. The fanless C21 carries IP65 sealing, has a cast aluminum enclosure, and offers various PCI/PCIe expansion slot options for customization and configuration. [See description, analysis and specs of the noax C21 industrial panel computer] -- Posted Thursday, March 6, 2014

JLT announces Atom-powered 1214N logistics panel computer
JLT Mobile Computers announced the JLT 1214N rugged fixed-mount panel computer for warehouse and logistics applications. Able to run a variety of Microsoft full and embedded operating systems, the compact 7.7-pound sealed panel has a bright 12.1-inch XGA resistive touch display, plenty of onboard connectivity, and it is now powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom D2550 processor—a significant upgrade from the Atom N270-powered JLT 1214S predecessor. The 1214N offers numerous mounting options and also allows sealing at the cable instead of connector level. [See description, analysis and specs of the JLT Mobile 1214N] -- Posted Thursday, March 6, 2014

What happend in rugged computing 5 years ago: March 2009
In March 2009, Getac was one of the first to add Computrace to its firmware. Fujitsu consolidated its major North American businesses. Parvuz introduced the rugged Zypad WR11XX wrist-wearable computer. Winmate announced it now featured a full Intel Atom-based product line. RuggedPCReview issued a case study on Dive Support Computing, featuring the Itronix MR1 rugged UMPC. Datalogic Mobile announced overnight service program and 5 year service terms. GammaTech announced the Durabook RT10 MCA mobile clinical assistant. Handheld U.S. added the Kenaz GPS to its Recon rugged PDA. GD-Itronix introduced the GD8000 fully-rugged notebook, Dell the fully-rugged Latitude E6400 XFR, and Motion Computing the J3400 Tablet PC. We reviewed Panasonic's H1 clinical assistant tablet and Winmate's IA80 rugged tablet. Motorola added the MC55 enterprise digital assistants, and Getac the PS535F rugged GPS PDA. Jon Peddie Research predicted that soon all graphics systems would be integrated into CPUs. Datamax and O'Neil became one company. [See what happened in rugged computing five years ago in March 2009] -- Posted Thursday, March 6, 2014

Class 1 Division 2 rugged tablets available from MobileDemand
MobileDemand announced that its popular xTablet T7200 and xTablet T1200 are now available as C1D2-certified rugged tablets. The certification covers usage in areas where combustible gases such as Acetylene, Hydrogen, Ethylene, and Propane (Groups A-D) are present abnormally. So if an accidental discharge happens, you can rest assured that our C1D2 tablets will not emit any electrical arcs or sparks, nor have any hot surfaces that will cause those gases to explode. [See product pages for the xTablet T1200 C1D2 and xTablet T1200 C1D2. -- Posted Tuesday, March 4, 2014

CipherLab posts info video on their 8600 Series handheld
CipherLab just posted an informative and well-done video on their 8600 Series handheld terminal. [See CipherLab 8600 video on YouTube and our analysis of the CipherLab 8600] -- Posted Monday, March 3, 2014

New: GammaTech DURABOOK S15H
GammaTech launched the DURABOOK S15H, an affordable, well-made, Intel Haswell-powered, magnesium alloy-bodied semi-rugged notebook with large wide-format 15.6-inch display. It's geared towards customers who need something tougher than a standard consumer notebook, one with state-of-the-art features and specs, but not at the cost and weight of a fully rugged design. [See description, analysis and specs of the GammaTech DURABOOK S15H] -- Posted Monday, March 3, 2014