Zebra’s New ZT200 Series Printers

Zebra has recently announced the release of the new ZT200 mid-range printer series with a new print mechanism design and precision adjustment controls for long-lasting performance. Features of the new ZT200 printers include:

• Compact footprint and streamlined design – the ZT200 printers are 25% smaller than the S4M, allowing them to more easily fit into confined areas
• Parallel, 10/100 Ethernet, and 802.11b/g/n connectivity options
• Icon-based status LED’s for more visible printer status
• Side-loading design eliminates the complication of threading supplies
• Color-coded cues for loading ribbon and printer media
• Easy, tool-free platen and printhead removal for cleaning and replacement
• Interchangeable connectivity options for quick changes and upgrades

The ZT230 All metal case 250 m/1476′ ribbon capacity Graphical user interface

The ZT220 High-impact polymer case 300m/984′ ribbon capacity Three-button user interface Perfect Stripe replacement

For more information on Zebra printers, visit our web site.

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New ZoneFlex APs and Beamflex from Ruckus

Ruckus recently announced the launch of two new access points, the 7982 and the 7321. Discover the features of these new wireless APs below:

ZoneFlex 7982 Dual Band 3×3:3 802.11n Smart Wifi Access Point

• Dual-band, three-stream 802.11n access point; 3X3:3 MIMO
• Includes Ruckus BeamFlex adaptive antenna arrays
• Supports up to 500 concurrent clients
• Functions as a standalone AP or as part of a centrally-managed Wireless LAN
• Reduce Wifi interference with 15dB of interference mitigation
• Dual polarized antennas
• Support for IP voice and video over Wifi
• 802.11a/b/g/n
• Designed for airports, public venues, hotels, universities, and conference centers

ZoneFlex 7321 Smart Dual-Band Selectable 802.11n Access Point

• Dual-stream entry-level 802.11n access point; dual-band 2×2:2 (2.4GHz or 5 GHz selectable)
• Integrated band steering, airtime fairness and capacity-driven channel selection
• Ceiling, wall or desktop mountable
• 802.11a/b/g/n
• Suitable for small businesses, remote offices, or hotspot locations
• Operates as a standalone wireless router or part of a centrally managed Smart WLAN

BeamFlex Smart Antenna System

• Antenna array with multiple high-gain directional antenna elements
• Dynamically configures and re-configures “beam” to achieve omnidirectional coverage
• Up to 9 dBi signal gain and 15 dB interference mitigation

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The Benefits of Traceability

When one thinks of traceability, the first thing that comes to mind is often produce traceability. However, traceability isn’t just for the produce and agriculture industries – it can be implemented into many other fields including electronics, meat & dairy, toys and so much more.

There are a number of reasons to implement traceability and transparency in your business and your product lines regardless of industry or product type. Here are just a few.

1. Customer Trust and Loyalty – Traceability and transparency are important steps to take to gain the trust of consumers.  They are effective ways to communicate safety and quality to the consumer, and as a result, traceability has been increasingly demanded for by consumers.

The greatest way to gain new customers and retain your current customer base is by gaining their trust; the simplest way to gain a customer’s trust is transparency (honesty).

2. Protect the Innocent – When problems occur and recalls become necessary, businesses suffer. By implementing traceability, those that are unaffected can continue to sell their products. Traceability expedites the problem-solving process involved in contamination cases and allows issues to be quickly contained and resolved with minimal collateral damage. With traceability, product categories are able to maintain their availability rather than being completely destroyed.  Traceability allows businesses to show customers that their products are unaffected and safe.

3. Improve business – In a survey by Yottamark, 85% of consumers stated that they prefer to purchase traceable food over non-traceable. In conclusion, if you products are up against traceable competitive products, you may lose out on business.

4. Protect public health and safety.

5. Vendors that offer traceability have a significant advantage over those who do not. Many fast food chains, superstores, restaurants, et al. require traceability from vendors as the result of perceived risk. Therefore, vendors that offer traceability are more likely to win business than those who do not.

6. Real-time traceability quickly pays for itself. Demonstrating compliance and real-time traceability can expand a company’s customer base and enables the company to go completely paperless seamlessly. By eliminating a timely and costly paper-based system, productivity and efficiency increase through decreased labor requirements, improved inventory control and many other benefits. In the case of a contamination incident, traceability lowers the cost of containing and resolving the issue.

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Our New Green Initiative

With the growing amount of electronic waste or e-waste due to constant developments in technology and electronics, we believe that the continued development of our Green Initiative is absolutely necessary to do our part to help protect our planet.

