April 2019

DT Research, a leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing solutions for vertical markets, today announced the DT301X-TR Rugged Tablet, a lightweight military-grade tablet that is purpose-built to enhance the precision for bridge and construction inspections, 3D surveying, mapping of underground utilities, and crime and crash scene reconstruction. [See DT Research media release]

Zebra Technologies announces first-quarter results
Zebra Technologies announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. GAAP net sales were US$1,066 million in the first quarter of 2019 compared to US$977 million in the first quarter of 2018. Net income for the first quarter of 2019 was US$115 million, compared to net income of $109 million for the first quarter of 2018. “Our first quarter results were driven by solid execution and strong demand for our leading portfolio of solutions. We outperformed in data capture and mobile computing and managed costs well. We are increasing our 2019 sales and profit outlook based on our solid start to the year and recent acquisition of Temptime Corporation. We remain focused on our enterprise asset intelligence vision to drive innovative solutions for our customers.” said Anders Gustafsson, chief executive officer of Zebra Technologies. [See Zebra financials] -- Posted Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Teguar launches new rugged Android tablet series
Teguar Computers announced the TRT-A5380 Android Rugged Tablet Series, the ultimate tool for mobile, rugged computing. The series is available in screen sizes of 8 and 10.1 inches and it is also available with ultra slim housing. The tablets come standard with a hand strap and have other easy-carrying options such as a shoulder strap, back strap, and carrying handle. They are ideal for use in field services such as automotive repair, maintenance, telehealth, and construction. They're also great for use in industries including logistics, shipping, oil and gas, mining, energy, and warehouse management. [See Teguar media release] -- Posted Friday, April 26, 2019

AMREL integrates Suprema's fingerprint scanner into biometric tablets
Trusted provider of rugged biometric tablets, AMREL, announces that it will exhibit its newest integration of Suprema ID's BM-Slim2 fingerprint sensor and optical scanner this month at Connect ID 2019, Suprema ID Booth #411. The world's slimmest FAP20 optical sensor has been successfully integrated into AMREL's 8-inch and 10.1-inch tablet models. [See AMREL media release] -- Posted Thursday, April 25, 2019

Trimble's Ranger 7 receives 2019 iF design award
Trimble’s TSC7 — a renamed version of Trimble Mobile Computing Solutions' Trimble Ranger 7 — was recognized as a winner of the 2019 iF DESIGN AWARD, a world-renowned design honor. The TSC7, with its user-friendly, rugged design, won in the Computer Product category. A key component of the competition included three days of intense discussion, dispute, examination and testing of all 6,375 entries submitted from 52 countries. [Watch Trimble TSC7 Controller Receives iF Design Award 2019 video] -- Posted Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Full review: DT Research DT301X high-performance 10-inch tablet
The 10.1-inch DT Research DT301 Series of Windows tablets is one of the company's most successful platforms. Sporting a modern, attractive design that instantly makes it clear that this is a rugged, businesslike piece of productivity hardware, the DT301 is a primary example of a tablet product created for serious work and use in all sorts of operating conditions. RuggedPCReview tested the latest version, the DT301X powered with a quad-core Intel 8th generation Core i7-8550U CPU and using PCIe NVMe storage. It put in a spectacular performance, clocking the highest PassMark 6.1 score we've ever seen in our lab, all while going very easy on the battery. [See full review of the DT Research DT301X] -- Posted Wednesday, April 24, 2019

BioSense AT80 MAX: World's First FAP50 Mobile Biometric Device
AMREL, a leading mobile biometric solutions provider, announced the launch of BioSense AT80 MAX, the world's lightest, integrated FAP50 mobile biometric device. This robust 8" Android tablet utilizes a state-of- the-art Light Emitting Sensor technology, which resists dirt, cold, heat, bright lights, sunlight, and is unaffected by latent prints. [See AMREL media release] -- Posted Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Panasonic delivers FirstNet Ready TOUGHBOOK devices for first responders on FirstNet
Panasonic, an industry leading manufacturer of mobile computing devices supporting customers' digital transformations with smart answers to tough challenges, today announced that the TOUGHBOOK 33 (CF-33 EM7511) and TOUGHBOOK 54 (CF-54 EM7511) are FirstNet Ready, so they have been tested and approved for use on the FirstNet communications platform. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Case study: Handheld Algiz 10X improves emergency response
In an emergency response situation, time is the most important asset firefighters, EMTs and ambulances have – anything that helps them work faster and more efficiently has a magnified impact on their success. The ability to know the current status of a situation and respond accordingly can literally mean the difference between life and death. A new case study by the Handheld Group shows how their rugged Algiz 10X tablet provides go-anywhere, real-time communication functionality to firefighters, EMTs and ambulance drivers, streamlining response protocols. [Read case study] -- Posted Monday, April 22, 2019

