Apple’s new tablet PC, the iPad, is beginning to make waves not only in the portable computer market, but in the realm of barcode scanning, as well.  Two products, in particular, are taking advantage of the popularity and usefulness of what some consider to be a revolutionary device.

The first of these products is the OPN 2002 iPad Companion Scanner from Opticon Mobility Solutions, which is a compact and affordable barcode laser scanner with iPad compatibility.  The Bluetooth-enabeld memory scanner combines convenient barcode data collection with flexible communication options.

Then Socket Mobile Inc. announced their Socket Bluetooth Cordless Hand Scanner 7X and its counterpart, the CHS 7XRx are also iPad compatible. “We see a lot of potential for the need to add barcode scanning to the iPad, particularly in the healthcare sector where barcode scanning is used in applications such as medication administration, patient ID verification, material management and pharmacy logistics,” said Samantha Chu, data collection product manager at Socket Mobile.

As the tablet computer grows in popularity, we should be seeing more and more devices help iPad users gather information with barcode scanners.  To learn more about what scanners can work with your iPad, contact a product specialist at 1-800-446-1991.

The unique Bluebird BIP-1300 is an all-in-one handheld mobile device which incorporates a barcode scanner, magnetic stripe reader, thermal printer, CMOS camera and IC card reader into a single tool.  The device is perfect for Field Sales & Service, Retail, Logistics, Hospitality & Entertainment or any other mobile point of sale application.  It works great in the field thanks to full radio capabilities (CDMA-1X or EVDO, GSM-EDGE), Wifi (802.11b/g), Linear Imager, 2M pixels CMOS Camera, and Windows Mobile 5.0 or Win CE 5.0 operating system. 

We were excited to hear that this device was recently PTCRB certified which means it’s approved to be on the RACO Wireless network.  Any device that has a cellular modem in them have to have PTCRB certification as one of the requirements to use it on any carrier’s network.  With the help of RACO Wireless, we can get you a Bluebird and activate service for this impressive all-in-one device.  Just contact a RACO product specialist at 1-800-446-1991.

March is National Frozen Food Month and we’d like to celebrate by highlighting some of the products and services available to those that brave the cold storage units all year round.  LXE has a number of computers, scanners, and handheld data capture devices that can withstand frigid temperatures down to -22 degrees.  Heated screens, conformal coated internal electronics, specialized batteries, allow these devices to go where others can’t.

LXE’s robust freezer-rated line-up includes wearable, handheld, and vehicle-mounted products that are built from the ground up to handle freezing conditions.  For more information about LXE’s line of freezer-rated devices, contact RACO Industries at 1-800-446-1991 or visit us at www.racoindustries.com.

At RACO Industries, we pride ourselves on using technology, information, and mobile devices to help save you money.  Now we’ve taken it to another level with  MobileCoupons.com.  With this application, you can access thousands of money-saving coupons on your mobile phone.  It’s a great idea that people are starting to talk about, including many news outlets.  WCPO-TV Reporter Larry Shields stopped by our offices to learn more about MobileCoupons.com and also one of the businesses using MobileCoupons.com to target dead times in their restaurants.

And WCPO isn’t the only one to notice.  News 9 in Oklahoma City also included us in a segment on the mobile coupons trend.  These are just the first of many as MobileCoupons.com is adding more businesses and more deals each and every day.  Consumers can find coupon offers easily on their iPhone, Mobile Web, Internet, and the Android and can even share the savings with social networking sites like Facebook & Twitter.  And for merchants, MobileCoupons.com is a great way to market and promote your business to consumers via specials & coupons.

Find out why MobileCoupons.com is a Phone Full Of Savings by downloading our iPhone app, going to the Android Market, visiting m.mobilecoupons.com on your cell phone, or going to our website http://www.mobilecoupons.com/.

Any business that takes credit cards for payment of goods and services needs to install and maintain a firewall configuration as one of the twelve requirements to be compliant to the Payment Security Card Data Security Standard*. Whether you have a wireless network or not, any business that handles sensitive information, like credit card numbers, needs to protect itself from hackers who could physically compromise your network. 

Protection from hackers is not just bad for business, it is can open you up to legal issues if you manage other sensitive data like healthcare information and patient records. Kari Breseman from Motorola recently stopped by RACO to talk about AirDefense, a security, compliance, and troubleshooting system.  The vendor-agnostic wireless intrusion prevention system monitors your network and lets you know if there’s a rogue device that is transmitting your secure information.  AirDefense provides wireless device inventory, threat index analysis, location tracking, advanced rogue management and automated protection.

With this tool, administrators can perform wireless assessments, security audits, locate and manage rogue access points.  To see if you need AirDefense to protect your business from costly security breaches, contact a RACO product specialist at 1-800-446-1991. RACO’s Advanced Solutions Group can configure, install, and support AirDefense and has the expertise to assist your company with any wireless network project.

 * The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements designed to ensure that ALL companies that process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment.

For more information, visit RACO’s PCI Compliance Definition and FAQ page.

If you have used an Intermec CK3 with WM6.1 you may notice that the Internet explorer (IE) works a little differently.  This applies to OS version 3.45.26.0031 and SSPB 6.20.33.0471.  There is a feature that is missing and has been an issue for at least one of our customers.  If you go into the menu on IE and then tap on view, you will notice the usual options have changed.  One that seems to be popular is the “Fit to Screen” option.  There is a registry key that can be edited to bring this feature back.

NOTE: edit the registry at your own risk.  You will need to use a mobile registry editor (you can find free ones on Google) and edit this registry key - HKLM\Security\Internet Explorer\MSHTML=0.  After you change this key to 0 the old view menu magically appears.

