September 2024

MobileDemand's key takeaways from Parcel Forum '24
MobileDemand was excited to attend the 2024 Parcel Forum, held from September 16-18 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. The event attracted over 1,700 attendees and featured 173 exhibitors, including MobileDemand. The company shared their expertise in parcel management systems, including their revolutionary xDIM and introduced attendees to their advanced AI-powered xDIM mobile dimensioning system. -- Posted Friday, September 27, 2024

Polywell Computers launches Slim-UC14L2V4c media player for digital signage and more
Polywell Computers, a leader in industrial computing solutions, is proud to announce the release of the Slim-UC14L2V4c, a cutting-edge Embedded Mini Media Player designed for Digital Signage applications. Powered by 14th Generation Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors, this compact yet powerful media player offers unmatched performance, versatility, and durability for a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. -- Posted Friday, September 27, 2024

Avalue adds to EMS family, opening up new application scenarios, including AI
Avalue Technology Inc. (TAIEX: 3479-TW), a global leader in industrial computing solutions, announced the latest members of its Embedded Modular System (EMS) family, the EMS-MTU and the EMS-MTH. Platforms in this family boast flexibility through quick and easy I/O customization. You simply choose the module that best fits your application, making for an easy quick-turn prototype. -- Posted Friday, September 27, 2024

Winmate to showcase advanced solutions at GITEX 2024
Winmate, a global leader in rugged computing and edge solutions announced its participation in GITEX 2024, one of the world’s premier technology exhibitions, taking place from October 14-18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. As a leading provider of rugged computing and industrial IoT solutions, Winmate will showcase its latest innovations designed to drive efficiency and connectivity in various industrial applications. In this event, Winmate will show its latest technologies solutions such as Rugged Tablets, Edge AI and Edge Computing solutions. -- Posted Friday, September 27, 2024

REVIEW: Conker NS65 full Windows 11 handheld
There aren't too many 6.5-inch phablets that run full Windows 11. The Conker NS65 is one of them. It has a bright 720 x 1600 pixel touch display with perfect viewing angles, which makes it easily readable outdoors. A Honeywell scanner makes it suitable for serious data collection work. And its performance, while not at the Intel Core level, is far ahead of what one could expect from anemic earlier Atom-powered rugged Windows handhelds or tablets. The NS65 also convinces with good cameras, solid build, a replaceable battery, and good ergonomics. We're impressed. [Read review of the Conker NS65 rugged Windows 11 handheld -- Posted Wednesday, September 25, 2024

DT Research's DT312RP advances rugged tablet design to be thinner, lighter, and top-performing
DT Research, a leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing solutions for vertical markets, announced the DT312RP rugged tablet, a tablet innovated to be thinner, lighter, and exceptionally powerful for demanding environments. The 312RP offers a 11.6" high-bright capacitive touch screen, 13th generation Intel Core™ i5/i7 processors for powerful operation, and Microsoft® Windows® 10/11 IoT Enterprise operating system for seamless integration with a wide range of systems and applications. [See DT Research media release] -- Posted Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Juniper introduces the Geode Grip
Almost everything has GPS these days. It's become part of everyday life. But not all GPS is equal. There's the kind of GPS that, roughly, sort of gets you there, or at least close enough. And there's professional GPS for professional applications where absolute accuracy matters. That's where positioning devices like the Juniper Geode GNSS Receiver come in. The Geode is a freestanding device, but Juniper has now introduced the Geode Grip that allows users to ditch the survey pole for a one-handed, ergonomic field carrying solution that pairs their Geode with various smartphones and tablets. [Check out the Juniper Geode/Geode Grip] -- Posted Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Getac blog: How rugged technology vertical integration can improve officer safety
The Getac USA blog recently featured an article by Scott Worley discussing how vertically integrated manufacturing of rugged technology can deliver significant performance benefits to end users in many segments. Rugged tablets, laptops and video technology have become essential tools for law enforcement, offering critical support in communications, situational awareness, and emergency management. [See How rugged technology vertical integration can improve officer safety] -- Posted Thursday, September 12, 2024

Winmate introduces Winmate Robotic Control Stations
Winmate Inc., a global leader in rugged computing solutions, announced the launch of their latest innovation, the Winmate Robotic Control Station series. This cutting-edge product line includes versatile Rugged Handheld Controllers in 5.5", 8", and 10.1" sizes, available in both Windows and Android operating systems, as well as a 15.6" Rugged Portable Controller. Designed to meet the demands of modern robotic, these controllers offer exceptional performance, reliability, and flexibility in the most challenging environments. [See Winmate media release] -- Posted Thursday, September 12, 2024

Cincoze rugged embedded computers: Driving innovation in edge AI applications
Rugged embedded computer brand — Cincoze recognizes the huge application opportunities brought on by the edge AI trend and has five series across two product lines to fully meet the requirements of edge AI applications. The Rugged Computing — DIAMOND product line has three high-performance series (DV/DX/DS) that support the latest Intel Raptor Lake-S Core CPUs and offer flexible size, functionality, and expandability options. The GPU Computing — GOLD product line has two series (GM/GP) with high-performance CPUs and support for MXM and PEG GPU cards for processing large-scale image input in industrial environments, providing the best computing solutions for image recognition, data-driven decision-making, and machine learning. [See Cincoze media release] -- Posted Thursday, September 12, 2024

