June 2020

JLT Mobile Computers offers free guide on how to increase productivity in the warehouse
JLT Mobile Computers, a leading supplier of reliable computers for demanding environments, is making available the benefits of its expertise in a series of ‘how to’ guides designed to help new and existing customers make the right strategic technology decisions to optimize their operations. The first guide in the series covers increasing productivity in the warehouse and is available for download now here. [See JLT Mobile Computers media release] -- Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Review: Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme Tablet
The Dell Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme Tablet is for those who a) want an exceptionally well designed and executed tablet for tough jobs, b) want a pure tablet, but one with a perfectly matched optional detachable keyboard, and c) prefer one-stop shopping with a world-leading provider of commercial PCs with large scale production experience and extensive support. Oh, and it's also one of the very fastest rugged devices we've ever tested. And it has a 1,000 nits display, offers excellent battery life, and comes standard with super-fast PCIe NVMe storage interface technology. [See full review of the Dell Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme Tablet] -- Posted Monday, June 29, 2020

Review: Teguar TA-A920-15 Android Panel PC:
What if you have a project in mind that needs a Panel PC with very specific specs and features, but no one has one like that? That's when you go to an OEM, ODM, or a place that can customize off-the-shelf equipment. RuggedPCReview analyzed how Teguar created a custom solution for a client, starting with their Teguar TA-A920-15 Android Panel PC. [See Teguar TA-A920-15 Android Panel PC -- Can't find exactly, precisely what you need for your project? An OEM/ODM may be able to help.] -- Posted Monday, June 29, 2020

Brother unveils new 'on the go-ready' line of mobile Rreceipt printers
Brother Mobile Solutions, Inc. (BMS), a premier provider of mobile and desktop printers and industrial labeling tools, today introduces its 'on-the-go ready' RuggedJet Go series of mobile receipt printers. The newest additions to the popular RuggedJet series of thermal printers, the RJ Go models are highly compact and connect seamlessly to any compatible device, enabling efficient and affordable printing at the point of sale or the point of service. Their features, size and price point make them well suited for a wide range of industries including retail, public safety, hospitality, home healthcare, parking, transportation & logistics, and field service enterprises. [See Brother media release] -- Posted Saturday, June 27, 2020

First look: Zebra TC21/TC26
Zebra, one of the early adopters of Android, has extensive experience with the platform by now. Recently they introduced the economically-priced entry-level Android 10-based TC21/TC26 rugged enterprise handheld touch computers. The TC21 (WiFi only) and TC26 (WiFi + cellular data) replace the earlier TC20/TC25 and offer substantial upgrades in display, battery, performance, and overall functionality. [See description, analysis and specs of the Zebra TC21/TC26] -- Posted Thursday, June 25, 2020

Olympus getting out of the camera business
After making cameras for 84 years, Olympus is getting out of the business. Citing "rapid market shrink caused by the evolution of smartphones," Olympus will sell the camera division to Japan Industrial Partner, the same folks who took over Sony's Vaio PC operation in 2014. While Olympus says JIP will see to "continuous growth of the business," we'll miss all those awesome rugged, adventure, and underwater Olympus cameras. And as for the smartphone excuse, we feel the digital camera industry brought this upon itself. [See Olympus media release] -- Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Panasonic introduces comprehensive Android platform support: Productivity+ featuring new TOUGHBOOK A3 tablet
Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America has announced productivity+, a suite of Android support solutions to futureproof rugged mobile deployments for existing and new customers transitioning to the Android operating system. Productivity+ is a multi-faceted offering that features hardware, software, and professional services, including from an extensive support partner ecosystem to capitalize on the modernization and digitization of rugged mobile devices. Adding to this Android offering, Panasonic announced today the newest addition of the TOUGHBOOK A3 device to the Panasonic family of rugged devices for Android, which builds on a long-running history of durability and reliability of the TOUGHBOOK product family. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Acer launches Enduro lineup of rugged notebooks and tablets
Acer today launched Enduro, its new line of rugged notebooks and tablets specially designed to provide the durability, portability and performance needed by professionals working in the field. First responders and industrial manufacturing workers will find the Acer Enduro N7 to be a reliable companion, while event producers and outdoor hobbyists will appreciate the thin-and-light yet durable Enduro N3. A series of Enduro tablets are also available for retail, warehouse and manufacturing usage scenarios. [See Acer media release] -- Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Zebra Technologies introduces five rugged mobile computers to increase front-line worker productivity
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 the industry's first enterprise-class mobile computers running on the Android 10 operating system (OS): the TC21/TC26, TC52x/TC57x and MC3300x. With integrated scanning and unique software capabilities enabled by Mobility DNA, the five new devices are designed for retail, transportation and logistics (T&L), field mobility and warehouse environments to improve front-line worker productivity and effectiveness. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2020