Technology is always changing and developing and this leads to obsolete equipment and media (CDs, cassettes, etc.) that need to be disposed of around the world.  In many cases, the proper disposal of electronic equipment requires a legal framework, an elaborate system for collection, and many other aspects that complicate the disposal of electronics (and as a result a large number of electronics end up as toxic waste in landfills because there is no easy way to recycle or dispose of it).

According to an estimate by the Environmental Protection Agency, only 15-20% of electronic waste is recycled while the rest is dumped into landfills and incinerators. In the US alone about 3 tons of e-waste is produced each year. The total worldwide amount of e-waste is the tens of millions of tons.

To do our part to help reduce the amount of e-waste produced and to increase the amount of recycled electronics, we offer a buyback and recycling program for legacy barcode scanners, mobile computers, industrial label printers, surveillance cameras, and vehicle computers.

Not only do we simplify the recycling process by doing it for you, but we also provide you with a great incentive – credit for your used equipment. In exchange for your used equipment we offer cash, trade-in credit or credit towards another purchase from DataGear so that you get the greatest ROI on your mobile computing equipment.

Do your part to protect the future of our planet by protecting natural resources, preventing pollution and hazardous disposal by contacting us to find out about our Green Initiative and Buyback program.

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The Advantages of 802.11n

What is n?

802.11n uses 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies and MIMO antenna technology to bring improved wifi performance. It increases wireless speed from 54mbps to 600mbps and allows for fewer interruptions. Deploying n on a legacy network, unfortunately, can be problematic because high bandwidth applications could “choke” wifi controllers and the wired network.

What is MIMO?

MIMO stands for multiple-input, multiple-output. It allows multiple streams of data to provide additional paths on which data can travel. It works best in reflective environments.

Do I really need 802.11n?

If the wireless network you currently have installed is not affecting your wireless performance or connectivity, then there isn’t any reason to consider an upgrade for the time being. However, if your business’ efficiency is being interrupted, then it might be time to consider upgrading your wireless system.

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Code d’Urgence: France Develops QR Codes that Could Save Lives

A company in Le Mans, France (in the 72nd département, Sarthe) recently developed a QR code that could save lives, the Code D’Urgence. These QR codes securely store one’s medical history and emergency contact information so that in the case of an emergency, medical professionals have instant access to the information they need.

A one year subscription (36€) can be applied for with the submission of a brief medical questionnaire and approval from a doctor. The medical information is then stored on a secure server for emergency access by certified medical professionals. The only downside is that this technology is only fully implemented in two French departments (with ten more en attente or in the process of adapting the technology).*

Once a user is registered, they are given 10 QR code stickers to place on their vehicle dashboards or windows, the backs of their mobile devices, their motorcycle helmets, on their wallets, or wherever they find suitable. These codes are particularly marketed to those who risk traffic, work or sporting accidents as well as to senior citizens.

For more information on this technology, visit the Code D’Urgence website.

What do you think about bringing this technology to the US?

* In order for this technology to be used, medical professionals need to download the application to their mobile devices. Departments 44 and 72 have fully implemented this technology while departments 85, 17, 16, 33, 86, 53, 28, 21, 57, and 59 are in the process of implemented codes d’urgence.

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Are You Using the Right Optical Fiber? Single Mode Fiber VS Multi Mode Fiber

Optical fiber is typically defined by its size, attenuation and bandwidth and it works by sending signal down hair-thin strands of glass or plastic fiber.  When choosing fiber it is important to consider how it will be used. Is it device to device? Does it need to be run horizontal/intra-office (single floor but multiple rooms), rise/intrabuilding (run between floors), aerial (strung from utility poles and self-supporting), direct burial, duct, submarine or inside-outside? Determining the environment in which the fiber will be installed will help simplify the decision-making process.

The two types of fiber most commonly used are singlemode and multimode fibers. Both multimode and singlemode fibers are slightly larger than a human hair but the way light travels through the two types of fiber varies significantly.  Light travels through multimode fiber in many rays or modes.  Multimode fiber has a larger core and it is typically used for slower area networks. Singlemode fiber, on the other hand, has a smaller core which allows light to travel in only one ray or mode. It is used for telephones and CATV.

Singlemode fiber is usually considered to be one size and type (with the exception of specialty singlemode fibers). Multimode, in comparison, originally came in several sizes for use in various networks or sources but has since been standardized to a single size (62.5 core fiber).

An important thing to keep in mind is that fibers cannot be mixed and/or matched. Mixing singlemode and multimode fiber can cause significant loss in power (up to 99%).

