January 2012

Added: Bluebird Pidion mobile computers

RuggedPCReview.com has added the complete lineup of Bluebird's Pidion rugged and semi-rugged mobile computers. These include the BIP-5000 and BIP-6000 enterprise handhelds, the flashlight-style BIP-7000 industrial handheld, and the BM-170 enterprise PDA/smartphone. All are based on the 806MHz Marvel PXA320 processor and run either versions of Windows CE or Windows Mobile, with the BIP-6000 and BM-170 also announced as capable of running Android.
-- Posted Tuesday, January 31, 2012 by chb

Intermec: new processors and Gobi 3000 for 70 Series rugged handhelds
Intermec announced two enhancements to its 70 Series of rugged handhelds. The first is a switch from the 600MHz TI OMAP 3530 processor, an older 65nm design, to a 1GHz TI Sitara 3715 chip, a newer 45nm design that is fully OMAP architecture compatible. While still using an ARM Cortex A8 core and a POWERVR SGX Graphics Accelerator, the 3715's faster clock speed, up to 2X graphics performance, and lower power consumption mean a considerable step up in performance. The second is that three of the four 70 Series models -- the CN70, CN70e, and CK70 -- can now be ordered with what Intermec calls its "Flexible Network radio" module based on Qualcomm's Gobi 3000 technology and usable on both CDMA and UMTS wireless networks, enabling automatic and seamless "in route" switching between different carrier networks. [See Intermec press release] -- Posted Monday, January 23, 2012 by chb

Rugged handhelds in commercials: Juniper Allegro MX
We always get a kick out of seeing a rugged device in a movie or commercial, and the Allegro MX ultra-rugged handheld from Juniper Systems certainly caught our eye in a commercial for the Waiariki Institute of Technology. [See commercial with the Juniper Allegro MX on YouTube] -- Posted Friday, January 20, 2012 by chb

Modular Psion XT15: tougher, faster, more versatile
A while ago Psion began making its rugged handhelds modular so that users could configure them exactly as they liked. The company now introduced their new Omnii XT15 rugged handheld that's not only faster, tougher and more modern, but also offers more display, communication, scanning and general configuration modules and options than ever before. [See description and specs of the Psion Omnii XT15 -- Posted Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by chb

DT Research's 430 POS handheld updated
DT Research announced that their DT430 POS handheld was updated to improve overall performance with a new ARM 11 core processor running at 800MHz, more RAM (512MB instead of 128), and 4GB flash instead of the original 128MB. 802.11a/b/g/n support provides faster network connection as well as support for Cisco CCX 4.0 for enterprise applications. A more powerful barcode scanner has a faster scan rate, better motion tolerance, and higher optical resolution -- Posted Monday, January 16, 2012 by chb

DAP Technologies upgrades super-compact rugged M100 data capture handheld
One of the smallest rugged handheld computers available, the DAP Technologies M1000, is getting a performance boost from RAM that’s been doubled to 256 MB. DAP’s IP65-sealed M1000 measures just 5.7 x 2.4 x 1 inches and weighs a minuscule 8.2 oz., making it a palm-sized and featherweight data capture solution for inventory control, picking and packing. -- Posted Monday, January 16, 2012 by chb

Intermec's first 2012 Realtime newsletter
Intermec's first Realtime newsletter of 2012 (see here) highlights a number of videos that showcase the use of Intermec rugged handhelds in various businesses to save time and money. There's also an interesting article by scanning expert Cedric Molton on the state of laser vs. 2D imaging (see Industry Insight: Imaging Goes Mainstream). -- Posted Friday, January 13, 2012 by chb

Aceeca shipping RFID handheld evaluation units
In Aceeca's latest newsletter, the New Zealand-based company says that RFID continues to gain momentum as RFID improves and prices decrease, with some tags now available for less than 10 cents. As a result, Aceeca is now shipping evaluation units of their first IP67-sealed Windows CE OR Palm OS Garnet based handheld. -- Posted Friday, January 13, 2012 by chb

Intermec Vocollect AccuNurse deployed at Texas nursing center
Intermec reports that its Vocollect business unit has implemented its interactive Vocollect AccuNurse voice technology at Pine Grove Nursing Center to deliver quality care to patients and residents while preparing for 2014 healthcare reform requirements. -- Posted Monday, January 9, 2012 by chb

DTResearch DT410/415: no-nonsense POS handhelds
We have added product pages on the DT410 and DT415 handhelds by DTResearch. DTResearch designed them as point-of-sale/point-of-service handheld terminals weighing about ten ounces. Both models run either Windows CE or Windows Mobile on a 533MHz Samsung processor and 3.5-inch resistive touch screen. Both are rugged enough for POS jobs and both have an integrated magnetic stripe reader. The DT415 adds a 1D/2D imager. [Read description and specs of the DTResearch DT410 and DT415] -- Posted Friday, January 6, 2012 by chb

Handheld acquires TimbaTec to strengthen Central European presence
The Handheld Group, a manufacturer of rugged PDAs and mobile devices, reports that it is strengthening its presence in the important German, Austrian and Swiss markets with the acquisition of the hardware division of its distribution partner Latschbacher. -- Posted Wednesday, January 4, 2012 by chb

Juniper System's Mesa fully secure via Apriva Authentication Suite
Juniper Systems announced that its Mesa Rugged Notepad has completed extensive testing and validation procedures to achieve full integration with the Apriva Authentication Suite that combines ISO 7816 based ID card reading via Bluetooth, lock-down without positive read, and AES 256 encryption of data transmitted outside the Mesa to deliver a secure access environment. [Read press release] -- Posted Wednesday, January 4, 2012 by chb

Psion joins Sprint's Open Device Initiative
Psion announced it has joined Sprint's Open Device Initiative to provide its customers with access to the strength of Sprint's 3G network in the U.S. This agreement helps to meet the need for rugged mobile devices and Psion is already shipping Sprint-certified versions of its EP10 rugged handheld to customers. Sprint says its Open Device Initiative is the product of more than a decade of experience certifying non-Sprint-branded devices on its networks. The Open Device Initiative accelerates the process of identifying, testing and deploying devices. -- Posted Monday, January 2, 2012 by chb