AWS Announces General Availability of AWS Snowcone
Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), announced AWS Snowcone, a new small, ultra-portable, rugged, and secure edge computing and data transfer device. At under 5 lbs and able to fit in a standard mailbox or a small backpack, AWS Snowcone is the smallest member of the AWS Snow Family of devices, enabling customers to collect data, process it locally, and move it to AWS either offline (by shipping the device to AWS) or online (by using AWS DataSync to send the data to AWS over the network). AWS Snowcone is built to withstand harsh conditions and is designed for a variety of use cases in environments outside of the traditional data center that lack consistent network connectivity and/or require portability, including healthcare, industrial IoT, drones, tactical edge computing, content distribution, data migration, video content creation, and transportation. [See Amazon Web Services media release] -- Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2020

How to upgrade rugged devices the easy way
Rugged mobile computing devices last a long time. But with technology advancing so quickly, you don't want to fall too far behind. So when is the best time to upgrade? And what should you look out for? Eric Miller, CEO of JLT Mobile Computers USA discusses the issue in a blog post on the JLT website. [See How to upgrade rugged devices the easy way] -- Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Trimble launches Hardware-as-a-Service for transportation with new solution bundles
Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced the introduction of a Hardware-as-a-Service option for its Transportation fleet mobility solutions. This new service consists of four bundles, enabling fleets to purchase Trimble hardware and software solutions and upgrade without upfront capital investment. Each of these bundles is designed to help fleets predictably manage technology expenses while gaining access to the latest innovations from Trimble, including 4G LTE connectivity and a streamlined, Android-powered user experience. [See Trimble news release] -- Posted Monday, June 22, 2020

faytech announces Kastus coating proven effective against Human Coronavirus on touchscreens
Earlier this year industrial Panel PC maker faytech announced their partnership with Kastus technologies regarding the launch of next-generation touchscreens with 24/7 antimicrobial protection coating technology. faytech now announced that according to independent tests conducted in a global lab, the coating is also effective against Human Coronavirus. [See faytech announcement] -- Posted Monday, June 22, 2020

Intel RealSense Depth Camera D455: twice the range, better performance
Intel introduced the Intel RealSense Depth Camera D455, a new stereo-based depth camera equipped with a longer range and increased precision that achieves twice the range of previous generation models. The D455 grants developers the freedom to design vision-based solutions that give devices the ability to see, understand, interact with and learn from their environments. [See Intel media release] -- Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Taiwan panel, touch solution providers seeing rush orders for healthcare applications
According to DigiTimes, Taiwan-based flat panel makers and related touch solution providers expect demand for healthcare applications, such as those for ventilators and blood oxygen machines, to stretch in the third quarter of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic remains severe in most part of the world, according to industry sources. -- Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Juniper Systems introduces Uinta mapping and data collection software
Juniper Systems introduced Uinta, a powerful, hassle-free and highly customizable Windows 10 data collection software that includes detailed professional mapping with points, lines, areas, form-based notes for digital record-keeping, as well as an easy-to-use report generator that exports data in three commonly used formats (PDF, Excel, and KML). [See Juniper Systems Uinta page] -- Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Estone Technology announces FSAC-80 compact fever screening & access control system
Estone Technology announced the FSAC-80, a compact fever screening & access control system equipped with AI-enhanced infrared thermal imaging, binocular camera, and biometrics recognition technology. The FSAC-80 system provides quick and accurate contactless temperature detection and user authentication. It supports API docking, allowing app developers and OEMs to add face biometrics and other related features into custom apps for mobile, desktop, or other device applications. [See Estone media release] -- Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Solutions: Yard Management Systems with Rugged Tablets
For shipping yards to run efficiently, they need arrivals and departures tracked, locations and load status logged. PINC — the number-one provider of digital yard management solutions to the world’s leading brands — is using Handheld's Algiz 10X rugged tablets with its YMS to let yard managers monitor, schedule and record events and inventory across large facilities, based on accurate, real-time data. The result is efficiency, accuracy and automation that return tangible time and cost savings. [See Yard Management Systems with Rugged Tablets] -- Posted Thursday, June 11, 2020

