August 2022

First look: Juniper Systems Mesa Pro
The Mesa Pro Rugged Tablet us Juniper's first entry into the important 10-inch rugged tablet segment, and also the one with the largest display in the company's history. While in the past Juniper concentrated on smaller form factors optimized for the company's markets, the new Intel 11th generation Core-powered Mesa Pro is a full, mainstream Windows tablet with a 1920 x 1200 display, up to 86 watt-hour battery, USB-C, eight programmable function keys, up to a terabyte of PCIe NVMe storage, IP68 sealing, optional scanner, FirstNet and various custom options. [See description, analysis and specs of the Juniper Mesa Pro -- Posted Monday, August 29, 2022

Romania equips its prisons with body-worn camera technology from Motorola Solutions
The Romanian National Administration of Penitentiaries has signed a contract with Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) to deploy 2100 body-worn cameras to enhance safety and security in all prisons across the country. The new cameras will be used by prison staff during guarding activities and prisoner transport to help deter and deescalate confrontations and collect video footage in the event of conflicts or emergencies. [See Motorola Solutions media release] -- Posted Monday, August 29, 2022

Zebra Technologies wins U.S. Postal Service's Supplier Performance Award
Zebra Technologies Corporation an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today announced the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) awarded the company a 2022 Supplier Performance Award for outstanding service and delivery. USPS uses Zebra TC77 touch computers to scan, track and trace mail and packages across its delivery network and provide real-time information to its customers. The award recognizes Zebra for demonstrating outstanding value and helping USPS achieve its mission of providing exceptional mail service to the American public in 2021. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Monday, August 29, 2022

Cincoze awarded UL Certification, raising safety standards
In harsh industrial environments, product safety is critical. Cincoze knows this. So, as a leading rugged embedded computer brand, our whole product lineup is specifically designed to improve safety. During product design, our engineers use Hazard-Based Safety Engineering (HBSE) design principles and material selection to ensure our products meet and exceed information and communication technology (ICT) and audio-visual (AV) safety standards to comply with the international IEC 62368-1, the EU CE mark for low voltage directive (LVD) EN 62368. Now, Cincoze is applying for UL certification for more products to further ensure they meet strict safety standards. [See Cincoze media release] -- Posted Sunday, August 28, 2022

Full review: Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablet
Android's near 90% of global smartphone market share is making Google's mobile OS increasingly relevant to industrial and public safety tablet customers as well. Getac's new ZX10 is one of the few industrial-grade, fully rugged 10-inch Android tablets available. RuggedPCReview performed a comprehensive analysis of the ZX10, and came away impressed (who wouldn't like almost 20 hours battery life!). This tablet was obviously designed for Android from the ground up. It comes well equipped, is tough as nails, and clearly a great tool for wherever tough jobs need to get done. [See full review of the Getac ZX10] -- Posted Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Review: Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy USB and SSD
Almost everyone is using USB keys, and external SSD storage is becoming ever more popular as well. But are those inherently mobile and easy-to-lose storage devices secure? Some are, most aren't. That's where Kingston Technology's IronKey Vault Privacy USB keys and — new — external solid state drives come in. They are XTS-AES 256-bit hardware-encrypted, access-secured, TAA compliant, FIPS 197-certified, and the OS-independent Vault Privacy VP80ES external SSD even has its own touchpad. [See review of the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 Series and 80 External SSD] -- Posted Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Winmate: Extended life cycles with modular C1D2 Panel PCs
Winmate's latest news blast covers their M series ATEX grade Panel PCs designed to operate safely and reliably in rough and dangerous environments like chemical manufacturing and oil gas. The ATEX grade M Series features a modular design that allows the computing modules to be interchangeably combined with various display modules to create flexible computing solutions. All have true flat screens, fanless aluminum housings, and carry all the pertinent certifications. [See Winmate ATEX M Series Panel PC blast] -- Posted Tuesday, August 23, 2022

