Havis Announces New Docking Station for the Panasonic Toughpad™ A1

Mobile Workers Now Require Safe and Reliable Docking Solutions for Both Laptops and Tablets in the Field

WARMINSTER, Pa. – November 8, 2012 – Havis Inc. announced today that the new Toughbook Certified Docking Station for the Panasonic Toughpad™ A1 is now available. Havis, an ISO 9001:2008 certified company, worked closely with Panasonic to develop this custom rugged mounting solution for their new Android-powered tablet.

To improve workflow, the Toughpad Docking Station allows users to charge their tablet and connect to peripherals like printers and keyboards. It provides full range of motion with a tilt-swivel device that easily rotates the Toughpad from portrait to landscape for more ergonomic computing. The docking station also features a barrel lock to ensure tablet security.

Mobile workers are increasingly utilizing tablets to supplement their laptop in the field, giving them the option to select the appropriate device for specific tasks.[1] Regardless of which device they choose, mobile workers require a safe and comfortable mounting solution in their vehicle.

For example, a properly docked laptop or tablet should remain securely locked in place through sharp turns, aggressive driving and even crash situations. Havis docking stations are tested against demanding performance standards to ensure this level of safety in rugged environments.

The Havis Docking Station for the Panasonic Toughpad successfully completed extensive quality testing to meet and exceed Panasonic’s Toughbook Certification requirements. Based on years of experience in building rugged docking stations, Havis designed this new dock to withstand in-vehicle crash simulations, MIL-STD 810G vibration testing, environment testing and extreme durability testing.

No matter what the application or environment, Havis manufactures mounting and docking solutions for new technology for the mobile worker. To accompany its latest tablet solutions, Havis recently released the Desktop Stand for Tablet Docking Stations. With this universal desktop stand, mobile workers can more easily transition from the vehicle to the office.

Havis will continue to collaborate with equipment manufacturers like Panasonic to provide custom solutions that maximize productivity in the field. For more information on the Havis Docking Station for the Panasonic Toughpad A1, please visit http://www.havis.com/toughpad.

[1] Based on “The iPass Global Mobile Workforce Report” (May 2012).


About Havis

Havis Inc. is a privately held company that manufactures in-vehicle mobile office solutions for public safety, public works, government agencies and mobile professionals.  For over 80 years, the Havis mission has been to increase mobile worker productivity with industry-leading products that are built to the highest safety and quality standards and are designed with comfort in mind.  Headquartered in Warminster, Pa., with an additional location in Plymouth, Mich., Havis currently employs 175 people.  For more information on Havis, please call 1-800-524-9900 or visit www.havis.com.

Contact:

Andrea Felice
Havis, Inc. | Marketing
Phone: 215-957-0720 ext. 3198
E-mail: media@havis.com
www.havis.com

Vehicle maintainers roll into digital age

by Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/15/2012 - KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The U.S. military has a reputation for keeping pace with technology, using it to effectively keep the combat edge while streamlining processes for its workforce. The continual innovation in digital technologies makes it one of the most challenging arenas in which to maintain superiority.

Although many of the innovations are large scale, staying up to speed requires small yet significant changes at every level.

The 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management flight took a technological step forward earlier this year when it transitioned from paper technical orders (TOs) to digital versions on tablets.

With more than 600 TOs ranging from 600 to 1,800 pages, this translates into each of the 19 tablets holding upward of 625,000 pages. And that's before taking into account any local operating instructions or additional references.

"This is the biggest change in the VM career field I've seen in 24 years," said Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Keyser, 8th LRS flight chief. "As far as I know, no other LRS flight has yet to transition over. We're leading the charge and hope to influence other units in the same direction."

Using this newer technology saves the Air Force time and money.

According to Senior Airman Andrew Radcliff, 8th LRS tech support specialist, tablets cut down dramatically on time and paper resources.

"Previously, when we had to troubleshoot a vehicle, we looked up the TO on a reference sheet," said Radcliff. "After locating it amongst hundreds of manuals, we would then spend 30 to 45 minutes searching for a part or procedure in that TO."

On the tablets, it's a matter of just minutes searching via the built-in search function.

In the past, when a TO needed to be updated, publishers would send the changes by snail mail to every unit. If the shop didn't have a new TO on hand, it could take up to 30 days to arrive in the mail and leave a vehicle was out of commission for that time, according to Radcliff.

Now, new TOs are updated weekly, and every tablet is auto-synched at the end of each day.

"When I first was given responsibility over TOs, it was just weeks away from a major unit inspection," said Radcliff, one of the main Airmen responsible for making the transition happen. "We had about a decade worth of TOs that hadn't been properly taken care of. The only way to get inspection-ready in time was to go paperless.

