New Intel Atoms, and how Oracle is helping Microsoft
So Intel adds a couple of new Atom chips to its growing and rather confusing roster of low-end chips. What do the new D425 and D525 mean for you? And Oracle's suing Google over Android! What's up with that? [read more...] -- Posted Thursday, August 19, 2010 by chb

BSQUARE doing well
Mobile computing pioneers may remember BSQUARE as an early Windows CE software developer as a mobile and embedded systems house. While not too many companies from that era are still around, BSQUARE is, and is doing well. They just reported record earnings of US$26.9 million for Q2 of 2010, and scored a record net income of US$4 million. BSQUARE CEO Brian Crowley reported "a great job of driving sales growth of both Microsoft Embedded and Windows Mobile licenses" and a general "continued momentum in Microsoft Windows Mobile license sales." [See BSQUARE press release] -- Posted Wednesday, August 18, 2010 by chb

Android contemplations
Off the cuff, the way we see it is that Android has a better than even chance of becoming the OS of choice for tablets and other mobile devices. Android is really nothing more than another Linux distribution, but one backed and sort of run by Google. Microsoft, of course, will make the usual argument of leverage and security and integration into other Microsoft products, but the fact is that Linux itself can be at least as secure as anything Microsoft makes. Just look at the Mac OS which is also Unix-based, and Unix is the basis of Linux. [read more...] -- Posted Friday, August 13, 2010 by chb

Juniper introduces the Mesa Rugged Notepad
If the new Mesa Rugged Notepad by Juniper Systems looks large, it's because it is. Aiming to offer the best of Tablet PCs and a rugged handhelds (but none of the drawbacks), the Marvell PXA320-powered Mesa runs Windows Mobile 6.5.3 on its exceptionally large 5.7-inch VGA display. Larger size means larger battery, too, and the Mesa runs up to 16 hours on a charge. Add to that exceptional ruggedness and IP67 sealing, and you have an interesting option for any number of outdoor jobs that require a bit of extra screen real estate. [See description and specs of the Juniper Systems Mesa Rugged Notepad] -- Posted Wednesday, July 21, 2010 by chb

Carrefour adds Datalogic rugged handhelds
Carrefour, the largest retailer in Europe and the second largest retailer in the world, teamed up with Datalogic Mobile for the supply of mobile computers in its retail stores. This time, the Memor and Falcon handheld devices will be used for Carrefour’s retail in-store solutions. [See Datalogic press release] -- Posted Wednesday, July 21, 2010 by chb

Dvorak not high on Windows Phone 7
John Dvorak, Grand Master of all things personal computing, is not high on Windows Phone 7, declaring the upcoming platform DOA and suggesting that Microsoft, "company mired in the 1980s with its copycat philosophy and folder/desktop metaphor," should concentrate on enterprise software. -- Posted Tuesday, July 6, 2010 by chb

Kin, we barely knew you
Microsoft takes another one on the chin as the company quietly folded the Kin team into the Windows Phone 7 team. There won't be a release of the peculiar phone in Europe, though Verizon continues to sell the Kins at reduced prices. -- Posted Thursday, July 1, 2010 by chb

AIS releases inexpensive Windows CE touch panel PC
American Industrial Systems Inc. (AIS) introduced a small, rugged 5.7-inch industrial Windows CE 5.0-based touchscreen computer intended for use as an IP64-sealed operator panel PC and graphic operator interface terminal. The VGA display features a bright 400 nits backlight and a resistive digitizer. Pricing for VARs starts at an exceptionally low US$399. [See description and specs of the AIS PM570M] -- Posted Friday, June 25, 2010 by chb

Motorola introduces ES400 Enterprise Digital Assistant
The Enterprise Mobility Solutions division of Motorola introduced the ES400 Enterprise Digital Assistant. Fitting somewhere between a consumer smartphone and a ruggedized handheld, the ES400 is aimed squarely at enterprise users in field sales/service, retail, healthcare, etc. The ES400 runs Windows Mobile 6.5 with a custom front end, has WiFi, GPS, a 3.2mp camera that can also scan, and 3.5G WWAN for both the GSM and the CDMA side. With the iPhone having redefined expectations, the question is whether this sort of category-busting convergent device is what users want. [Read more...] -- Posted Friday, June 18, 2010 by chb