MilDef signs 20-year framework agreement with a NATO nation, worth SEK 2.8 billion
MilDef, a global provider of tactical IT, has signed a 20-year strategic framework agreement with defense forces in a European NATO country, to modernize and digitalize this nation’s defense forces. The counterpart cannot be disclosed due to national security. The framework agreement is by far the largest to date for MilDef, estimated to SEK 2.8 billion (about US$263 million) over 20 years. [See MilDef media release] -- Posted Monday, August 22, 2022

Avalue launches new rugged Panel PCs ARC-1535/ARC-1538
Avalue Technology Inc has unveiled its new-generation rugged panel PCs with touchscreen — the ARC-1535 with Intel Atom x6211E/x6413E/x6425E processors and the ARC-1538 with 11th Gen Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processors. The ruggedized ARC series are specifically designed to be waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and scratchproof. Able to survive high humidity, temperature and vibration, they are ideally suitable for operation in harsh environment, ensuring that machines continue working normally without disruption. [See Avalue media release] -- Posted Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Review: Teguar TRT-3493-12 rugged POS tablet
With the 11.6-inch, 2-pound Windows-based rugged TRT-3493 tablet, Teguar offers a remarkably versatile mobile computing device. As a tablet, it's slender, light and very handy with a roomy display and plenty of ruggedness to go anywhere. The TRT-3493, however, is more than a tablet; it's a modular system that provides plenty of connectivity both via the optional desktop dock as well as the vehicle dock that allows VESA-based mounting virtually anywhere. [See review of the Teguar TRT-3493-12 rugged POS tablet] -- Posted Tuesday, August 16, 2022

CipherLab: A single device benefits multiple-purpose applications
In its latest newsletter, CipherLab, a world leader in AIDC solutions, covers their RS51 rugged mobile computer. The Android 11-based RS51 was designed specifically with for multiple user scenarios in transportation and logistics, direct store delivery, and various field mobility applications. The modern 13-ounce 4.7-inch RS51 handheld is IP67-sealed, can handle 6-foot drops, 1,000 tumbles, and offers NFC/HF RFID, 2D barcode scanning, 13mp camera, full-shift+ battery life, and 4G LTE wireless. [See CipherLab RS51 product brochure and application case example] -- Posted Monday, August 15, 2022

Winmate: Panel PCs suitable for emerging smart charging stations
With an increasing number of nations launching mandates cutting the number of internal combustion vehicles, electric vehicles (EVs) are the future and hence there is a soaring demand for electric EV charging stations. Winmate alerts to the challenge of sourcing intrinsically safe touch panel PCs for all those upcoming charging stations, systems that can handle strong vibration, extreme temperatures, unstable power supplies, impact and more. With over 26 years of technology know-how for producing and developing explosion-proof devices, Winmate offers outdoor computers built for the public smart charging stations. [Read Winmate's Smart Charging Station Solution] -- Posted Friday, August 12, 2022

Trimble RTX Integrity validates positioning data accuracy to support safety-critical applications
Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today data integrity monitoring for its precise point positioning (PPP) correction service, CenterPoint® RTX Fast. The Trimble RTX Integrity™ monitoring system is an innovative, patented solution, built in direct response to client requirements for production-ready applications. It continuously validates the reliability of correction data processed by the network, which is broadcast to users in the agriculture, geospatial, construction and automotive industries, ensuring positioning data is right the first time. [See Trimble media release] -- Posted Thursday, August 11, 2022

