August 2019

Sometimes there is just too much of a good thing. USNI News reported that the US Navy, which usually jumps on emerging technology, is taking a step back. The Navy will begin reverting destroyers back to a physical throttle and traditional helm control system in the next 18 to 24 months, after the fleet overwhelmingly said they prefer mechanical controls to touchscreen systems in the aftermath of the fatal USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) collision. Anyone who's ever fumbled with car touch screens where a no-look switch or knob would have been so much better can likely relate. [See Navy Reverting DDGs Back to Physical Throttles, After Fleet Rejects Touchscreen Controls]

Full review: Winmate M133K 13.3-inch high performance rugged tablet
Winmate was one of the first to come out with a large screen rugged tablet designed for those who need to do serious Windows work in the field. We reviewed the Winmate M133K, the newest member of the company's 13.3-inch tablet line. It's a feature-rich, high-performance professional computing tool for the field, one with an excellent display, full-shift-plus battery life, extensive connectivity, industrial-grade scanning and data collection options, all in a 5.3 pound package that's just 1.2 inches thick. [See full review of the Winmate M133K rugged 13.3-inch tablet] -- Posted Monday, August 12, 2019

Review: Teguar TRT-A5380-10S rugged Android tablet
Tablets fill a unique role. Bigger and roomier than even the biggest phones, but not as cumbersome and bulky as laptops can be. Consumer tablets won't do in the field, so there's a need for something that's much tougher and much more durable, without being too thick or weighing too much. And that's exactly what Teguar's 10-inch 2-pound TRT-A5380-10S tablet offers. [See review of the Teguar TRT-A5380-10S rugged Android tablet] -- Posted Monday, August 5, 2019

Intel announces first 10th gen 10nm Core processors
After teasing about the upcoming 10th gen of Core processors in May 2019 at Computex in Taipei, Intel has now formally announced 10th gen, 10nm "Ice Lake" processors, a total of 11 dual-core and quad-core U and Y Series models with Thermal Design Powers as low as 9 watts and as high as 28 watts. While Intel emphasizes the "laptop experience," the 9 and 15 watt chips in the lineup will undoubtedly appear in rugged tablets as well. Also new: the naming structure now includes the graphics level (example: Intel Core i7-1065G7). [See Intel announcement] -- Posted Friday, August 2, 2019

San Benedetto aims to improve digital processes with Panasonic TOUGHBOOK devices
San Benedetto, a leading company in the non-alcoholic beverage sector in Italy, has issued its production line employees with 65 Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A2 10.1-inch fully rugged tablets for use in its factories. The company, with 2,000 employees globally, operates in more than 100 countries and has a production capacity of 4.6 billion bottles per year. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Thursday, August 1, 2019