Canada Post to deploy more than 8,000 Intermec CN50s
Intermec announced that Canada Post, the official postal service of Canada, has selected the Intermec CN50 to equip more than 8,000 foot-based letter carriers to provide timely delivery information to customers for all traceable items via real-time upload of scanned data. Through its EA21 scanner and 3G radio, the CN50 can communicate with the Canada Post Central Delivery Information Application to provide data capture and delivery processes as part of a transformational Canada Post program to modernize its postal network end to end. -- Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by chb

Microsoft announces Windows Embedded Compact 7
During a keynote address at Computex Taipei, Microsoft announced Windows Embedded Compact 7. It's just a "public community technology preview" for now, but this will be the next version of Windows CE (now called Windows Embedded CE), designed to allow OEMs to create specialized devices. Microsoft stressed a major update to Internet Explorer, support for Adobe Flash 10.1 and seamless integration with Windows 7. The emphasis clearly seems to be on full integration into the massive existing Microsoft infrastructure. [See Windows Embedded Compact 7 page] -- Posted Tuesday, June 1, 2010 by chb

Intermec CN50 gets upgrades
Intermec announced enhancements to its most advanced rugged mobile computer, the Windows Mobile 6.1-based CN50. The improvements double RAM to 256MB and for scanning applications, customer now have the choice between the EA11 1D/2D area imager for scan-intensive applications, or the EA21 area imager that is designed for barcode reading as well as full page document imaging with Intermec's eMDI software. For businesses in regions that do not have 3G cellular networks or with limited data communications requirements, Intermec is also offering a version of the CN50 that operates over EDGE networks. -- Posted Monday, May 24, 2010 by chb

Small rugged vehicle-mount: QSI TREQ-M4
Many mobile applications require a small, rugged vehicle-mount computer for a variety of simple data lookup, data entry, fare collection, and other custom applications. Such computer must be simple to use and operate, ultra-reliable, and small enough to never get in the way. The Marvell PXA300/Windows Embedded CE 6.0-powered QSI TREQ-M4 mobile data terminal was designed for just those tasks. [See description and specs of the QSI TREQ-M4] -- Posted Sunday, May 2, 2010 by chb

Socket Mobile -- salvation in barcode scanners?
Socket Mobile's Q1 2010 financials (see PDF) show both bad news and good news. The bad news is that it's tough for a company that specialized on add-on cards (modems, WiFi, BT, ports) to survive when that functionality is now usually built into products. So that market is mostly going away. The good news is that Socket managed to eke out increased sales of its barcode scanners and its SoMo business-class handheld computers are a respectable business. Problem there, of course, is that Windows Mobile, which powers the SoMo, has been losing ground. Socket's new BT scanners, however, work with the iPad and similar products, and may become the basis for state-of-the-art 2D barcode scanning solutions. -- Posted Wednesday, April 28, 2010 by chb

Pocket PC turns 10 - coulda/shoulda been a contender
It was ten years ago today that Microsoft introduced the Pocket PC to great fanfare at New York's Grand Central Station. The announcement rang in the first serious implementations of Windows CE-based PDAs, with much stricter hardware requirements than the prior multi-architecture "Palm-Size PC," mostly thanks to the landmark Compaq iPAQ, courtesy of, yes, HTC. See Pen Computing's April 19, 2000 reporting on the new Pocket PC] -- Posted Monday, April 19, 2010 by chb

Microsoft moves Windows Mobile into the Windows Embedded business
Microsoft announced, mostly via a blog entry, a reorganization that makes handheld terminals and ruggedized devices part of the Windows Embedded Business. The company claimed the move will provide them with closer connection between the Windows Embedded CE and Windows Mobile product line that had been under Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business. Basically, this separates Windows Mobile, mostly a nice user interface sitting on top of Windows CE, from the consumer side of things that now concentrates on the upcoming Windows Phone 7. As David Wurster, senior product manager at Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Business, outlines, "with the transition of support to WEB, Microsoft gives the handheld terminal and ruggedized device products a holistic roadmap across both platforms and into the future." [See Microsoft blog entry] -- Posted Wednesday, April 7, 2010 by chb