Garmin Enduro 2 ultraperformance smartwatch adds mapping, touchscreen and its longest-ever battery life
Garmin® International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN), today announced the Enduro™ 2 ultraperformance multisport GPS smartwatch. Purpose built for endurance athletes, the rugged yet lightweight Enduro 2 includes built-in TopoActive maps with multicontinent coverage, a superbright LED flashlight and Garmin's exclusive SatIQ™ technology to help optimize battery performance. What's more, enhanced solar harvesting provides up to 46 days in smartwatch mode and up to 150 hours in GPS mode1 to outlast the longest ultra race or greatest adventure. [See Garmin media release] -- Posted Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Trimble reports Q2 2022 financial results
Trimble reported sales of US$941.2 million for Q2, 2022, down slightly from US$945.2 million a year ago. GAAP operating income for Q2 2022 was US$134.9 million, down from US$144.8 million for Q2 2021. "Our second quarter results exceeded expectations," said Rob Painter, Trimble's president and chief executive officer. "Growth in annualized recurring revenue and gross margin demonstrate the potential of our Connect & Scale strategy. We remain committed to investing in our strategy while navigating macroeconomic uncertainties." [See Trimble press release] -- Posted Monday, August 8, 2022

Juniper Systems: Getting the most from an RFID enabled device
Getting the most out of an RFID device can be a daunting task. Juniper Systems’ RFID experts recommend asking three questions to simplify the process of testing and choosing an RFID device: How will the device be held? Is the tag an on-metal tag or an off-metal tag? What orientation will the tag be mounted? These three questions can set users up to have a more successful experience testing the effectiveness of an RFID device. [Read Getting the most from an RFID enabled device] -- Posted Saturday, August 6, 2022

Motorola Solutions reports Q2 2022 financial results
Motorola Solutions reported sales of US$2.140 billion for Q2, 2022, up 9% from US$1.971 billion a year ago. GAAP operating earnings for Q2 2022 was US$358 million, down 3% from US$370 million for Q2 2021. For Q3 2022, Motorola Solutions expects revenue growth of approximately 10% compared with the third quarter of 2021. "Q2 was exceptional across the board, with record second-quarter revenue," said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO, Motorola Solutions. "Our Q2 record-ending backlog and continued strong operational execution are driving our increased expectations for the full year.” [See Motorola Solutions press release] -- Posted Thursday, August 4, 2022

What happened in rugged computing 10 years ago: August 2012
In August 2012, Sprint established its "Sprint Gets Rugged" program, offering ruggedized phones as alternatives to dedicated rugged handhelds. RuggedPCReview analyzed how well rugged products performed under pressure. DAP Technologies unveiled its 9.7-inch M9700 Windows tablet. N-trig's DuoSense pen system was certified for Windows 8. We published Handheld Group CEO Jerker Hellström's article "True Mobility Trend: The Future of Mobile Computers is Rugged". Trimble released the Juno T41 rugged handheld and Honeywell the Dolphin 7800. We reviewed the Motion F5t tablet. Intermec reported Q2 2012 revenues of US$201.0 million, and Getac launched a great new website. [See RuggedPCReview August 2012 archives] -- Posted Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Honeywell reports Q2 2022 financial results
Honeywell reported Q2 2022 sales of US$8.953 billion, up 2% from US$8.808 billion Q2 2021. The Safety and Productivity Solutions segment (Honeywell AIDC) had Q2 2022 sales of US$1.829 billion, down 12% from US$2.083 billion Q2 2021. Q2 2022 Safety and Productivity Solutions segment profit was US$231 million versus US$292 million Q3 2021 as strength in advanced sensing technologies and productivity solutions and services was offset by lower personal protective equipment and warehouse automation volumes. [SeeHoneywell Q2 2021 financials] -- Posted Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Zebra reports Q2 2022 financial results
Zebra Technologies reported sales of US$1,468 million for Q2, 2022, up from US$1,377 million a year ago. Operating income for Q2 2022 was US$243 million, down slightly from US$247 million for Q2 2021. “Our team delivered solid second quarter results, executing well in a challenging macro environment. Sales growth was near the high end of our expectations, and we were able to deliver adjusted earnings per share growth over the prior year, despite continued elevated supply chain costs and foreign currency exchange headwinds,” said Anders Gustafsson, chief executive officer of Zebra Technologies. [See Zebra Q2 2022 financials] -- Posted Tuesday, August 2, 2022