New reality capture platform service leverages Trimble Connect to maximize the value of geospatial data for millions of users
Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced its new Trimble® Reality Capture platform service to enable more effective collaboration and the secure sharing of massive reality capture datasets captured with 3D laser scanning, mobile mapping and uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) systems. The service is available as an extension to Trimble Connect®, a cloud-based common data environment and collaboration platform that has supported more than 30 million users to date. This service is the most recent addition to the Trimble connected workflow ecosystem, connecting the physical and digital worlds and unlocking the transformative power of reality capture data. [See Trimble media release] -- Posted Wednesday, September 11, 2024

New Intel Core Ultra processors deliver breakthrough performance, efficiency for the AI PC age
Intel launched its most efficient family of x86 processors ever, the Intel "Lunar Lake" Core Ultra 200V series processors. Designed to deliver low-power leadership for AI PCs with up to 50% lower package power and up to 120 total platform TOPS across CPU, GPU and NPU, Lunar Lake marks the debut of Intel’s new Xe2 graphics microarchitecture that delivers a significant leap in mobile graphics performance. The built-in Intel Arc GPU includes as many as eight new 2nd Gen Xe-cores, eight enhanced ray tracing units, support for up to three 4k monitors, and new built-in Intel Xe Matrix Extensions AI engines. [See Intel media release] -- Posted Wednesday, September 11, 2024

VDC Research: AutoID & Rugged Mobile 2024 Quarterly Trackers
VDC reports that with market performance generally down in 2023, some product segments are showing signs of rebounding. Global Q2 Year-over-Year revenue performance yielded the following results across some of the key product segments: Rugged Handheld Computers: up 9.9%; Rugged Tablets: up 4.6%; Handheld Scanners: down 15.8%; Mobile Printers: down 1.2%; and Stationary Printers: down 5.2%. [Preview Rugged Mobile Devices, Handheld Barcode Scanners, Mobile Thermal Label Printers, Stationary Thermal Label Printers] -- Posted Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Zebra Technologies introduces solutions to increase retailers' efficiency at ZONE conferences
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets, and people, today unveiled a trio of solutions purpose-built for modern stores and their warehouse operations. The Zebra Kiosk System, Zebra's next-gen Workcloud™ Actionable Intelligence 7.0, and the ET60W/ET65W Windows rugged tablets (ET6x Windows) are launching at the annual ZONE customer conference in Las Vegas, Nev. and will also be showcased at ZONE EMEA, Sept. 25 - 26, in Birmingham, England. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Wednesday, September 11, 2024

How photo documentation saves warehouses time and money
MobileDemand explains in a blog post how efficiency and accuracy are paramount in warehousing and logistics. The smallest mistake can lead to big losses, whether due to chargebacks, surcharges, damaged goods, or disputes. One tool that has proven invaluable in mitigating these issues is photo documentation. Integrating photo documentation into daily operations can save warehouses both time and money, all while improving overall visibility and accountability. [See How photo documentation saves warehouses time and money -- Posted Friday, September 6, 2024

Durabook upgrades to S14I semi-rugged laptop expanding its AI-ready product line
Durabook today announced significant upgrades that establish its S14I Semi-rugged Laptop as artificial intelligence (AI) -ready, expanding its product line supporting modern-day AI-intensive tasks. The most substantial advancement to the S14I laptop is the inclusion of the high-performance Intel® Core™ Ultra processor with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) that optimizes AI performance, ultimately enhancing productivity of professionals in the field. [See Durabook media release] -- Posted Thursday, September 5, 2024

Winmate teams up with Braemac for Land Forces 2024
Winmate, a global leader in rugged computing and defense solutions, together with Braemac, is announced its participation in the Land Forces 2024 International Defense Exhibition, from Sept 11-13, 2024 in Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Victoria, Australia. Winmate will show its latest Defense solutions such as High-Performance Rugged Tablets, Rugged PoC Radios and Radio Gateway, and the newest 15.6” Ground Control Stations. Join us at Booth #198 to explore our latest product line for Defense industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness how Winmate is shaping the future of Defense and Public Safety applications. -- Posted Thursday, September 5, 2024

Operating system upgrade for ALGIZ RT10 and NAUTIZ X2
Handheld Group, a Swedish manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, today launched an operating system upgrade for the Algiz RT10 rugged tablet and the Nautiz X2 rugged handheld. [See Handheld media release] -- Posted Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Havis introduces rugged docking station for Zebra TC73/78 mobile computers
Havis, a leading provider of rugged mobile office solutions, is proud to announce the launch of the DS-ZEB-700 Series Rugged Docking Station, designed specifically for Zebra TC73/78 Mobile Computers. Engineered to meet the demanding needs of public safety professionals and warehouse operators, the DS-ZEB-700 Series combines unparalleled durability with advanced features that enhance productivity, safety, and mobility. [See Havis media release] -- Posted Tuesday, September 3, 2024

What happend in rugged computing 15 years ago: September 2009
In September 2009, Itronix introduced Gobi 3G into its rugged notebooks and tablets. We reviewed the Dell Latitude XT2 convertible with multi-touch. RAM introduced the RAM Tough-Hub. Motion Computing began using the superior Hydis AFFS+ display in its improved rugged F5 tablet. The Nikon-Trimble joint venture introduced the Windows CE-based Nivo "Total Station." Psion offered cash for "Data Collection Clunkers." DAP Technologies began using Windows Embedded instead of just Windows CE in its rugged tablets. There were rumors that Fedex would deploy 100,000 Motorola MC9500 rugged handhelds. Getac added the PS236 GPS handheld. Wyse launched "Project Borg" and Fujitsu added multi-touch to its Lifebook T5010. VDC announced that Motorola had 40% of the total market for rugged handhelds, Intermec less than 20%, and Psion Teklogix and LXE each less than 10%. [See September 2009 archive] -- Posted Sunday, September 1, 2024