Full review: Juniper Systems TK6000
The TK6000, introduced by Juniper Systems in the fall of 2009, represents another ultra-rugged, no-nonsense handheld computer from the Logan, Utah based company that specializes in field computing solutions for rugged applications such as land survey, natural resources, industrial, agriculture and the like. Initially designed for a Juniper Systems business partner (Carlson Surveyor), the ultra-rugged TK6000 is a product as much as a mobile platform for OEM solution providers. We had a TK6000 in the RuggedPCReview lab for a couple of months and here's our full report and review. [See full review of the Juniper Systems TK6000] -- Posted Monday, April 5, 2010 by chb

Datalogic announces Power³ system platform
While we're still digesting the various implications of the "Open Source Mobility" business model launched by Psion Teklogix a few weeks ago (see Psion's OSM press release), Datalogic Mobile announced their new Power³ System Platform. Power³ included C³ (capture, compute, communicate), F³ (form, feel, function), and D³ (develop, deploy, direct). The new platform, whose first product probably is the just-released Datalogic Elf, is described on Datalogic's website. It includes such interesting things as a parallel computing architecture that combine a PCA chip with a Cortex-M3 processor. -- Posted Tuesday, March 30, 2010 by chb

Motorola releases upgraded MC75A
Motorola announced an updated version of its successful MC75 "enterprise digital assistant." Physically, the device stays pretty much the same, but the technology has been beefed up significantly, and thanks to a switch to Windows Mobile 6.5, the interface looks all different. The fairly compact (6.0 x 3.3 x 1.7 inches, 14 ounces) MC75A is now powered by the 806MHz Marvell MXA320, has more RAM and storage, a 3.2mp camera, upgraded scanners, and 3.5G wireless. The MC75A can handle 5-foot drops, is IP54-sealed, has a 14 to 122F operating temperature range, and is fully compatible with Motorola Mobility Suite and Mobility Services Platform. [See description and specs of the Motorola MC75A] -- Posted Wednesday, March 24, 2010 by chb

Datalogic announces rugged Elf professional PDA
Datalogic announced a new industrial/professional PDA designed for a variety of field service/sales, delivery, retail and logistics markets. The PXA310-powered device runs Windows Mobile 6.5 on a 3.5-inch VGA display, and offers a complete set of integrated communication (WiFi, Bluetooth, voice/data WWAN, GPS) and data collection (laser scanner or imager, RFID) features. The Datalogic Elf, which measures 3.2 x 6.2 x 1.65 inches and weighs just under a pound, can be ordered with either a QWERTY or a numeric keypad. The Elf can handle 5-foot drops, is IP64-sealed, and has a wide 14 to 122F operating temperature range. [See description and specs of the Datalogic Elf] -- Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2010 by chb

Added: Unitech HT680
Addressing a need for a small and handy (i.e. pocktable) data collection terminal rugged enough to be used almost anywhere, Unitech introduced the HT680 mobile computer. The HT680 weighs just 11 ounces, has a 2.7-inch QVGA touch display, includes Bluetooth and comes in four versions with permutations of 1D laser scanner or 2D imager, with or without WiFi. WWAN is optionally available, and the device can handle a 6-foot drop. [See description and specs of the Unitech HT680] -- Posted Friday, March 19, 2010 by chb

Consumerization of rugged markets?
RuggedPCReview.com recently posted an article on Windows Mobile and the vertical markets, and concluded with the question, "What will the small but significant number of vendors who make and sell Windows Mobile devices do as their chosen operating system platform looks increasingly dated and is becoming a target of customer dissatisfaction?" We received some good (and rather concerned) feedback on that column, and think it's an issue that is not going to go away. [...more] -- Posted Thursday, March 18, 2010 by chb

Android discussion at Psion Teklogix
On Psion Teklogix's new community site, Psion's Peter Ahn stated that "Android OS may become an important player in the long run. Having said that, Android O/S is still in its enfancy today, and our industry may not move fast in bringing business applications to Android O/S." Ahn also said that there are indirect benefits from the iPhone/Android war as WinCE/WinMo has been adding some of their features, such as finger touch and gesture support, an improved browser and an app store. [See Android discussion at Psion Teklogix community] -- Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 by chb

