April 2014
N-trig announces pen/touch solution optimized for tablets
N-trig, which makes the DuoSense integrated active pen and touch controllers, announced an optimized solution for the growing tablet segment. The new controllers, in conjunction with the company’s DuoSense Pen2, provide intuitive pen-on-paper handwriting and painting experience for tablets of all sizes. N-trig says that as consumers increasingly demand better functionality than just simple media consumption, the pen has become a common requirement in tablets. By delivering a precise pen with superior palm rejection, hover capabilities, programmable buttons and a variety of tip friction options, the DuoSense Pen technology offers clear advantages for tablet users. [See N-trig press release] -- Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Farewell Nokia
Excellent CNET article on the rise and fall of Nokia. -- Posted Friday, April 25, 2014
Full review: Xplore's 6th generation of the ultra-rugged iX104 tablet brings state-of-the-art technology and blistering performance into the field
Xplore Technologies announced the release of the XC6 series, the 6th generation of its iX104 ultra-rugged tablet computer platform. The new series has been upgraded from an original Intel Core processor all the way to a choice of 4th generation "Haswell" Core CPUs, plus all the related ancillary tech improvements. This results in a massive performance increase. Display brightness is up to 1,300 nits, there's multi-touch that works with gloves, and we saw battery life of 10+ hours in our full review. [Read comprehensive review of the Xplore iX104 XC6 ultra-rugged tablet computer] -- Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Getac launches rugged T800 8.1-inch Bay Trail Windows tablet
Getac announced a new rugged and very compact 8.1-inch tablet. Running Windows and powered by a "Bay Trail" 2.16GHz quad-core Intel N3530 processor, the Getac T800 has a sunlight-readable "LumiBond" projected capacitive touch screen with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, weighs 2.1 pounds, has dual cameras (5mp and HD), 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, dedicated GPS and 4G LTE. "SnapBack" add-ons can provide a Smart Card reader plus either 13.56MHz RFID or a magstripe reader. The Getac T800 has IP65 sealing and can handle 6-foot drops. [See description, analysis and specs of the Getac T800 rugged tablet] -- Posted Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Winmate releases rugged Bay Trail-based 10.1" Windows tablet with 1920 x 1200 pixel procap display
Winmate has announced their new rugged 10.1-inch M101B Windows Tablet PC. The fanless M101B is based on a "Bay Trail" 1.86GHz quad-core Intel N2920 processor, features a superb 10.1-inch 700-nits IPS projected capacitive touch screen with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, has dual cameras (5mp and 2mp), 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a full complement of sensors, and optional 1D/2D barcode reader, HF-RFID and 4G LTE. The M101B weighs 2.4 pounds, has IP65 sealing and can handle 4-foot drops. [See description, analysis and specs of the Winmate M101B rugged tablet] -- Posted Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Wearables market finally taking off, but not as envisioned by pioneers
Wearable computing is finally taking off, but it's not the way pioneers envisioned it. Instead of miniature PCs, the emerging wave of wearables are, according to IDC, "stylish lifestyle accessories that are making their way onto the pages of GQ and Shape as well as Computerworld and Wired." IDC projects that shipments will exceed 19 million units in 2014, more than tripling last year's sales, with sales well over 100 million by 2018. The wearable market currently splits into accessories to smartphones and tablets, and autonomous wearabels such as Google Glass. [See IDC press release] -- Posted Friday, April 11, 2014
Digitimes: Taiwan ODMs losing business to China
Digitimes reported that Taiwan's ODMs are losing business as PC brand vendors turn to China. Our take: While this trend, for now, is primarily evident in tablet orders, this development should come as now surprise to Taiwan's OEMs. For many years, US PC companies had their desktop PCs, notebooks and handhelds made by a number of highly skilled Taiwanese OEMs (such as Quanta, Wistron, FIC, etc.) due to lower cost and an excellent reputation for quality. Then the Taiwanese began outsourcing to China. It should have been obvious from the start that the US companies would eventually cut out the middlemen. -- Posted Monday, April 7, 2014
Dell launches Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme convertible notebook
Dell also introduced the Dell Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme, a fully rugged convertible notebook computer with a 11.6-inch resistive multi-touch display, IP65 sealing and full MIL-STD-810G testing. The new rugged Dell convertible is also powered by Intel "Haswell" 4th generation i3, i5, and i7 Core processors, uses solid state disks, as well as 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G LTE, and is even dock-compatible with the larger Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme. Replacing the former Latitude XT2 XFR, the Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme takes on the Getac V110 and the Panasonic CF19. [See RuggedPCReview's description, analysis and specs of the Dell Latitude Rugged Extreme 12] -- Posted Thursday, April 3, 2014
Juniper Systems explains resistive vs. capacitive touch screens
Capacitive touch was popularized by the iPhone and is now on the vast majority of consumer smartphones and tablets. Resistive touch, however, is still prevalent in industrial handhelds. Juniper Systems, which went with capacitive touch for its new Archer 2 mobile computer, explains the differences and pros/cons of the two touch technologies in detail. [See Juniper Systems Resistive vs. Capacitive Touchscreens] -- Posted Tuesday, April 1, 2014