"With encouragement and support from my leadership, we were able to make it happen," he added. "Now, it's virtually impossible to get written up for our TOs not being current."
Altogether, the 19 tablets and two laptops cost about $15,000. A paper TO in the past cost $600 to $700 per volume, with some TOs having multiple volumes.

The tablets are less hefty -- they weigh less than two pounds each, while similar rugged laptops start at six pounds. Each is also encased in a protective covering, which allows them to lie on an engine while a mechanic is working on the vehicle. The protected tablets can endure drops and exposure to the grease, dirt and corrosive chemicals that are part of a mechanic's daily job.

Such tablets have already been incorporated in some other units, notably by aircrew who also benefit from not having numerous paper TOs.

In 1945, Theodore von Kármán, famous aerodynamics contributor and engineer, told Gen. Hap Arnold that "only a constant inquisitive attitude toward science and a ceaseless and swift adaptation to new developments can maintain the security of this nation."

Although going paperless is a relatively small change in the scope of Air Force technology, it shows that units at all levels are ceaselessly moving forward to adapt to new developments.

Gamer Charged with Hacking into and Disabling New Hampshire Gaming Company’s Computer Servers

WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of New Hampshire returned an indictment late yesterday charging a Dutch national with allegedly conspiring to hack into and disable computer servers belonging to Rampid Interactive, a New Hampshire-based company that publishes and hosts a multi-player online role-playing game called “Outwar,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas of the District of New Hampshire announced today.

Anil Kheda, 24, of the Netherlands, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit computer intrusion and one count of making extortionate interstate threats.

The indictment alleges that from November 2007 to August 2008, Kheda and other members of the conspiracy, all of whom were avid “Outwar” players, accessed Rampid’s computer servers without authorization and rendered “Outwar” unplayable for days at a time.  According to the indictment, Kheda and his alleged co-conspirators also used their unauthorized access to Rampid’s servers to alter user accounts – causing the restoration of suspended player accounts and the accrual of unearned game points – and obtain a copy of all or portions of the “Outwar” computer source code, which they used to help create a competitor online game, “Outcraft.”  The indictment also alleges that Kheda and his alleged co-conspirators sent Rampid interstate communications threatening to continue to hack into Rampid’s computer systems unless Rampid agreed to pay them money or provide them with other benefits.

According to the indictment, as a result of the defendants’ hacking activities, Rampid was unable to operate “Outwar” for a total of approximately two weeks over a nine-month period and incurred over $100,000 in lost revenues, wages, hosting costs, long term loss of business, as well as the loss of exclusive use of their proprietary source code, which it had invested approximately $1.5 million in creating.

According to court documents, Kheda earned approximately $10,000 in profits from operating “Outcraft,” which has approximately 10,000 players worldwide.

If convicted, Kheda faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and two years in prison on the interstate threats charge.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

USAF, China's PLA physicians gather for first-ever acupuncture exchange

by Tech. Sgt. Matthew McGovern
Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

11/15/2012 - BEIJING, China  -- At the invitation of China's People Liberation Army, U.S. Air Force medical physicians, along-side their Chinese military and civilian counterparts, conducted a first-ever Medical Acupuncture and Battlefield Medicine Subject Matter Expert Exchange in Beijing, China Oct. 21-27.

The exchange, attended by seven U.S. representatives from the Air Force Medical Service, civilians from the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, and more than 30 PLA members, was an effort to help U.S.-China militaries increase mutual trust and understanding while sharing practices in traditional Chinese medicine.

"The sessions were friendly, informative and far-reaching in their scope," said Lt. Col. Gregory Sweitzer, Pacific Air Forces Clinical Quality and Innovation chief from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. "The enthusiasm and camaraderie that emerged from this exchange was clearly palpable and led to a series of discussions that extended outside the conference rooms and into the break room where genuinely enthusiastic inter-personal exchanges took place."

The exchange was held at three separate locations: a military hospital, university of medicine and a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. The different venues allowed the group to explore each other's acupuncture techniques, operational medicine issues, and acupuncture research. The group also focused on ways acupuncture remedies hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke, chronic pain, as well as gynecological complaints.

At the military hospital, where the Americans were greeted with prominently displayed U.S.-China banners and multiple cameramen, discussions included acupuncture treatment of battlefield injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and treatment of pain associated with amputations.

"We were treated very graciously [by our Chinese counter parts] and our hope is that we can have future exchanges in acupuncture and other medical exchanges with the PLA and civilian counterparts to learn more from them and them from us," said Sweitzer.

The Chinese physicians formed a similar opinion regarding the exchanges.

"The exchange [facilitated] Sino-U.S. friendship, enhanced relations, and I hope communications," said Col. Lou Yongchang, PLA Air Force Aviation Medicine Branch director.