Smartphone market share 2009
According to Gartner, the 2009 smartphone sales unit market was as follows (2008 percentage in parentheses): Symbian 46.9% (54.2%), RIM 19.9% (16.6%), iPhone 14.4% (8.2%), Windows Mobile 8.7% (11.8%), Linux 4.7% (7.6%), Android 3.9% (0.5%), Palm WebOS 0.7% (NA). -- Posted Friday, March 5, 2010 by chb

Windows Phone 7 not compatible with WinMo 6.5
Microsoft seems to go off in another direction with Windows Phone 7, and older devices will not be compatible or upgradeable. Read an InformationWeek article on Windows Phone 7 compatibility issues. -- Posted Thursday, March 4, 2010 by chb

Psion Teklogix introduces WorkAbout Pro 3
Psion Teklogix introduced the WorkAbout Pro 3 rugged handheld terminal that represents a technology, ergonomics, and versatility upgrade of the company's line of WorkAbout handhelds. The new model is quicker, tougher and more versatile, and adheres to Psion Teklogix's new "Open Source Mobility" philosophy that emphasizes a modular product platforms that allow sharing of common components and tools with developers, resellers and clients. [See description and specs of the Psion Teklogix WorkAbout Pro 3] -- Posted Thursday, March 4, 2010 by chb

Microsoft announces Windows 7 Phone Series
At the Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona, Microsoft unveiled the consumer-oriented Windows Phone 7 Series. It uses a tiles-based interface and includes Xbox LIVE games, Zune music and video, Bing Search and automatically synchronizes photos to PCs and photo sites on the Internet. There's Microsoft Office software and a variety of other personal productivity features. Microsoft claims it went back to the drawing board with a complete redesign of Windows Mobile and that it is more than a new user interface, allowing users to take advantage of converging technologies and online services from their mobile phone. The "live" tiles act as doorways to more detailed "hub" pages that connect to Web services, applications, contacts and other items. There will be some more standardization in hardware: all Windows 7 Phone Series devices will share the same three hardware buttons and use capacitive mulit-touch screens However, the first Windows Phone 7 Series devices will not be available until the 2010 holidays. [See Windows Phone 7 Series at Microsoft, and the Microsoft press release] -- Posted Monday, February 15, 2010 by chb

First ruggedized WinMo 6.5 PDA
Pharos Science and Applications announced that they have begun shipment of the world's first ruggedized PDA based on Windows Mobile 6.5. The US$529 Pharos 565 has built-in GPS, a 3.5-inch QVGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IrDA in a ruggedized Windows Mobile 6.5 PDA with a full QWERTY keyboard. The device is based on the 624MHz Marvell PXA310 chip, has 512 MB Flash ROM, and 256 MB DDR SDRAM, carries IP54 sealing and a 5 feet drop spec. [See Pharos 565] -- Posted Friday, February 12, 2010 by chb

Intermec, HealthWyse and Data Capture Solutions partner to improve Point-of-Care
Intermec announced its partnership with HealthWyse and Data Capture Solutions to provide healthcare professionals with access to electronic medical records anytime, anywhere. According to Intermec, using their CN3 ruggedized handheld computers combined with Healthwyse's mobile clinical software and Data Capture Solutions' support has saved customers, like Caritas Home Care, an average of 98 hours of total annual time per healthcare professional (see Caritas case study). -- Posted Friday, February 12, 2010 by chb

Clues on Windows Mobile 7
Betanews ran a report entitled "Microsoft at CES: Finally, what to expect from Windows Mobile 7 and Windows Phone". -- Posted Sunday, January 10, 2010 by chb

Datalogic to show new Windows Mobile 6.5-based handheld
Datalogic Mobile will preview a new Datalogic PDA at the 2010 National Retail Federation trade show in New York City January 11-12 at the Datalogic booth No. 2445. Tom Burke, VP of Products and Services said, "the new PDA is one of the first in our industry to run Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows Mobile 6.5. We have also integrated the Datalogic patented Green Spot good read technology with both the laser bar code reader and the 2D imager. The new PDA also incorporates HF RFID support." Connectivity includes UMTS HSDPA voice and data, 802.11 a/b/gWiFi with CCX V4 certification, and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR. -- Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 by chb