Full review: RuggON VIKING compact all-in-one Android 9 in-vehicle computer
With the 7-inch VIKING vehicle-mount computer, RuggON provides a compact, versatile Android 9 solution that merges sensor, communications, processing and advanced human interface technologies into a tough and rugged state-of-the-art Android device optimized for the needs of the transportation industry. RuggedPCReview analyzed the very robust and well connected Snapdragon SD660-powered VIKING in detail and found much to like. [See full review of the RuggON VIKING vehicle mount system] -- Posted Thursday, June 11, 2020

RuggON launches CHASER rugged monitor for in-vehicle applications
With billions of smartphones used daily on the job, RuggON introduced the 11.6-inch CHASER touch monitor to provide an office-like experience like that afforded by Samsung DeX. CHASER offers rich connectivity, effortless switching between ports, a very bright 1000 nits display, powerful speakers, and easy vehicle mounting. Aimed at public safety vehicles, CHASER complements smartphone power and versatility with desktop ports and a much larger display. [See RuggON media release] -- Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Trenton Systems releases groundbreaking ION Mini PC
Trenton Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of rugged servers, workstations, processor boards and PCIe backplanes, has officially released its made-in-the-USA ION Mini PC, perfect for military, commercial and industrial applications needing a powerful, affordable, rugged computer in a small form factor. The rugged ION Mini PC, a blazingly fast, high-performance computer weighing just 3.2 pounds, and supports 8th and 9th generation Intel® Coffee Lake / Coffee Lake-R CPUs. [See Trenton Systems media release] -- Posted Monday, June 8, 2020

Havis unveils a new line of docking stations for Getac's new B360 & B360 Pro laptops
Havis, Inc., proudly presents a new line of docking stations in support of Getac's recent launch of B360 and B360 Pro Laptops. The DS-GTC-1200 docking solutions are durable, compact, and lightweight. One-handed docking capabilities allow mobile workers to maximize productivity and optimize their workspace. End-users can take comfort when it comes to protection against theft. A robust lock and key come standard with every dock. The reinforced mounting bracket ensures the device remains secure even in the harshest environments. [See Havis media release and docking station manual] -- Posted Monday, June 8, 2020

Winmate presents COVID-19 health monitoring solution for businesses and public places
It has been almost six months since the first COVID-19 patient was identified. Governments all around the world took epidemic prevention measures varying from self-quarantine to suspended business operations. Now cities and countries around the world will eventually need to re-open safely. Winmate together with its partner in North America offer an innovative and timely health monitoring solution for businesses and public places to get ready for a massive returning to work. [See Winmate COVID-19 Health Monitoring Solution] -- Posted Saturday, June 6, 2020

South Carolina State University helps secure agribusiness supply chain with Zebra RFID solution
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 South Carolina State University (SCSU) selected a Zebra RAIN RFID solution to provide small, local farmers and their partners with enterprise-class insights into their supply chains. As a land-grant university, SCSU's mission includes working together with local communities for the public good. Along with Zebra PartnerConnect Solution Partner Advanced Mobile Group — innovators in RFID with its ViziTrace RFID solution, as well as wireless and mobile computing solutions — the university is developing techniques for tackling challenges that farmers and distributors face within the supply chain.[See Zebra media release] -- Posted Friday, June 5, 2020