Some of the features of single-mode fiber versus multi-mode fiber:

	Single-Mode Fiber	Multi-Mode Fiber
Bandwidth	Virtually Unlimited	Less
Signal Quality	Excellent Long Distance	Excellent Short Distance
Primary Attenuation	Chromatic Dispersion	Modal Dispersion
Fiber Types	Step Index and Dispersion Shifted	Step and Graded Index
Typical Applications	Almost Anything	Analog Video, Short Range Communications

If you have any further questions regarding the use of singlemode and multimode fiber, please don’t hesitate to ask!

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There’s No Reason to Dread Upgrading Your Data System and Equipment

Making the decision to upgrade your data management system isn’t always fun or easy, so we’d like to help you through the decision-making process and give you the tools to decide whether you REALLY need to upgrade or not. Repair and maintenance contracts are sometimes an affordable alternative to making that big step, but can upgrading your equipment save you money in the long run?

Think of your data collections system as a car – is it costing you more to get it repaired (and causing you inconvenience due to downtime) than it would be to just go out and get a new one? Does your wireless data collection hardware still perform its required tasks?  Before making any decisions on whether or not to upgrade your data system ask yourself these questions:

Will I continue to get maintenance support for my hardware? Even though a manufacturer may end support for a particular device this does not mean it can’t be repaired. In fact, DataGear repairs many older devices  that manufacturers have stopped supporting long ago.

Do support costs outweigh new hardware costs? Buying new hardware may cost more up front but you should weigh those costs against the ongoing repair and downtime costs that may be present with your existing hardware. At some point all equipment will reach the end of its useful life and continuing to maintain it will no longer makes financial sense.

How secure is my wireless network? Hackers can infiltrate your wireless network if you are not current with the latest security options. Upgrading your hardware may save you a great deal when compared to the cost of exposing your company’s sensitive data to an astute hacker.

Is hardware management draining our resources? Upgrading software, trouble shooting problems, and distributing patches can be a labor intensive job when you are managing your wireless system. Newer wireless technology can help you remotely manage and secure your mobile devices.

Can new hardware features improve my business? Many of the data terminals available today have a variety of wireless options that can help your employees stay productive while on the go. Equipping your employees with the proper wireless technology, while mobile, may give your company the leverage it needs in today’s competitive environment.

Before making any decision, seek the advice from a professional data capture specialist. DataGear has the background and experience to help you decide if an upgrade makes sense or not and the expertise to show you all of your options and explain the true “cost of ownership” when selecting mobile devices.

DataGear is a supplier of data capture products, RFID solutions, software and repair services to the agriculture, retail, logistics, warehouse and distribution industries. For more information, please visit our web site.

By Mark Oetken
Revised 3/15/2012

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France Becomes a Pioneer in the Development of Cost-Effective RFID Technology

France has become a pioneer in the development of cost-effective RFID technology thanks to Camille Ramade and her colleagues at the University of Montpellier.

Camille Ramade and colleagues have developed an innovative RFID depositing process that could reduce the cost of RFID technology by up to 80%.  This reduction in cost may lead to the growth of the technology’s popularity. Unfortunately, adoption of RFID has been slow due to high implementation costs. Despite developments in the technology, significant ROI potential, and significant decrease in cost since its naissance, 1D and 2D barcodes have remained the popular choices in lieu of RFID technology. Recent developments by the University of Montpellier, however, may level the playing field for RFID and persuade many industries to turn to the technology.

The University of Montpellier has developed a process to deposit thin aluminum RFID tags onto paper, reducing the amount of metal required. As a result, the use of RFID technology will open up to numerous application possibilities. Speculators predict that this new process will potentially lower the cost of RFID tags to one-fifth of their current price.

By employing a simple thermal evaporation process, Camille Ramade and colleagues discovered that thin aluminum coil antennas could be deposited onto paper to be used as RFID tags. Current prototypes are functional, but further development and designs are being conducted so that the tags can be optimized for each family of RFID chips.  These tags could potentially be used to even track individual sheets of paper and speculation is that they might replace both 1D barcodes and even QR codes.

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Get Money Back with GoZebra12 and DataGear

Share this content Forward To a Friend   With GoZebra12, now is the perfect time to move up to a new Zebra printer. Upgrade to the latest technology from Zebra and reap the rewards – not just the advantages of Zebra’s unmatched innovation, but cash back AND the eco-friendliness of safely recycling an old printer. Just trade in your old thermal barcode printer – from Zebra or even a competitor – and purchase a new Zebra printer. You’ll receive up to $500 cash rebate for every eligible purchase. Take advantage of this offer to improve productivity and lower maintenance costs while utilizing the equity in your current technology to get even greater value. The DataGear Team DataGear, Inc. www.DataGear.com 714-556-5055 500 W Dyer Rd Santa Ana, CA 92707