Splashdata acquires Iambic
SplashData announced its acquisition of Iambic. These are two of the early pioneers in the development of mobile software apps for PDAs and smartphones, and this deal combines the resources of two respected and established developers of mobile productivity software. SplashData says it intends to expand Iambic's line of apps, including Agendus, into other smartphone platforms such as Android and webOS. -- Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 by chb

Broadcom navigation processor to support Android, Windows CE
Broadcom Corporation announced that it has ported the Android and Windows CE operating systems to run on its Broadcom BCM4760 navigation processor, enabling a new generation of location-aware mobile internet devices (MIDs) and personal navigation devices (PNDs). MIDs and PNDs are including increasingly sophisticated navigation functionality and location based services, and support for these OS platforms will make the devices attractive to a broader range of application developers, driving innovation and improved user experiences. -- Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 by chb

Motorola releases MC3090-Z business-class RFID reader
Motorola introduced the MC3090-Z, a special version of its successful MC3000. The MC3090-Z addresses a very specific need, that of providing a rugged, reliable RFID reader for field service and business environments. The device has a 3-inch square 320x320 pixel touch display and runs Windows Mobile 6.1 on a 520MHz Marvel XScale 270 processor. A dual-axis antenna provides versatile RFID coverage and the device is more than rugged enough for use in a large variety of retail, inventory and asset tracking applications. [See description and specs of the Motorola MC3090-Z] -- Posted Monday, December 14, 2009 by chb

Windows Mobile: RIP 2000-2009?
Windows Mobile: RIP 2000-2009, that's the title of a blog entry at examiner.com. The blog doesn't claim that Windows Mobile is dead, just that it might as well be dead. There's been a flood of other similar articles, all suggesting that Microsoft might as well shut down Windows Mobile and get out of the phone market. What all those pundits don't consider is that while Microsoft has indeed fumbled the mobile consumer market in a downright Palmian manner, Windows Mobile remains strong in the vertical market where it essentially has no competition. -- Posted Monday, December 14, 2009 by chb

Minneapolis courier service uses Psion Teklogix Ikôn
Psion Teklogix announced that Street Fleet, a Minneapolis-based same day delivery courier service, has upgraded its dispatching system by supplying Psion Teklogix ikôn rugged mobile computing devices to its drivers in the field. Street Fleet used integrator Emkat, Inc., and Penchant Software to provide a customized dispatching solution. Once in place, the Ikôns were integrated into the system, followed by connectivity through T-Mobile’s data network. [See Psion Teklogix press release] -- Posted Thursday, December 10, 2009 by chb

HP releases the iPAQ Glisten smartphone
Once upon a time Compaq almost singlehandedly saved the fledgling Pocket PC platform. That was then, the new HP iPAQ Glisten is now. It's a snazzy and roughly iPhone-sized device with a gorgeous landscape-oriented AMOLED touchscreen. There's a 3.1 megapixel camera, GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA, 802.11b/g WiFi and GPS. The Glisten will be available for use with the AT&T network and will cost US$229 with the usual 2-year contract. [See description and specs of the HP iPAQ Glisten] -- Posted Monday, November 30, 2009 by chb

Advantech launches small, versatile wall or desk-mount terminal
Powered by a Freescale i.MX31 processor and running Windows CE, the small UbiQ-480 terminal introduced by industrial PC maker and ePlatform services provider Advantech is very different from its usual embedded hardware computing modules, IPCs and rugged systems. Sporting a 7-inch touchscreen, a camera and digital I/O, the inexpensive device can be used for all sorts of building/sytems control and communication purposes. [See description and specs of the Advantech UbiQ-480] -- Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 by chb

Windows Mobile: Greatest App Story Ever Told
cnet uk posted an amusing (yet quite true) assessment of Windows Mobile and its tortured history. See Windows Mobile: Greatest App Story Ever Told -- Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 by chb

Juniper Systems TK6000: a tough ultra-rugged handheld for extreme environments
The TK6000, introduced in the fall of 2009, represents another ultra-rugged, no-nonsense handheld computer from Juniper Systems, the Logan, Utah company that specializes in intuitive field computing solutions for rugged applications such as land survey, natural resource, industrial, agriculture and the like. The tough and rugged TK6000 is a product as much as a mobile platform for OEM solution providers, and who could argue with up to 32 hours or battery life? [See description and specs of the Juniper Systems TK6000] -- Posted Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by chb

