Category: Technology

Tech Tuesday on Wednesday for June 3rd, 2015 (with preamble)

If you are new to Tech Tuesday on Wednesday, you might wonder “why Tech Tuesday on Wednesday” ?

Fans of the TV show “The Walking Dead” may recall Hershel Greene who, in the 2013 season titled ‘Internment’ announced that,

“I think we should make some new rules before they get back. I hereby declare we have spaghetti Tuesdays every Wednesday. First we have to find some spaghetti.”

In the interest of not taking ourselves too seriously, and some cold-calculating research that suggests social media engagement might be slightly higher on the day right after Tuesday, I declared that “we have Glacier Tech Tuesday on Wednesday.”

And who needs another ‘Tech Tuesday’ on Tuesday?

Ten Reasons to turn rugged: Interest, Markets, Prices, Devices – and who doesn’t want to be thought of as ”rugged”?

How about augmented reality? Magic Leap introduces an augmented reality developer platform.

Windows 10 is Coming. Check out devices built specifically for Windows

Michelle Obama and the NSA are drooling. Google wants to use sophisticated deep learning algorithms to analyze a still photo of food, and estimate how many calories are on the plate.’

And don’t forget to Follow Glacier on Twitter (which happens to be the account of Ron D’Ambrosio – our fearless leader) by July 4th,2015. You could win a free 7″ Rugged Android Tablet.

You can also follow Glacier On Facebook!

5 Keys in the Evolution to “Smart” Forklifts.

The term “Smart” in front of any noun has become the new standard for referring to the latest technological advancements in cars, phones, even hospital beds, but what about forklifts? Thanks to a convergence of modern data collection technologies forklifts are evolving from warehouse workhorses into data collection Divas.

Here are 5 key areas to consider when we talk about the evolution to Smart Forklifts.

Forklift Manufacturers

Many players answer the call for electric vs. gas, stationary vs. mobile, and manned vs. unmanned. They all supply the basic functionality of a powered industrial “truck” used to lift and move materials short distances. Companies participating in this market include Crown, Raymond, Jungheinrich, Hyster, and Toyota.

One of the largest in North America is Glacier Computer alliance partner Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America ( MCFA) distributors of CAT, Jungheinrich, and Mitsubishi forklifts; and their subsidiary Rapid Parts, a provider of aftermarket lift parts.

Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of forklifts in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Latin America. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company distributes three distinct brands – Mitsubishi forklift trucks, Cat^® lift trucks and Jungheinrich^® warehouse products. –MCFA

Forklift manufacturers, evolving to meet customer needs, create the foundation upon which smart forklifts are created.

The Intelligent Forklift

The Intelligent Forklift

A Brief about the Interaction of Two Dissimilar Technologies that Converge at the Forklift

As forklifts begin to emerge from being the last frontier of technology change in the warehouse, an evolution begins to take place at the most unexpected but most logical place: The Intelligent Forklift. Understanding this convergence opens a new era for those technologies that are dependent on the data collection activities that are resident on the forklift.

The term Smart “x” is the new standard when referring to cars, phones, hospital beds and now forklifts. Each has their own set of circumstances that qualify for this honor. The forklift and its constituents are our primary focus in this primer. Taking a closer look at those players, we have the following:

Forklift Manufacturer – Many players in this arena answer the call of electric vs. gas, stationary vs. mobile, manned vs. unmanned, etc. There are many companies participating in this portion of the market: Crown, Raymond, Jungheinrich, Hyster, Caterpillar, just to name a few. All supplying the basic functionality of a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials short distances.

Glacier Computer Announces – The Fusion 7 – Rugged Android Tablet

Glacier Computer announces the release of a new Rugged Android Tablet for the Industrial Marketplace.

Fusion 7 – Rugged Android Tablet

The Fusion 7 Rugged Android Tablet extends the Glacier Computer product line of rugged industrial PCs, rugged tablets, portable hand-held devices, and fixed mounted data collection computers. Glacier industrial computers are typically used in harsh industrial environments where a standard PC cannot survive. The Fusion 7 offers enterprise customers the additional advantages of the Android OS while remaining sealed and ruggedized.

The Fusion 7 is compact, light, and feature-rich. It enables businesses and their mobile users to add efficiencies throughout the operation while providing a capital asset with a significantly extended useful life and a superior ROI.

The Fusion 7 combines the advanced power management and memory management capabilities of Android enabling more than 1 million applications to run on the typically rugged Glacier device.

“The industrial marketplace is finally ready to accept the changes needed to embrace the value of the Android platform,” says Ron D’Ambrosio, President of Glacier Computer. “We have had a rugged Android computer for the last couple of years, but didn’t get enough feedback from our industrial customers to release the product. It is still somewhat early, but with the input of much larger market influences in the industry, customers seem to be more amenable to at least talking about using the Android OS as a solution.”

To further enhance the usefulness, and ease some of the pain of adapting to the new OS, Glacier is collaborating with complementary business partners including The Allen Group.

The Allen Group (Fairfield County, CT) provides application development and consultative expertise to assist companies seeking fulfillment for mobile content delivery objectives , corporate digital branding initiatives, and development workflow requirements. While The Allen Group enhances the mobile user’s capabilities, the Fusion 7 allows those mobile users to work in very harsh and/or ultra-clean environments.

About Glacier Computer
Glacier Computer LLC. (Glacier Computer) develops versatile, rugged industrial computing solutions for use within harsh environments. Founded in 2000, our products are used in stationary, portable, and vehicle-mount applications. Our customers use our rugged devices in industries including field service, construction, utilities, retail, warehouse, freight, healthcare, food, and chemical processing.

