October 2016

ARBOR's Gladius G0830 is a flexible, innovative Intel Cherry Trail-powered fanless 8-inch tablet and dock system for restaurant point-of-sale, retail and warehousing deployments, or even emerging IoT applications. Closely integrated with a multi-function dock and an optional pistol grip for scanning operations, the Gladius G0830 supports both Windows 10 and Android. [See full review of the ARBOR Gladius G0830]

Case study: Rugged technology helps GIS professionals calculate utility pole measurements for telecom companies
Utility poles are prime real estate for telecommunications companies. Businesses jockey for space on these poles, which hold not only electricity wiring, but also cellphone equipment, cable television and fiber optic cables and antennas, and more. The process of adding a specific company's equipment to a utility pole isn't easy, and it's highly regulated. Handheld Group's Nautiz X8 rugged computer helps improve efficiency, saving significant time, and increasing profits for GIS contractors and their clients. [See For Good Measure — Rugged technology helps GIS professionals calculate utility pole measurements for telecom companies] -- Posted Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Exclusive: First full review of the 12.5-inch, Intel Kaby Lake-powered rugged Xplore XSLATE R12
Xplore Technologies announced the Xplore XSLATE R12 rugged tablet for those who need a larger display in a tablet that's tough enough to go anywhere AND delivers blistering performance. Think full HD 12.5-inch capacitive display AND Wacom pen, 2.7/3.5 GHz "Kaby Lake" i7-7500U processor, and excellent connectivity. In an exclusive, RuggedPCReview puts the XSLATE R12 though its paces and finds much to like. [See Xplore media release and RuggedPCReview's full review of the Xplore XSLATE R12] -- Posted Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Added: Ubiqconn MT7000 all-in-one in-vehicle terminal for emerging vehicular IoT applications
With emerging IoT solutions coming on strong, we're seeing a large number of new IoT building blocks. An example is the elegant new Ubiqconn MT7000, a durable, all-in-one vehicle terminal for fleet management, asset management, and Electronic Logging (ELD) applications. With a 7-inch procap display, various OS choices, and substantial onboard wired and wireless connectivity, the MT7000 is suitable for all sorts of dispatch systems, asset and fleet management applications, diagnostic monitoring systems, as well as vehicle navigation and tracking metrics. [See description, analysis and specs of the Ubiqconn MT7000] -- Posted Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Getac scores record high September revenues
DigiTimes reports that Getac Technology reported consolidated revenues of US$67 million for September 2016, increasing 18.22% on month and 34.9% on year. Revenues for the third quarter of 2016 increased 13.2% sequentially and 15.8% on year to a record high US$170 million. Accumulated 2016 revenues through September totaled US$458 million, growing 8.51% on year. DigiTimes mentioned that Getac rugged notebooks have found their way into the military units in the Netherlands, pushing sales in September. -- Posted Monday, October 17, 2016

GammaTech reloads its fully rugged DURABOOK R8300 notebook
GammaTech announced it has taken a major step in updating both technology and security of its DURABOOK R8300 fully rugged notebook. The unit, designed for deployment in the most extreme applications and environments, is now available with Intel "Sky Lake" 6th generation Core processors and related technology, Windows 10 Professional, as well as faster and higher capacity RAM and mass storage. Unchanged is the unit's exceptional and extensively field-tested toughness and durability, allowing it to operate in the harshest conditions, from scorching-hot deserts to freezing terrains, stealth missions to an active combat zone. [See GammaTech USA media release and RuggedPCReview's description, analysis and specs of the DURABOOK R8300] -- Posted Sunday, October 16, 2016

MobileDemand: Rugged Surface cases flying off the shelf
MobileDemand reports that its rugged Surface cases, announced in February and shipping since April, have been selling at an incredible rate. Watch the video below which shows the rapid adoption nationwide of the new Surface cases. Equipped with multiple hand straps for easy carrying, an easel for any-angle viewing and protected ports, the rugged cases are ideal for mobile, enterprise operations. MobileDemand offers protective cases for the Surface Pro 4 and Surface 3 and were engineered as a participant in the Microsoft Designed for Surface Program. [See MobileDemand blog entry and Surface Case installed base video -- Posted Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Bristol Township Police Department chooses Xplore rugged tablets to replace Panasonic Toughbooks in patrol cars, field
Xplore Technologies announced that the Bristol Township Police Department in Pennsylvania has chosen to standardize on Xplore R12 rugged tablet PCs after nearly 15 years of cycling through fast failing notebooks and other mobile devices that proved unfit for public safety’s extreme daily operating environments. Just one-third of the way through its full fleet upgrade to the R12, local law enforcement officers already boast about the rugged tablet’s uninterrupted 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and satellite GPS connectivity as they transition from the station to the patrol car and into the field for incident response and investigation. [See Xplore media release] and Not Missing a Beat case study] -- Posted Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Getac releases next-generation, higher-resolution body-worn camera for law enforcement for its Veretos system
Getac introduced its next-gen Getac Veretos Body Worn Camera (BWC) for law enforcement. With one of the smallest and lightest designs in the industry, it delivers 130-degree panoramic 480p to 1080p video, even in low light conditions. Incorporating a wide range of communication features and up to 12 hours of full-shift battery life, the camera provides law enforcement with complete situational awareness in critical scenarios while its intuitive design makes the process of starting, stopping, and streaming video push-button easy. [See Getac media release and Getac Veretos product page] -- Posted Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Avalue and Bytec announce IP67-sealed mobile power solution
Avalue Technology’s healthcare alliance partner Bytec Healthcare released their G2 Geni-Tec Mobile Power solution for use in healthcare environments. Bytec seeks to "mobilize healthcare" by bringing reliable and safe mobile power solutions to hospitals, integrators and medical device manufacturers. The G2 Battery Modules use the latest in Nickel Manganese Cobalt battery technology built into a compact, lightweight and IP67-sealed design. With a capacity of up to 216 Wh, the battery modules can be hot-swapped for continuous24/7/365 power. [See Avalue media release and Geni-Tec product page] -- Posted Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Q2 rugged mobile market shows uneven YoY growth
VDC Research reports that the global rugged mobile market saw uneven growth between Q2 2015 and Q2 2016. Stabilized Q2 2016 markets allowed for year-over-year (YoY) revenue growth for rugged tablets and notebooks, while the handheld/PDA market experienced a weaker Q2 YoY compared with Q2 2015. Regionally, Asia-Pacific experienced YoY growth across rugged notebook, handheld, and tablet form factors, while only the tablet market grew in the Americas and the notebooks saw YoY growth in EMEA. [See Rugged Mobile Quarterly Shipments Q2 2016] -- Posted Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Lenovo to take over Fujitsu's PC unit?
Fujitsu was once a global top-5 PC maker, and we still fondly remember Fujitsu's pioneering work in industrial and enterprise tablets well before Microsoft "invented" the Tablet PC. But that was then and this is now. While still having sold 4 million PCs last year, the Fujitsu PC unit is losing money and is said to be in talks to sell the unit to Lenovo, which is the world's #1 PC seller. -- Posted Friday, October 7, 2016