Added: ultra-rugged Casio DT-X30 handheld
Casio's Industrial Handheld Division offers the state-of-the-art Casio DT-X30, a IP67-sealed substantial handheld based on Marvell's PXA320 processor and running Windows Mobile 6.1. The DT-X30, which comes with a 1D/2D imager and an integrated digital camera with LED illuminator, can be equipped with Bluetooth, WWAN as well as GPS, making it a good choice for location-based applications. The display measures 3.5 inches and the 29-key keypad allows rapid data entry as well as support for custom applications via 8 function keys. [Read description and specs of the Casio DT-X30] -- Posted Monday, November 16, 2009 by chb

Motorola releases MC3100 successor to best-selling MC3000
Motorola introduced the MC3100 mid-range rugged wireless mobile computer as the successor of its best-selling (over 750,000 units) MC3000 Series. The MC3100 is based on the state-of-the-art Marvel PXA320 processor, includes an accelerometer, and can be ordered with three different keypads, with turret or integrated scanner, and also in a pistol-grip version. The MC3100, which can use all of the MC3000 peripherals and accessories, has a 320 x 320 pixel 3-inch touch display, runs either Windows CE 6.0 or Windows Mobile 6.1, and can be equipped with either a 1D laser or a 2D imager. Cost ranges from US$1,295 to US$1,995. [Read description and specs of the Motorola MC3100] -- Posted Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by chb

Handheld's new ultra-rugged GPS PDA
HHCS Handheld USA has beefed up its handheld offerings by adding the ultra-rugged Nautiz X7 handheld computer. Based on Windows Mobile 6.1 and the powerful 806MHz Marvell PXA310 processor, the Nautiz X7 has a 3-megapixel camera, an E-compass, altimeter, a full-VGA 480 x 640 pixel touch display, up to 12GB of storage, Bluetooth and Wifi, and optional HSDPA wireless WWAN. [Read full review of the Handheld Nautiz X7] -- Posted Friday, October 30, 2009 by chb

Full review: Datalogic Memor
One of the problems with many industrial handhelds is that they are big and heavy. Those that are small and handy often lack features. Datalogic addressed these issues with the Memor handheld that combines mobile computing, data capture, scanning and voice/data communication in one small but rugged handheld that weighs just nine ounces. Powered by a speedy, modern PXA310 processor and available with a variety of scanning and communication options, the Datalogic Memor has a lot to offer. [See review of the Datalogic Memor] -- Posted Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by chb

Windows Mobile Marketplace
PCMag.com did a "Hands On with the Windows Mobile Marketplace" -- Posted Monday, October 12, 2009 by chb

Windows Mobile 6.5: Big letdown
To almost no one's surprise, the release of Windows Mobile 6.5 has generally been greeted with anything from indifference to downright shock and dismay (see the extent of the dismay at John Herrman's detailed review at Gizmodo). Essentially, WinMo 6.5 provides a weird new home screen on what appears to be the same ancient, obsolete OS. In recent years we've frequently commented on how increasingly sophisticated and powerful rugged handheld hardware seems to be held back by Windows Mobile (see Palm and Windows Mobile and how the iPhone really changed everything), and this "new" version 6.5, unfortunately, perpetuates the misery. -- Posted Tuesday, October 6, 2009 by chb

Ballmer quote: we screwed up with Windows Mobile
Check this most interesting tweet from a venture capital conference. If Ballmer really said that, I don't think too many people would argue the point. -- Posted Wednesday, September 30, 2009 by chb

Silverlight central to Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3
Microsoft announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3, the next-generation platform of the componentized, real-time Windows Embedded CE operating system. The main thrust is that Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 adds the Silverlight for Windows Embedded user interface (UI) framework which is meant to enable a consistent experience across devices and PCs with Microsoft Office and PDF viewers. [Read Microsoft release on Windows Embedded CE 6.0] -- Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by chb

Unitech introduces monitoring software for mobile computers
Unitech has introduced 12Monitor to control access to apps on Unitech mobile computers. 12Monitor puts the device in kiosk mode, allowing users to access certain applications, but not the entire operating system. This prevents users from changing settings, increases security and ensures productive and efficient use of the device. 12Monitor allows desktop customization with colors, icons and logos. Instead of a standard Windows desktop, the device displays up to 10 buttons labeled for the specific application the user is allowed to access. Customers can download 12Monitor for free from the Unitech website. -- Posted Monday, September 21, 2009 by chb

