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News Week of September 14, 2008

BVS Releases Site Survey Tablet PC Sof tware for Wi-Fi Analysis


Metuchen, NJ - Berkeley Varitronics Systems, Inc. has released Swarm(TM) tablet PC software for indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi site surveys.

Swarm(TM) combines the power of realtime Yellowjacket� 802.11b/a/n/g Wi-Fi receiver measurements with GPS geo-coding accuracy. Swarm(TM) software is composed of three unique applications that all run on the Yellowjacket�-TABLET PC. First, create your survey bitmaps with both Linear and GPS PROJECTOR software. Next, simply walk or drive to any spot with GPS reception while Swarm(TM) COLLECTOR scans all 802.11b/a/n/g channels and correlates them to your exact location automatically via GPS or manually by tapping on the touch-screen. GPS measurements provide both LAT and LON as well as time stamping for a complete Wi-Fi survey path anywhere in the world. Finally, survey data such as RSSI, MAC and SSID may be exported into Swarm's ANALYZER for further mapping coverage studies in multiple graphical and tabular layouts. In areas with little or no GPS reception, Swarm(TM) ANALYZER only needs a few reference points to fill in the locations for the rest making it effective for quick outdoor studies. Surveys may be exported further into KML files for plotting in applications such as Google Earth(TM).

Visit http://www.bvsystems.com for more news and be sure to visit us at Interop New York 2008 (September 17-18) in the BVS Booth # 343.

About Berkeley Varitronics Systems (www.bvsystems.com or www.bvsystems.eu) Yellowjacket�-TABLET is a Windows XP� tablet UMPC spectrum analyzer all-in-one system. The calibrated receiver measures between 2.0 - 5.9 GHz covering such popular wireless bands including Wi-Fi, Wi-MAX, ISM, Public Safety, Bluetooth and more. Spectrum analysis features include user selectable power triggers, 3 pairs of markers, spectrogram, histogram, video smoothing, waveform averaging, 1 live trace and up to 4 peak hold waveform traces with peak hold/search. This advanced receiver allows Yellowjacket�-TABLET to sweep any signal and instantly display areas of RF interference. Yellowjacket�-TABLET also sweeps and demodulates all 802.11b/a/n/g packets providing MAC, SSID, SNR, Delay Spread, CFR and more. The Yellowjacket�-TABLET interface offers a large 7" WVGA LCD touch-screen featuring 1.33 GHz Intel Pentium� processor.  (Source: PRess Release)
Posted Thursday, September 18, 2008 by ChrisD
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Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet PC First Look

It's finally here, Lenovo's newest Tablet PC, the X200. Guess what, we got our hands on one for review. This 12.1" tablet has a reinforced lid that uses carbon fiber on the top and glass fiber around the edges for added strength. It's definitely a solid ThinkPad with some new features like a bi-directional hinge, which is a bonus and it's powered by a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor. Check out our first look review of this innovative ThinkPad and see how it faired on benchmark testing.

ThinkPad X200
(Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)


Posted Thursday, September 18, 2008 by ChrisD
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The Fab PC from Fujitsu

The computer will be designed in a way that grants the user complete control over it. The display will be made using the ultra flexible E paper, which is the secret behind its foldable property. This material will allow the users to actually mould, bend and fold the laptop when not in use. This obviously not currently possible with any other laptop, even the high-end Asus U2E is completely inelastic. The Fab Tablet PC is supposed to be made from fibre, which means that it will be much lighter than current laptops and tablets.  (Source: Alexis, Mobile Computing News)
Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by ChrisD
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GBM Podcast #60: New Tablet PCs on the Horizon

It�s all about Tablet PCs. Well not really, we cover some other topics as well, but since Truc Bui has been on a Triple Tablet PC Tilt and Warner Crocker is checking out the new HP 2730p EliteBook Tablet PC we spend some time talking about some new and some old Tablet PCs. And, in our Nothing But Net feature we also talk about, yep, you guessed it the latest in Netbook news; including Sony�s possible entrance into that market. Intel�s new Centrino platform is also on the docket for discussion. Sit back, listen, and enjoy and let us know what you think.  (Source: Warner Crocker, Gotta Be Mobile)
Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by ChrisD
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Keyboards are for wimps

We've come a long way since those first GUIs. Or have we? Today's PCs are thousands of times more powerful than the first Macs or Windows-capable PCs, but we all still use a mouse and a keyboard to get information into a computer, and a screen and a printer to get information out.

