February 2019

As if the rapid-fire release of Android versions that are just different enough to have to relearn where everything is weren't enough, Android also comes in two distinct flavors. There's full Android with GMS (the weirdly named "Google Mobile Services") and then there is AOSP, the "Android Open Source Project" without some of those attention-diverting Google apps and also without the equally tempting Google Play Store. How does it all fit together? Juniper Systems explains that, and also how to install 3rd party apps on an Android device, and what alternatives there are to the Google Mobile Services apps. [See Everything you need to know about Google Mobile Services, Android Open Source Project, and bypassing the Google Play Store]

The advent of 1TB microSD cards
When the original IBM PC XT arrived in 1983, customers were blown away by its cavernous 10megabyte hard drive. It eliminated the need for cartons full of floppy disks and rang in a new era of personal computing. Well, Western Digital's SanDisk and Micron just announced 1TB microSD cards. That's 100,000 times as much storage as that old PC XT had, on a card the size of a fingernail. SanDisk's 1TB card will initially cost US$449, but prices will likely fall quickly. -- Posted Monday, February 25, 2019 by chb

Kyocera DuraForce PRO 2 rugged, waterproof smartphone wins prestigious iF design award
Kyocera International Inc. announced today that its DuraForce PRO 2 — the only rugged 4G LTE smartphone with a Super Wide View 4K Action Camera and virtually scratchproof Sapphire Shield Display — received the iF DESIGN AWARD 2019. DuraForce PRO 2 boasts IP68 dust and waterproof certification (to 2m/6.5ft deep for up to 30 minutes) and Military Standard 810G for protection against shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, immersion, temperature shock and icing/freezing rain. [See Kyocera media release] -- Posted Friday, February 22, 2019 by chb

Janam delivers 40% decrease in water meter reading time
Janam Technologies LLC, a leading provider of rugged mobile computers that scan barcodes and communicate wirelessly, announced today that Stone Oak Property Owners Association (POA) is using XT2 rugged mobile computers from Janam to improve its water meter reading processes. Decision makers at Stone Oak POA selected Janam's XT2 because of its compact size, rugged design and superior barcode scanning technology. [See Janam media release] -- Posted Thursday, February 21, 2019 by chb

Honeywell joins the Android Enterprise Recommended program for Managed Service Providers
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced that it has been validated for the Android Enterprise Recommended program for managed service providers. The Google-led Android Enterprise Recommended Managed Service Provider program is designed to give customers more confidence in deploying Android solutions and making sure their enterprise mobility deployment is consistent and current. Customers of Honeywell's enterprise mobility services benefit from device selection, deployment and management services as well as 24/7 technical support. [See Honeywell media release] -- Posted Tuesday, February 19, 2019 by chb

InPost improves delivery efficiency with Zebra Technologies
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 that InPost, a leading international operator of self-service parcel lockers, is using a Zebra solution as a key driver for international growth. The company has equipped 3,800 field service workers with Zebra TC56 touch computers with Android to ensure faster, more accurate service results, reducing delivery times by up to 10%. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Monday, February 4, 2019 by chb

New: Datalogic Memor 1 general purpose touch device
Many jobs in assisted sales, on manufacturing shop floors, in backend receiving, in warehouse distribution and many more depend on reliable, effortless scanning. More often than not, such devices are big and bulky, but not the new Datalogic Memor 1. It's a light and handy Android touch device that comes in versions with or without a pistol-grip. It has integrated industrial-grade scanning, wireless charging, and is economically priced. [See description, analysis and specs of the Datalogic Memor 1] -- Posted Friday, February 1, 2019 by chb