Sweitzer remains optimistic about further relations with his Chinese counterparts.

"We believe this visit truly enhanced U.S.-China military-medical relations, particularly with regard to the provision and utilization of acupuncture in our respected militaries. In fact, our group has already identified some prospective topics and workshops that could provide the framework for a second U.S.-China exchange," said Sweitzer.

Pacific Air Forces conduct subject matter exchanges throughout the pacific to collaborate with other professionals and assist with communications across various military disciplines. Dialogue and exchanges are designed to promote stable military-to-military relationships by reducing misunderstanding, misperception, and miscalculation through increased communication and interaction.

Virtual AFOSI Tip Line allows "smart application" to report suspicious activity

by Capt Tamara Fischer-Carter
HQ AFSPC Public Affairs

11/15/2012 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Air Force Office of Special Investigations recently announced a new initiative to move its EagleEyes "tip line" into the virtual world.

In an effort to better engage the community and prevent threats to the United States Air Force, individuals will now be linked with technology to be able to send anonymous information about suspicious or illegal activity. Through a Smartphone application, the web, or by text message tipsters may also submit relevant photos and documents, and follow up on the results of their tips.

"The Tip Line allows individuals to anonymously report criminal or suspicious activity affecting the Air Force to AFOSI through the use of their phone or the internet," said Special Agent Wittwer, AFOSI 8th Field Investigations Region.

From cyber attack to espionage, fraud and sexual assault, there are many real threats against the Air Force. This is one way the community can aid in identifying threats and report information in a virtually effortless manner many are more comfortable with.

Individuals may send information about suspicious activity by texting 'AFOSI' and their tip to 274637 (CRIMES), or through the online tip line at: www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=1111, or the AFOSI web page at: http://www.osi.af.mil.

Smartphone users may download the tip application from their mobile provider's marketplace by selecting "AFOSI" under USA Federal Agency.

Panetta ‘Disappointed’ as Cyber Legislation Stalls

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is “disappointed” that an effort to move pending cybersecurity legislation forward failed in the Senate yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Little, traveling with Panetta in the Asia-Pacific region, issued a statement after the Senate rejected by a 51-47 vote a procedural motion by Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Susan Collins to move the legislation forward.

“Secretary Panetta was disappointed to learn that the Senate failed to move forward on the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, which would have enhanced our nation's ability to protect itself against cyber threats, which are growing at an alarming rate,” Little said.

Cyberattacks threaten to have crippling effects on America's critical infrastructure and its government and private-sector systems, he added.

“The U.S. defense strategy calls for greater investments in cybersecurity measures, and we will continue to explore ways to defend the nation against cyber threats,” Little said. “New legislation would have enhanced those efforts. If the Congress neglects to address this security problem urgently, the consequences could be devastating.”

419th pilot designs, tests F-16 software

by Bryan Magaña
419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/13/2012 - HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- A Reservist from the 419th Fighter Wing has a civilian job here that directly impacts his military duties as an F-16 fighter pilot.

As a fighter system specialist in the 309th Software Maintenance Group, David DeAngelis designs and creates software for the Block 30 and Block 50 versions of the F-16. As an Air Force Reservist, the major puts that software to the test - while in the air.

The F-16 has undergone major changes since first taking to the skies more than 30 years ago, including high-tech software upgrades that make it as combat-ready as newer aircraft.

"As a Reservist, I'm able to fly the F-16 twice a week and see firsthand how the software performs in the field," DeAngelis said. "I get to be involved in the process from the computer screen to the cockpit."

DeAngelis has flown with the wing's 466th Fighter Squadron for five years, previously serving on active duty for nine years. He has also deployed four times since 2001, having flown combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan.

His experience in the cockpit makes him a subject matter expert for engineers at the 309th SMXG, helping improve the software and ensure it meets the needs of the warfighter.

"When I went to Iraq a few years ago, it was difficult to cue the aircraft sensors to various locations on the ground," he said. "When I came back to my civilian job, I talked to the helmet engineers and came up with a solution to more easily identify enemy forces and bomb targets."

Deangelis said the helmet software is now in the final stages of development and getting positive reviews from test pilots, whom he meets with regularly for suggestions on future software capabilities.

"Maj. DeAngelis is another great example of how a Reservist's expertise in the civilian sector significantly benefits the Air Force and Air Force Reserve," said Col. Bryan Cook, 419th Operations Group commander, who oversees flying operations here.

The Air Force Association recently honored DeAngelis with the AFA Outstanding Reserve Aircrew Award for 2011 for outstanding leadership and aviation prowess during a joint 419th FW and 388th FW deployment to the Republic of Korea.