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Posts Tagged ‘Android’

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The End User Device

Friday, October 7th, 2011

Already the techno websites are making much hay of the Army’s move to a new End User Device that will, most assuredly, wipe the notion of what was Land Warrior/Nett Warrior from our collective bad memories. By removing 70% of the weight from the Soldier, the End User Device is simultaneously enhancing the capability of the system as a whole.

What has tongues wagging is that, thankfully, the Android-based systems currently being evaluated are not phones. That’s right. As PEO Soldier, BG Camille Nichols stated at yesterday’s media roundtable, they are NOT 3G devices. Instead, the Army will connect these End User Devices to the Rifleman’s Radio variant of the Joint Tactical Radio System or JTRS. It is pronounced “jitters” as in, that radio system that is still in development hell after 15 years gives me the JTRS. At any rate, the Rifleman’s Radio segment of JTRS actually works and much better than its predecessors the PRC 126, 127 or God forbid 68 (if you are old enough). Plus, it handles data pretty well which is critical for a system like this.

Why no 3G you might ask? Simple, it’s all about the infrastructure, or lack thereof. Oddly enough, we rarely fight in places with a nice, new 3G (or better) network in place. And even if it is there, the bad guys are using it so we have to knock it out in order to disrupt their Command & Control. Sure, there are new portable mobile networks being developed, but they are still just phone networks that rely on switches. A radio on the other hand does not. Radios can talk to other radios without a switch and if a redundant mobile network goes down, radios continue to Soldier on. Yes, we know that a cellphone uses a radio. Unfortunately, it requires a complex infrastructure to work. Like it or not, the Rifleman’s Radio is the key here.

This strategy can also be cheaper. If a newer End User Device is approved you aren’t stuck with that pesky contract. Instead, you just go out and buy the new one. Likewise, if we upgrade radios there’s no need to replace everything.

And then, there’s that whole accreditation issue. How do you keep the data and access to the network safe safe from the enemy? That’s the current long pole in the tent, working out the security for the device. But, we are very pleased to hear, that the Army gets it. Unfortunately, those writing about it don’t seem to.

Most of the comments flying around the interwebs about this issue are confounded about why we can’t just go buy the latest ‘Droid, let the troops upload some apps, and go kick ass. That’s because those commenting know two things about warfighting. That’s “Jack”, and you can guess the other one. What’s worse, they don’t seem to have much of a grasp on telecommunications either.

So, big points here:
Army looking at Android based tablet or handheld devices.
Army is not going 3G with the End User Device.
Mobile Devices require a network, networks don’t exist in places we tend to fight.
Consequently, radios are not going away.

Discuss amongst yourselves…

Tags: ,
Posted in Comms, Digitization, PEO-Soldier | 9 Comments »

Tactical NAV 2.5 Just Released

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Rev 2.5 of the popular Tactical NAV app was recently released with increased GPS accuracy as well as the ability to turn the crosshairs off. Once iOS 5 hits, there will be another minor update.

Additionally, the brains behind the app, Army CPT Jonathan Springer informed us that he has begun to work on an Android version of the software which will include all of the functionality of the iOS app. Development will take 60-90 days due to the complexity of the code. This is huge news considering that the Army is investigating the Android platform as their answer to the Nett Warrior program. Unfortunately, the Army won’t help support the development so CPT Springer is having to fund the project out of pocket.

Regardless, both apps will be able to work together seamlessly to share waypoint as well as other data.

To get the iOS app visit iTunes.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Digitization | 3 Comments »

Looking for More Soldier Systems Daily?

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

Believe it or not, SSD is poised to share all of your online moments.

TacticalFanboy.com
Last Fall we realized that as our readership grew, so did their interests begin to vary and in response, our editorial content began to shift somewhat as well. Ever conscious of our core readership, consisting of Industry, Government, and Military, we became a bit concerned that we had lost some of our focus. And in that notion, the idea for Tactical Fanboy was born. Officially launched during SHOT Show, you can think of it as sort of an alter ego. Over the past few months TF’s fan base has grown and grown. In fact, some of our most popular stories have been from TF.

Now, we can have our cake and eat it too and so can you. SSD at work and TF at home. SSD has moved back to its roots concentrating on hardcore Government and Industry news while TF has picked up the more recreational and entertainment sides of this community, with a little bit of humor and risque content thrown in for good measure. While this may mean no more worries about running across content on SSD that may be questionable at work, don’t just write TF off as some milsim wannabe site. The name might be lighthearted but the content will always be on point. But don’t worry, you’ll see us share content and collaborate regularly.
www.TacticalFanBoy.com

News
We put the “new” in news. If it’s worth knowing you are going to read it here first. And if you do happen to see it somewhere else first, we will tell you to go see it there, unless we have the rest of the story. Which, all too often seems to be the case. We will always endeavor to give you the best and most up-to-date coverage of the tactical industry, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No one else provides this level of coverage.