Glacier Computer’s company standards include a knowledgeable staff, an array of high-quality, value-based products, and a deep sense of customer service. Together with our strategic partners, we deliver comprehensive solutions to specific industry segments, and resolve the unique needs of each customer. Glacier employees are committed to, and share in, the mutual success of our business, and possess a desire to help our partners and customers succeed.

For more information about all Glacier Computer products and services, visit our website at: www.glaciercomputer.com or contact Dave Hewett at DaveH@GlacierComputer.com or 866-726-6257 x3209.

Glacier Makes Wearable Computer Tech “History”

Mashable.com recently posted a ‘history of wearable Tech.’ They’ve got a few things you might not remember but the standard-bearers are there. Calculator wristwatch, Bluetooth headset, the iPod, and of course Google glass. But back in 2009 Glacier began offering a product called the W200, a fully functional wireless PC you wore on your wrist.

And Mashable gave us props for it.

We’re still leaders in the mobile computing business and while we’re not offering wearable computer technology at the moment, we’ve got some exciting new rugged mobile tech for you to check out called the Fusion 7 Android tablet.

See the entire wearable tech list at Mashable.com

A Glacier In The Rainforest?

stream-rainforest - Forman School - Spidersilk T510K How do you use a Glacier to promote spider-silk farming in Costa Rica? You Donate it to the Forman school.

Forman School is a college-preparatory boarding and day school with a vital purpose: to deliver an unparalleled education for students with learning differences to empower them to succeed in college and throughout their lives.

Glacier Computer donated a T510K Rugged tablet to the Forman School’s Rainforest Project, and will be used to help them collect data on… Spider Silk.

The objectives are…

1. To get as much spider silk as possible.
2. To figure out when and why the silk is most strong.
3. Make a cottage industry for local ranchers abutting rainforest land.

The T510K…

“…gives you the power of desktop computing in a slim, rugged design with a large 10 inch display and 23-key Keypad. On-the-go data collection is easy with 2D barcode imaging, camera, and RFID. Staying connected is easy with 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and optional integrated 3G/4G mobile broadband. Dual hot swappable batteries give you up to 9 hours of use in the field or in the warehouse. The T510K weighs only 2.42 lbs, with an IP54 rating and is also shock and vibration tested.”

Glacier Computer is proud to be a part of the effort and we look forward to continued updates on their success.

Felix Baumgartner’s 24 Mile Jump to Earth

LA Times

On Oct. 14, 2012, the Austrian skydiver stepped off the narrow porch of an experimental capsule hovering 127,852 feet over New Mexico and became the first free-falling person to break the sound barrier. Instruments recorded his top speed at 843.6 miles per hour, which is 1.25 times faster the speed of sound. (YouTube Link)

Glacier Computer Spotlight – The Everest E4500 Rugged Mobile Mount Terminal

Introducing the Everest E4500 Forklift Mount Terminal Information is the key to success in warehousing and manufacturing. Whether receiving inventory, filling orders, moving freight, or monitoring time and attendance, there is no better partner than the Everest from Glacier Computer.

Warehouse personnel are not the easiest on equipment; but your data collection needs are 24/7, 365 days per year. The Everest computers have been tested in the most extreme conditions imaginable. With a sealed enclosure, you can be sure the Everest is as tough as you are.

E4500 Product Overview

INTEL® ATOM N270 1.6 GHz
UP TO 2GB
MULTIPLE STANDARD I/O
WIRELESS LAN, WAN AND GPS OPTIONS
CUSTOM ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC AND CONFIGURATION UTILITY
RESISTIVE TOUCHSCREEN

SCREEN BLANKING
10″, 12″ AND 15″ DISPLAYS
10V TO 60V ISOLATED INTERNAL POWER SUPPLY
OPTIONAL SUNLIGHT READABLE DISPLAY
PROGRAMMABLE, BACKLIT, FUNCTION BUTTONS

Visit Glacier Computer.com

Are 3D Printers in Your Future?

da-vinci-3d-printer — Image: IBtimes.com

3D printing is becoming affordable for small Business.

The $499 price point for the da Vinci makes it the cheapest “plug and play” 3D printer out there. According to a statement released by XYZprinting Inc., “The da Vinci is a plug-n-play 3D printer with a large build size designed specifically for households and small businesses. With no assembly required, a smart design, unique safety features and easy-to-use cloud system, the da Vinci has redesigned the 3D printing experience making it more user-friendly across all aspects of the process than ever before.”

This device was featured at CES 2014 along with a number of other more expensive 3D printers, but the race is on to deliver at price points people are willing to pay.

With the right rugged mobile computing solutions, and easy to use cloud systems, companies with an interest in 3D technology can up their game for a lot less money.

International Business Times

Helping You Prosper in Harsh Environments

In medical, industrial, vehicle-mount, and military deployments, Glacier Computer rugged tablets and rugged PCs have withstood harsh temperatures, vibration, and humidity in wet and dirty environments.

If you need a rugged tablet, check out the Glacier Computer Rugged Tablet Comparison Chart available from this link. If you see a unit that may meet your needs, and want to put one to the test we’ll gladly provide you with a free evaluation unit so you can see for yourself.

One of my roles and functions at Glacier Computer is to help you. If you’d like to discuss your application and how we can help if not “conquer the elements,” at least prosper within harsh environments, or if you just need more information … just give me a call or drop me a line.

AND … if you don’t see the exact rugged device that you need, let’s discuss how Glacier can customize and build the exact rugged unit that does!

Thanks very much!

Best regards,

Dave Hewett
Client Relationship Specialist

GLACIER COMPUTER
10 Northern Blvd
Amherst, NH 03031
866-724-6257 x3209
daveh@glaciercomputer.com
www.glaciercomputer.com