November 2018

After Xplore Technologies, one of the very pioneers of rugged tablets that had toughed it out for many often difficult years, was suddenly acquired by Zebra, there were a lot of questions and concerns. In a blog entry entitled "Integrity drives our business growth," Zebra explains its reasonings and plans. [See blog entry]

How bright is your screen? (Lumens, Nits and Watts)
Handheld Group's Rugged Informer blog ran RuggedPCReview.com Editor-in-Chief Conrad Blickenstorfer's contributing article "How bright is your screen? (Lumens, Nits and Watts)." In it, Blickenstorfer explained the importance of screen brightness to productively using a rugged handheld, tablet or laptop outdoors. He explained technical terminology — watts, lumens, lux, etc. — and the concept of luminance, which is generally measured in "nits," and called for all rugged mobile computing specs to include luminance ratings. [See "How bright is your screen? (Lumens, Nits and Watts)"] -- Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Added: Panasonic Toughbook 31 Mk6
The Panasonic Toughbook 31 is definitely a classic. Not only is it the original Toughbook that eventually spawned all the other Toughbooks and Toughpads, but it is also a design that has hardly changed at all in over two decades. This workhorse is for those who value a tough laptop that works with pretty much every Toughbook accessory and dock ever made and runs the same old custom software that has gotten the job done for years and years. And the Toughbook 31 now has the latest tech under the hood. [See RuggedPCReview's description, analysis and specs of the Panasonic Toughbook 31 Mk6] -- Posted Monday, November 12, 2018

Gearing up for the coming logistics revolution
The ground is shifting in the logistics arena, and lucrative new markets are opening up. As in any revolution, there will be both big winners and big losers. Wholly new ideas, and rapidly changing concepts, such as the IoT, AI, big data, robotics, and drones, are driving amazing new applications that are creating these new markets today. Innovation such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies could fundamentally undermine traditional business models, disintermediating entire market segments and leaving many long-established organizations without a role to play. This article, contributed by RuggON Corporation, examines key applications and technologies, together with product strategy concepts that can help you navigate the evolving world of logistics today and well into the future. [Read Gearing up for the coming logistics revolution] -- Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Enhanced TOUGHBOOK 31 device meets evolving needs of today's mobile workers in the federal, utilities and public sector industries
Panasonic, announced the U.S. launch of its newly upgraded TOUGHBOOK 31 laptop computer. Specifically designed for the mobile workforce, which has relied on the TOUGHBOOK brand for two decades, the TOUGHBOOK 31 offers improved safety and functionality to optimize productivity for workers in challenging and extreme environments. Upgraded with the latest Intel Core i5-7300U vPro processor, the TOUGHBOOK 31 is more powerful than ever before, offering peak performance, enhanced graphics, standard features such as faster 16 GB DDR4 memory and a 256GB SSD, an advanced LTE module, in addition to several additional new improvements. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Military contractor case study shows value of Durabook semi-rugged devices in extreme environments
Durabook Americas, Inc., the North American subsidiary of Twinhead International Corporation, today announced the release of a new case study focused on the use of a semi-rugged Durabook computer by a military contractor. The contractor needed to find a laptop that would be able to withstand the extreme environmental conditions he was scheduled to face in Afghanistan and the Middle East, including sand and snowstorms, severe temperatures, and heavy rain. After careful reviews of available rugged devices, a Durabook semi-rugged laptop was selected for its offer value and ability to work reliably in demanding conditions. [See Durabook Americas media release and read the full case study at http://bit.ly/Durabook-Contractor -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Future technologies and the impact on mobile workforces and their devices
Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensors will be the technology trends most impacting mobile workforces over the next 12 months, say mobile technology buyers in the latest research from Panasonic. When asked to rate the importance of technology trends for use by their mobile workforce, buyers rated Big Data (52%) the most important, closely followed by IoT (51%) and Sensor technologies (41%), including atmosphere, temperature and biological sensors. The main drivers for the technologies were improved business efficiency and productivity. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2018