Juniper Systems: Best practices for better GPS accuracy in the field
Juniper Systems' John Florio explains how getting the best possible GPS accuracy is key to successful field work. The time spent getting your GPS receiver set up to capture the best possible data is just as important as the time spent collecting data. Florio uses Juniper's Geode sub-meter HPS receiver to discuss the steps involved to improve the accuracy of GPS data collection can be achieved in just a few simple steps. [See Best practices for better GPS accuracy in the field] -- Posted Thursday, June 4, 2020

Zebra Technologies introduces proximity sensing, alerting & contact tracing software for the enterprise
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 launched Zebra MotionWorks® Proximity. The solution offers proximity sensing with user-level alerting and contact tracing to enable employers to help protect their employees' health while in the work environment.[See Zebra media release] -- Posted Thursday, June 4, 2020

First impressions: Getac B360
There are thin-and-light semi-rugged laptops and there are thicker and heavier fully rugged laptops, but there haven't been thin-and-light fully rugged laptops. Until Getac introduced the new B360. It's thin-and-light size, yet fully rugged and then some, with IP66 ingress protection and a 6-foot drop spec. And it runs Intel 10th generation Core processors, has PCIe NVMe storage and a 1400-nits display. Impressive indeed. [Read description, analysis and specs of the Getac B360] -- Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2020

New Getac B360: Lightest, brightest, fastest, toughest 5G-compatible notebook in today's marketplace
Getac Technology Corporation, a leading producer of rugged technology, today debuted the new B360 fully rugged notebook as a direct answer to those who contend that full ruggedization and ultra-power portable computing cannot co-exist in the same form factor. Featuring 10th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor with maximum turbo frequencies up to 4.90Ghz and 12mb Intel Smart Caches, the B360 is also the first fully rugged laptop to be engineered for 5G in today's marketplace, enabling enterprise mobility buyers to meet all levels of performance without sacrificing MIL-STD-810H compliance. [See Getac media release] -- Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Interporto Padova digitalizes and improves sustainability with support from Panasonic TOUGHBOOK tablets
Interporto Padova, the leading Italian freight logistics center, is using Panasonic TOUGHBOOK fully rugged tablets to improve productivity, efficiency and sustainability. Over the past two years, the terminal has been using the fully rugged TOUGHBOOK G1 tablets which, in combination with a dedicated software, enable the staff to manage work operations seamlessly. [See Panasonic media release and video detailing the story can be found here] -- Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2020

What happened in rugged computing 10 years ago: June 2010
In June 2010 we reviewed Motion's new J3500 tablet with capacitive dual-touch. We alerted that Panasonic does not only make rugged computers, but also rugged cameras and reviewed the Lumix TS2. Motorola introduced the ES400 Enterprise Digital Assistant. RuggedPCReview presented at the Handheld Group Business Partner Conference, Stockholm, Sweden. Canada Post announced it was deploying more than 8,000 Intermec CN50s. Zebra released an all-in-one printer/handheld for the Motorola MC70/75. Psion Teklogix added "Push-to" technology on its rugged mobile computers. Avalue released a rugged Intel Atom D510-based IPC. Getac upgraded their E100 rugged tablet to a 1.6GHz Intel Atom chip. During a keynote address at Computex Taipei, Microsoft announced Windows Embedded Compact 7. LXE released four new Toughtalk headsets. And Datalogic Mobile and Ford Performance Racing formed a partnership. [See June 2010 news archive] -- Posted Monday, June 1, 2020

Review: Winmate M700DQ8 7-inch rugged Android 9 tablet
There are well over 2.5 billion Android devices out there, most of the smartphones, but quite a few tablets. That means a huge user base that is already familiar with Android. So how about a tough, truly rugged, but also state-of-the-art compact Android tablet? Winmate has one, the 7-inch M700DQ8. It is as tough as it gets, runs Android 9 on a quick SnapDragon processor, has very good cameras, and USB Type-C. The tablet is designed for mobile field deployment but is equally suitable as a vehicle-mount. [See review of the Winmate M700DQ8] -- Posted Monday, June 1, 2020