Why this athletic performance coordinator and sports scientist uses the Juniper Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet
The athletic performance coordinator at Indiana Football carefully tracks 93 guys on the 2019 roster from the screen of his Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet from Juniper Systems. They range in weight from 166 to 360 pounds. From 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet 8 inches. Those are the easy numbers to follow. In the world of sports science, data and numbers are king -- and Matt Rhea’s kingdom now more than ever is connected and data rich. A camera system in the weight room tracks movement, like speed and repetitions, for squats and power cleans. The data zips to the cloud in real-time. ... [Read full article] -- Posted Monday, April 22, 2019

Intel adds two new 8th gen mobile vPro processors
Intel added two new mobile 8th generation vPro Core processors that will be of interest to purveyors of high-end rugged laptops and tablets. Up to now, such high-end mobile devices generally used the i5-8350U and/or the i7-8650U. Now there are the new i5-8365U and i7-8665U. Recommended customer price stays the same, but the new chips have a higher max turbo frequency, support OpenGL 4.5, support 16 instead of 12 PCIe lanes, and have a slightly higher maximum memory bandwidth. [See Intel news and processor comparison table] -- Posted Monday, April 22, 2019

Zebra launches Android-based MC9300 mobile computer
Zebra's MC9000 line of rugged pistol-grip scanner handhelds has been around for the better part of two decades, selling over 3 million units. The company has now released the latest version, the Android-based MC9300, with thoroughly updated technology, a choice of four scanning engines and five keypad layouts, as well as special "freezer" and intrinsically safe versions. [See description, analysis and specs of the Zebra MC9300] -- Posted Friday, April 19, 2019

Planzer deploys Panasonic TOUGHBOOK handhelds to improve scanning capabilities
Planzer, the Swiss logistics company, has equipped its drivers with 2,000 rugged Panasonic TOUGHBOOK handhelds for use in transportation of temperature-controlled pharmaceutical goods, as well as parcel and overnight delivery services. The company, with 59 locations in Switzerland and nine more internationally, chose Panasonic TOUGHBOOK handhelds for their durability and fast, ergonomic scanning capabilities. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Thursday, April 18, 2019

Juniper Archer 3 — updated and on Android now
Juniper Systems' Archer is one of the most mature and longest-running platforms of ultra-rugged handhelds for tough jobs in the field. The company has now released the IP68-sealed Archer 3, an updated and more powerful version that's now been migrated to Android. Equipped with a high-capacity multi-shift battery, USB and serial, available 1D/2D scanner, and also a Class I, II, III Division 2 version for use in for hazardous locations, the Archer 3 remains an attractive offering. [See description, analysis and specs of the Juniper Systems Archer 3] -- Posted Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Zebra Technologies' tablets enhance customer service at McDonald's Brazilian drive-thru windows
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, today announced that McDonald's Corporation has selected the ET50 tablet for the drive-thru experience at restaurants in Brazil. The company, leader in fast-food market, chose the ET50 for its ease of use, enterprise-class features and Zebra's expertise in the hospitality industry. McDonald's can synchronize drive-thru orders with the POS software, allowing orders to be processed faster and reduce wait times, resulting in an improved customer experience. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Wednesday, April 17, 2019

ProCustom Group (PCG) announces official release of their Ruggedized External Blu-Ray/DVD Drive
ProCustom Group (PCG) has announced the official release of their Ruggedized External Blu-Ray/DVD Drive. The MIL-DVD provides a rugged solution for reading and writing recordable media in the field. By isolating and sealing a high-quality multi-format DVD-R/W (P/N PCG-DVD-EXT-S) or Blu-ray (P/N PCG-BLU-EXT-S) transport mechanism in a rugged machined aluminum case protecting the drive from shock and vibration found in deployed conditions. [See ProCustom Group media release] -- Posted Friday, April 12, 2019