For many years there have been attempts to move beyond the WIMP interface. Voice recognition has improved significantly, and some of us can now talk to our computers to make them (most of the time) do as they're told.

We have touch screens and tablet PCs. We have devices that project information on to special glasses and which can track an eye's movement around a screen.  (Source: Graeme Philipson, Stuff.co.nz)


Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by ChrisD
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How to zero in on target device for your enterprise mobility solution?

Handheld Mobile or Tablet PC?
The key to choose between the two is whether or not the user has to work while standing or walking around. A mobile has a significant advantage over a tablet PC by being able to be used while the user is truly mobile. When a pen tablet is used at a desk in a mini-dock, its capability is essentially identical to that of an ultra-portable notebook.
There are two types of Tablet PCs: slates and convertibles. A slate-style device is in essence an LCD with a built-in PC motherboard and hard drive. This type of Tablet PC is most frequently used by health-care workers and others in specialized fields. A convertible device can be used like a slate or, when the screen is swiveled and raised, like a traditional notebook with a keyboard. The display lays on top of the keyboard when it is used in slate mode.
Being able to write on the Tablet PC's screen with a stylus--which works like the Graffiti handwriting recognition on a Palm OS device--makes "all the difference�. While at a home site, user uses the Tablet PC's pen-based input to fill in forms and add drawings to digital photographs that he takes during inspections. At the office, he plugs the Tablet PC into its docking station, which connects it to an external monitor and keyboard that lets him use the computer as he would a desktop PC.  (Source: Purushottam Darshankar, TMCnet.com)
Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by ChrisD
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Armor Rugged Computer with Intel� Drive Survives Baja 500

PARSIPPANY, N.J., (September 17, 2008) � The ARMOR X10 Rugged Tablet PC from DRS Technologies (www.drsarmor.com) and a new solid-state drive from Intel Corporation have passed one of the most punishing tests imaginable � the SCORE Baja 500 motorcycle race.  A standard ARMOR X10 Rugged Tablet PC with a SATA II (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) solid-state drive was mounted on a Honda CRF450X and left running for the duration of the grueling race.

The test was proposed by Troy Winslow, marketing manager, Intel NAND Products Group, who is also an accomplished "weekend" motorcycle racer.  "In this particular test we were doing a proof-of-concept for withstanding shock and vibration," Winslow explains.  "We wanted to show that the unit was running throughout the race and could withstand severe shock and vibration."

The team selected the ARMOR X10 Rugged Tablet PC, a commercially available unit that was based on rugged mobile computing solutions for industrial and military use in extremely demanding environments. "DRS is proud that Intel selected our rugged ARMOR X10 tablet to demonstrate their new solid state hard drive," said Bill Guyan, vice president, Business Development of DRS Tactical Systems.  "ARMOR products are designed to meet the extreme challenges of shock, vibration, dust, and temperature � exactly the kind of rugged demanding environment as the SCORE Baja 500 race."

The race course featured hundreds of miles of punishing off-road terrain, very dusty conditions and plenty of heat, both from the desert environment and the motorcycle exhaust.  The ARMOR X10 Rugged Tablet PC came through the Baja 500 and was running flawlessly even after 11 hours over rough terrain.  "ARMOR performed as expected,� said Guyan. �Our products are made to support critical missions for Industry, transportation, first-Responders and our military.  ARMOR is designed to provide dependable performance wherever our customers must go to get the job done."

"In our view, it was mission accomplished,� said Winslow.  �Baja was a good torture test of the Intel� High Performance SATA Solid-State Drive and of the ruggedness of the ARMOR computer." 

DRS Tactical Systems, located in Melbourne, Florida, is a global leader in ultra rugged, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)-based computers and laptops, displays and embedded workstations, handheld devices, consoles and rack-mount computers, tablet computers and docking stations, and integrated peripheral products for military and industrial applications.  (Source: Press Release)


Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by ChrisD
Rating: 4 Comments ()

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