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The CBA250 Cellular Broadband Adapter from Cradlepoint is the ideal solution for connecting Ethernet devices directly to a cellular network or providing 3G failover and redundancy for an existing Internet connection.  Designed to work “out of the box,” setup typically consists of simply plugging in a compatible 3G USB Modem or ExpressCard, connecting the device’s Ethernet port to a personal or corporate switch or hub  and powering up the device.  Once the CBA250 is powered up and initialized the device will route outbound network traffic through the 3G modem or ExpressCard, allowing you to connect to the Internet Services provided by your Wireless Internet Service Provider. 

You can also utilize the CBA250 for Internet Connectivity Failover by connecting the device’s Ethernet port to a multi WAN router.  If the primary ISP experiences an outage, the CBA250 can automatically provide service without interruption. 

In addition to featuring a quick and easy setup process, the CBA250 is also very easy to manage using Cradlepoint’s powerful web based management wizard.  The management application allows administrators to configure wireless modem settings, check wireless connectivity details and status, manage LAN settings, and troubleshoot problems.

Cradlepoint's Web Based Management Wizard

The Cradlepoint CBA250 features compatibility with a multitude of HSPA or EVDO USB modems and ExpressCard devices, handy LED indicators showing the power, Ethernet LAN status , USB Modem and ExpressCard Signal Strength and internal flash memory for feature rich firmware upgrades.  The adapter can be used to provide Cellular Broadband connectivity for an existing PC or Mac based network or for M2M applications that operate in ATM machines, vending machine or coin op monitors, outdoor credit card terminals or asset tracking devices.  

In addition to offering sales and support for the Cradlepoint series of Cellular Broadband Adapters and Routers, RACO Industries also offers 3G wireless data plans that will allow you to get these devices connected right out of the box. 

Michigan Live is reporting that the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAS) has had great success with a new system that allows college admission administrators to capture prospective student information from scanned barcodes, rather than requiring students to fill out information forms with pen and paper.  The system is similar to the barcoding applications that have been deployed at business trade shows and conferences, but has been tailored for college fairs.  The process is quite simple, a bar code is assigned to a student upon entry to the college fair.  This printable bar code is linked to the student's relevant personal information stored in a backend system database.  As the student visits each booth, recruiters can quickly scan the student's bar code to retrieve the student's contact information, allowing the recruiter to spend more time discussing the school's programs rather than waiting for students to complete tedious paperwork.
 

There are many advantages to replacing the college fair paper contact forms with a bar code solution.  First and foremost, the data that is exchanged is much more accurate.  With pen and paper, college recruiters often struggle to read a student's handwritten form.  Secondly, the system speeds up the data exchange process.  Recruiters can spend more time speaking with students.  And lastly, students don't have to drive home with a severe case of writer's cramp.

You may be surprised to hear that the system described above is not difficult to implement.  If you are interested in a similar application, please contact the bar code and data collection experts at RACO Industries.

We get asked all of the time about justifying the cost of a rugged mobile computer over a non-rugged or a consumer-grade device. Depending on the product, there can be a large cost differences between the two product types. There are three points that we like to make when justifying the cost difference:

1)      Ruggedized mobile computing devices like the Motorola MC55 is designed to resist damage from drops, humidity, misuse and other environmental issues. Consumer- graded devices are not designed this way and after-market cases only provide minimal protection. To put it simply, you drop it….you break it.

2)      Battery life is a very important factor for mobile computing. Ruggedized devices are intended to work for a full eight hour shift with options available to extend this time. This does not just include voice communications – it also includes data transmissions, scanning, image capture and all of the other functions needed for a mobile worker. The battery life for consumer graded devices will die out after only a few hours if used in this way.

3)      The costs for IT to support consumer-graded devices are nearly three times as high due to the increased failure these products. We ask a very simple question…do you want your valuable IT personnel to spend their time on IT projects or troubleshooting broken smartphones? 

For detailed information about the total cost of ownership for mobile computing, view Venture Development Corporation’s white paper. For more information about the value of ruggedized mobile computers, contact a RACO product specialist or visit www.racoindustries.com.

Instant Messaging(IM) on Windows Mobile(WM) seems like it would be simple to implement with four major IM providers offering solutions.   However, when it comes to WM, not all solutions are created equal. GoogleTalk and Yahoo! only offer web browser based IM.    AIM has an application client which looks and works very well.   However, the overall winner is the Windows Live Messenger (formally known as MSN Messenger) client.  A nice advantage of the Windows Live Messenger is that the application comes embedded into WM and a login is the only setup step required.  Live Messenger sets itself apart further by offering one other feature; let’s call it ‘Push-toTalk’ IM.   Any microphone equipped WM device can record a message with just a single click to record and another click to send.  The voice clips are transmitted nearly as fast as any IM message and can be replayed multiple times or saved.   I was very impressed with the sound quality through such a simple connection.  All IM conversations can be archived and viewed at a later date.

Alternatively there are several 3rd party IM programs such as Fring or Agile for example, which facilitate the use of multiple simultaneous  IM carriers.  www.fring.com    www.agilemobile.com
While researching the Google solution I did find an application that showed much potential - Google Latitude.  With this free and easy to use application you can see the current location of all your contacts.  In the mobile arena or DSD, it is a great way to be able to see the location of all mobile assets. 
And for headquarters there is an iGoogle plug-in that integrates easily and allows for asset tracking.  Tracking is accomplished via assisted GPS and is therefore accurate within 1600 meters.  A GPS enabled device is not required.