Nikon-Trimble introduces Windows CE-based Nivo
Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Nikon and Trimble to address the global surveying and construction market, introduced the Nikon Nivo Series of compact, high-precision, Bluetooth-capable mechanical total stations. Meeting IP66 standards with water and dust-proof protection, the Nikon Nivo C Series, which has a Windows CE touchscreen interface, is rugged and can operate in virtually all types of weather. This is another example of interdisciplinary cooperation to provide crossover solutions that combine expertise in various fields. -- Posted Monday, September 21, 2009 by chb

Motorola introduces next-gen MC9500 rugged handheld
Building upon its successful MC9000 line of rugged handhelds, Motorola introduced the next-gen MC9500 built on state-of-the-art processing (Marvell PXA320), display (3.7-inch VGA), communication (3.5G, both major standards) and data capture technology (laser/imager/camera). The device also includes SiRFstarIII GPS, a smart full-shift battery, no fewer than five modular keyboard options, and it's tough as nails. [See description and specs of the Motorola MC9500] -- Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2009 by chb

Getac introduces ultra-rugged GPS PDA
Getac beefed up its handheld offerings by adding the ultra-rugged PS236 GPS handheld. Based on Windows Mobile 6.2 and the powerful 806MHz Marvell PXA310 processor, the PS236 has a 3-megapixel camera, an E-compass, altimeter, a full-VGA display, up to 12GB of storage, Bluetooth and Wifi, and optional HSDPA wireless WWAN. [See description and specs of the Getac PS236 GPS handheld] -- Posted Tuesday, September 8, 2009 by chb

Full review: Handheld US Nautiz X5
If you need a high-performance, top-of-the-line rugged handheld computer with integrated scanner, full VGA graphics, and 3G voice/data communication, there aren't many choices. The Nautiz X5, sold by Handheld US, is one of the few handhelds powered by the speedy 806MHz Marvell PXA320 processor. It has an integrated laser scanner, integrated SiRFstar III GPS, 3G comms, a very powerful battery, and a RFID version is available as well. [See full review of the Handheld US Nautiz X5] -- Posted Thursday, September 3, 2009 by chb

Motorola MT2000 pistol-grip scanner/computer
Motorola introduced the MT2000 series of mobile terminals that are meant to combine the simplicity of a scanner with the brainpower of a Windows CE-based and Marvell PXA270-powered mobile computer - all packaged in a handy, ergonomic package with the popular gun-style form factor. The idea here is to add smarts, and thus flexibility and power, to a conventional laser scanner. [See description and specs of the Motorola MT2000] -- Posted Thursday, September 3, 2009 by chb

New gen of Windows Phones with Windows Mobile 6.5
Microsoft announced that Windows phones will be widely available at retail stores worldwide on Oct. 6, 2009. The new phones will be the first to feature Windows Mobile 6.5, the latest version of Microsoft's mobile phone software, and will deliver new customer experiences through an improved, easy-to-use user interface, better browsing capabilities and access to valuable services, including Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone. [Read Microsoft press release] -- Posted Tuesday, September 1, 2009 by chb

Two Unitech products named best in the business
Unitech announced that two of its devices have been selected as “Best Channel Products” in Business Solutions Magazine’s annual survey. The magazine’s VAR subscribers ranked the PA600 mobile computer and MR650 fixed mount terminal among the industry’s top products. The Windows CE 5.0-based Unitech MR650 fixed mount terminal was voted a Best Channel Product for Workforce Management / Time and Attendance. Unitech’s compact and rugged PA600 won in the Handheld Mobile Computer category. -- Posted Tuesday, September 1, 2009 by chb

Intrinsically safe ruggedized phone
Airo, a maker of ruggedized cell phones, announced the A25is Intrinsically Safe handset, available for delivery Q4 of 2009. The PXA270-based and Windows Mobile 6.1-powered A25is can handle 4-foot drops, is IP67 sealed, can operate in -4 to 122 degrees F, and operates under GSM/GPRS/EDGE. [See spec sheet of the intrinsically safe Airo A25is] -- Posted Monday, August 31, 2009 by chb