Comments
Our readers kept asking to be able to comment on our stories and finally, we listened. You can now comment on our articles. We were a bit standoffish at first and maybe one or two commentors seem to forget that this is primarily a tactical gear site but overall we are very pleased to see how well behaved everyone is. Additionally, it is nice to see some of the added value our readers have offered.

Twitter
We have found Twitter to be one of the best means to reach out to our readers and our list of followers continues to grow. In addition to alerts of new stories we also release information through Twitter that might be of interest to our readers or is related to our core content but originates elsewhere.
twitter.com/soldiersystems

Facebook
We launched our Facebook page awhile back and recently started taking advantage of it. Tactical Fanboy has also got his up and running so check him out as well. Make sure you like us and tell your friends about us as well. We recently conducted a test of live Facebook/Twitter coverage of a recent PEO Soldier media roundtable. Overall, it was very well received.

Wibiya
We have added the Wibiya toolbar to our website and found that it really slowed down page loading. We’ve taken it down.

iPhone
Our iPhone app has been extremely popular and delivers the latest updates directly to your iPhone each time you open it. If it seems to have died on you, delete it and reinstall. We want to do an Android app but we are not happy with the company we had chosen. Any suggestions?
iTunes

M4Carbine.net
M4Carbine.net has been most gracious in offering us a dedicated sub-forum to interact with our readers. Not only is it a great place to discuss our articles and current issues in the Soldier Systems industry but M4Carbine.net gives access to the best group of Subject Matter Experts we have run across. No over-inflated CVs, no BS, just good information. Military, Law Enforcement, or a fan of the Black Rifle? You should be a member of M4Carbine.net.
M4Carbine.net

Lightfighter
We have a presence on Lightfighter.net. Check it out and please let us know about your experience there.
www.lightfighter.net

Youtube
We post videos for our articles on our Youtube channel. Additionally, we make use of content posted by others. Always be on the look out for more content.
www.youtube.com

Kindle
Subscriptions to SSD’s content are available for the Kindle via Amazon. Don’t forget there is a Kindle reader for iPhone and iPad.
Scribd.com/solsys

Contests
We have been running some cool contests this year thanks to our sponsors. Our recent kit design contest was the first time we have seen industry reach out to partner with a user to develop new products. We also ran a camouflage design contest that brought 29 unique patterns vying for a $500 prize from one of our sponsors.
Contest.SoldierSystems.net

SWAG
Looking for some swag? If you don’t run into use at a trade show, our logo patches are available from Mil-Spec Monkey and our American Heritage T-shirt series is available from Tactical Distributors.

Trade Shows
In the near-term look for us at Blade Show and ADS Warrior Expo East.

On-line Gaming
If you have an Xbox Live account, you can friend request ‘Tactical Fanboy’.

The Future
Here at SSD we continuously look at ways to increase interaction with our readers. For example, some of our writers have begun to develop specialized content for other sites. In fact, you may have seen the article on HIGH GEAR on ADS Inc’s web site. If you look hard enough, you will also see some of our stuff in print. Additionally, we have also posted guest content from the Mad Duo and others. Look for some SSD logo items becoming available VERY soon through well known vendors. We don’t run this site to sell you anything but people keep asking us for it so we’ll let them do what they do best and we’ll stick with the news.

One final word. None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. We have affiliated ourselves with reputable companies who provide solid products and services and we would not hesitate to recommend any of them. At SSD we look at our sponsorship program as a two-way street. We are endorsing them as much as they are us and we urge you to support them. They offer some great products. Use them and let them know you saw them on SSD.

One of the first things I learned in the Army was to constantly improve my fighting position, so if you have any additional ideas on ways SSD can do more for you, please feel free to share them with us.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Admin, TFB | 5 Comments »

Immerse Yourself in the SSD Experience

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Believe it or not, SSD is poised to share all of your online moments.

TacticalFanboy.com
Last Fall we realized that as our readership grew, so did their interests begin to vary and in response, our editorial content began to shift somewhat as well. Ever conscious of our core readership, consisting of Industry, Government, and Military, we became a bit concerned that we had lost some of our focus. And in that notion, the idea for Tactical Fanboy was born. Officially launched during SHOT Show, you can think of it as sort of an alter ego. Over the past few months TF’s fan base has grown and grown. In fact, some of our most popular stories have been from TF.

