December 2005

Industry experts launch RuggedPCReview.com
The principal editors of Pen Computing Magazine have launched RuggedPCReview.com, a website dedicated to providing news and information about rugged mobile computer technology and its applications. The site aims to be an industry clearinghouse for rugged equipment hardware reviews as well as an information source on rugged computing terminology, definitions, testing, and enabling technologies.

"Over the many years that we have been testing and reviewing rugged mobile computers, and in our professional careers prior, we have noticed that there is very little standardization and that potential clients are often confused where and what to buy," said Dr. Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, Editor-in-Chief of RuggedPCReview.com and former CIO of the New York State Dormitory Authority. "We hope that our new service will answer many questions and provide all the answers a client needs to make an informed decision."

Executive Editor David MacNeill added, "Trying to make purchasing decisions based on paper brochures is hugely frustrating. With RuggedPCReview.com we are providing all the information in one place. We know rugged systems and our goals is to make the best possible information available to our site visitors." -- Posted Thursday, December 1, 2005 by chb

Intermec launches enhanced active RFID reader system
Savi Technology and Intermec Technologies Corp., two providers of real-time supply chain solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), introduced a new active RFID reader system with capabilities previously unavailable to the DoD. The RFID reader system integrates 1) a special edition of Intermec's 700 Series mobile computer with a full alphanumeric keypad, 2) the SMR-650 short- and long-range radio transmission Savi Mobile Reader, a low-profile, lightweight, battery-operated reader that commissions, reads and writes to Savi's RFID tags and mounts on the back of the 700 Series computer, and 3) Savi SmartChain Mobile Manager software. [see full release] -- Posted Thursday, December 1, 2005 by chb

Xplore secures order with Netherlands Air Force
Xplore Technologies announced it has teamed with Dutch IT service provider SCC to secure a 151 unit order for Xplore's rugged iX104C2V Tablet PC from the Royal Netherlands Air Force as part of their automated mobile maintenance and reporting system. The Royal netherlands Air Force will used the rugged tabllets for maintenance and reporting on F-16 fighter jets and Apache helicoptes. -- Posted Thursday, December 1, 2005 by chb

Motorola and PIPS expand license plate reader technology
Car thieves, fugitives and Amber Alert suspects are just some of the targets of innovative license plate reader technology that Motorola, and PIPS Technology are releasing to public safety organizations nationwide. The Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology installed in police cars "reads" vehicle plates as they enter the view of a vehicle-mounted or roadside infrared camera, and checks them against a database for nearly instantaneous identification. The system runs continuously, automatically capturing images of license plates with a camera that works in nearly every lighting condition. Previous technologies required officers to manually type in a plate number and request a database search for each number, which can be time consuming and prone to errors. Before bringing the ALPR system into Motorola's product portfolio, Motorola worked with PIPS to further ruggedize its license plate technology to meet Motorola specifications for Mission Critical public safety communications in the United States. -- Posted Thursday, December 1, 2005 by chb