What happened in rugged computing 10 years ago: April 2009
In April 2009, Windows 7 became available on the Fujitsu T5010 tablet. We reviewed the Advantech L61T compact panel PC and the Juniper Systems Allegro MX. Samwell joins RuggedPCReview.com as premier sponsor. Socket Mobile had shipped 15,000 SoMo 650 handheld computers. We wondered whether Intel's new Atom platform had a clear direction. Motion Computing updated and improved their C5 MCA and ruggedized F5 Mobile Field Tools. Thiefs stole 400 rugged GETAC notebook computers and tried to sell them on Craigs List. IrDA announced superfast Giga-IR. [See full April 2009 archive] -- Posted Thursday, April 11, 2019

RuggON and Unication announce new partnership
RuggON, a major rugged computer provider, today announced a strategic partnership with Unication, a leading manufacturer of public safety pagers and two-way radios. With the new partnership, RuggON now offers the first and only rugged tablet in the market that comes with Unication U3 dual-mode digital and analog radio, which is specifically designed for first responders and military professionals. [See RuggON media release] -- Posted Wednesday, April 10, 2019

DT Research 8-Inch rugged tablets ideally suited for construction, field service, logistics, manufacturing and warehousing
DT Research, a leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing solutions for vertical markets, today announced the DT380CR and DT380Q rugged tablets, which weigh under two pounds and are light enough to carry all day, yet with a large enough screen to get a variety of indoor-outdoor work done. The tablets, available with either Windows 10 IoT Enterprise or Android 9.0, have bright 800 nits 8-inch displays, IP65 and MILSTD 810G ratings for military-grade durability, seamless information capture-transmission capabilities and hot-swappable batteries that boost productivity while simultaneously providing organizations with an affordable rugged solution. [see DT Research DT380] -- Posted Monday, April 8, 2019

Zebra Introduces flagship MC9300 mobile computer ideal for on-demand economy
Zebra Technologies Corporation , an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, today announced the ultra-rugged Android-based MC9300 mobile computer, TC8300 touch computer and ATR7000 RTLS reader. As the next evolution of the MC9000 series, the world’s best-selling enterprise-class mobile computer, the MC9300 enables businesses to modernize their mobile solutions to keep up with the growing demands of e-commerce while shortening training time, improving fulfillment speed and accuracy and increasing productivity by as much as 10% compared to competing devices. Leveraging the innovative design and form factor of the TC8000 to reduce muscle effort and increase productivity, the TC8300 is optimized for picking and new augmented reality (AR)-based applications.[see Zebra MC9300] -- Posted Monday, April 8, 2019

Elbit Systems U.S. subsidiary signs definitive agreement to acquire Harris Night Vision business
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that its U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America, LLC ("Elbit Systems of America"), has signed a definitive agreement with Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) ("Harris") for the acquisition of Harris' Night Vision business ("Harris Night Vision") for a purchase price of $350 million. [See Elbit Systems media release] -- Posted Friday, April 5, 2019

Honeywell, Enrich Software Collaborate to improve maintenance and inspection for Hogan Truck Leasing
The Honeywell Voice Maintenance & Inspection solution is an Android-based software application that provides voice prompts via a headset to guide maintenance technicians through a preventive maintenance inspection. Honeywell's voice solution is now integrated with Enrich's Emconex, an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system for commercial truck companies, to ensure technicians adhere to a standardized work process and minimize errors. [See Honeywell media release] -- Posted Thursday, April 4, 2019

Juniper Systems explains: What is GPS Week Rollover?
The hard fact that the future will inevitably happen is sometimes ignored by programmers and data architects. That happened when the original designers of the Global Positioning System allocated just a miserly 10 bits of data for telling time, which meant that GPS time resets to every 1,024 weeks. That is not a good thing and must be accommodated in GNSS hardware and software. Juniper Systems explains in its Get Rugged Blog what the GPS Week Rollover is, and why it does not affects Juniper's products. [See What is GPS Week Rollover?] -- Posted Tuesday, April 2, 2019