Devices

This article originally appeared in the Feb. 2012 issue of Next Gen Mobility

Flat Organization

Motorola (News - Alert) Solutions calls its new ET1 tablets the first “flat out enterprise” tablets available for the mobile worker across the enterprise. This line of rugged enterprise tablets, which is based on the Android operating system, was designed to equip retail store floor associates and improve workforce productivity across multiple industries.

It weighs1.4 pounds, and is 5.14 inches high, .98 inches deep, and 8.82 inches wide. And it offers a 7-inch display.

These devices are built to withstand drops, spills, chilly winter temperatures, extreme heat and more. Their displays are made with ultra-strong Corning Gorilla glass. And the removable batteries used in the ET1 line prevents data loss.

The tablets encrypt communications. And they feature multi-user log-on, so each worker is automatically granted access to his or her own personalized workspace.

An expansion port and Bluetooth on the ET1 tablets allow users to add peripherals such as scanners for inventory purposes or magnetic stripe readers for payment processing. And the tablets are compatible with Motorola Solutions’ RhoElements application enablement framework. That means businesses can quickly and cost-effectively develop enterprise applications once and deploy them on traditional Windows CE, Windows Embedded Handheld and Android-based Motorola devices.

Meanwhile, Motorola’s Mobility Services Platform allows users to stage, update, monitor and troubleshoot remotely Motorola mobile computers.

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Lighting Up

Nokia recently unveiled the Nokia Lumia 710, its first Windows Phone for the United States. This device targets the nearly 150 million Americans who don’t own smartphones and is being positioned as a tool for social networking and personalized content.

Available in black or white, the Nokia Lumia 710 has a 3.7-inch ClearBlack WVGA scratch-resistant display. It has a 5-megapixel camera. And its Qualcomm 1.4 gHz Snapdragon processor, Nokia says, provides speedy access to entertainment and information.

Running on T-Mobile's (News - Alert) 4G network, the Nokia Lumia 710 provides one-click access to popular services, such as Netflix, T-Mobile TV with mobile HD and what Nokia says is a leading mobile web experience with Internet Explorer Mobile, Bing Search with voice activation and Local Scout for locally relevant search results. It supports Nokia Drive for voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation. And it provides exclusive sports content from ESPN (News - Alert).  

"The Nokia Lumia 710 is the perfect first-time smartphone: a well-designed product that delivers the most compelling Windows Phone experience in its price range and with access to great content and thousands of applications," says Chris Weber, president of Nokia Americas. "This is the perfect first Nokia Lumia experience and the start of our re-entry into the U.S. smartphone market."

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Homing In

The new Linksys (News - Alert) E4200 home wireless-n router from Cisco provides wireless networking speeds up to 450mbps. It boasts a faster processor for quicker downloads from a USB connected storage drive, and greater range for use in large or multi-room homes. It can handle all of the latest and most intensive home entertainment needs from streaming HD video to music downloads and multi-player gaming.

The combination of internal and external amplifiers coupled with six antennas in the new version of the E4200 help increase the signal strength across greater distances, providing improved home network coverage and reducing dead spots. The virtual USB feature makes it easy to add printers, storage and other USB devices to the network and with the added 1.2gHz processor users can experience faster download speeds from their USB connected storage device. Included in all Linksys E-Series routers is Cisco (News - Alert) Connect software, which provides the framework for simple setup and network management for Macs and PCs.

"Cisco's Linksys products consistently deliver the ultimate performance, quality and usability for today's home networking consumer," says Scott Kabat, director of marketing at Cisco Home Business Unit. "Our new E4200 v2 fits the bill with fast wireless performance that just works – no hassles, no disruptions."

The product sells at major online retailers and at the Linksys online store for an MSRP of $199.99.