Now, we can have our cake and eat it too and so can you. SSD at work and TF at home. SSD has moved back to its roots concentrating on hardcore Government and Industry news while TF has picked up the more recreational and entertainment sides of this community, with a little bit of humor and risque content thrown in for good measure. While this may mean no more worries about running across content on SSD that may be questionable at work, don’t just write TF off as some milsim wannabe site. The name might be lighthearted but the content will always be on point. But don’t worry, you’ll see us share content and collaborate regularly.
www.TacticalFanBoy.com

News
We put the “new” in news. If it’s worth knowing you are going to read it here first. And if you do happen to see it somewhere else first, we will tell you to go see it there, unless we have the rest of the story. Which, all too often seems to be the case. We will always endeavor to give you the best and most up-to-date coverage of the tactical industry, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No one else provides this level of coverage.

Comments
Our readers kept asking to be able to comment on our stories and finally, we listened. You can now comment on our articles. We were a bit standoffish at first and maybe one or two commentors seem to forget that this is primarily a tactical gear site but overall we are very pleased to see how well behaved everyone is. Additionally, it is nice to see some of the added value our readers have offered.

Twitter
We have found Twitter to be one of the best means to reach out to our readers and our list of followers continues to grow. In addition to alerts of new stories we also release information through Twitter that might be of interest to our readers or is related to our core content but originates elsewhere.
twitter.com/soldiersystems

Facebook
We launched our Facebook page awhile back and recently started taking advantage of it. Tactical Fanboy has also got his up and running so check him out as well. Make sure you like us and tell your friends about us as well. We recently conducted a test of live Facebook/Twitter coverage of a recent PEO Soldier media roundtable. Overall, it was very well received.

Wibiya
We have added the Wibiya toolbar to our website and found that it really slowed down page loading. We’ve taken it down.

iPhone
Our iPhone app has been extremely popular and delivers the latest updates directly to your iPhone each time you open it. If it seems to have died on you, delete it and reinstall. We want to do an Android app but we are not happy with the company we had chosen. Any suggestions?
iTunes

M4Carbine.net
M4Carbine.net has been most gracious in offering us a dedicated sub-forum to interact with our readers. Not only is it a great place to discuss our articles and current issues in the Soldier Systems industry but M4Carbine.net gives access to the best group of Subject Matter Experts we have run across. No over-inflated CVs, no BS, just good information. Military, Law Enforcement, or a fan of the Black Rifle? You should be a member of M4Carbine.net.
M4Carbine.net

Youtube
We post videos for our articles on our Youtube channel. Additionally, we make use of content posted by others. Always be on the look out for more content.
www.youtube.com

Kindle
Subscriptions to SSD’s content are available for the Kindle via Amazon. Don’t forget there is a Kindle reader for iPhone and iPad.
Scribd.com/solsys

Contests
We have been running some cool contests this year thanks to our sponsors. Our recent kit design contest was the first time we have seen industry reach out to partner with a user to develop new products. We also ran a camouflage design contest that brought 29 unique patterns vying for a $500 prize from one of our sponsors.
Contest.SoldierSystems.net

SWAG
Looking for some swag? If you don’t run into use at a trade show, our logo patches are available from Mil-Spec Monkey and our American Heritage T-shirt series is available from Tactical Distributors.

Trade Shows
In the near-term look for us at Blade Show and ADS Warrior Expo East.

On-line Gaming
If you have an Xbox Live account, you can friend request ‘Tactical Fanboy’.

The Future
Here at SSD we continuously look at ways to increase interaction with our readers. For example, some of our writers have begun to develop specialized content for other sites. In fact, you may have seen the article on HIGH GEAR on ADS Inc’s web site. If you look hard enough, you will also see some of our stuff in print. Additionally, we have also posted guest content from the Mad Duo and others. Look for some SSD logo items becoming available VERY soon through well known vendors. We don’t run this site to sell you anything but people keep asking us for it so we’ll let them do what they do best and we’ll stick with the news.

One final word. None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. We have affiliated ourselves with reputable companies who provide solid products and services and we would not hesitate to recommend any of them. At SSD we look at our sponsorship program as a two-way street. We are endorsing them as much as they are us and we urge you to support them. They offer some great products. Use them and let them know you saw them on SSD.

One of the first things I learned in the Army was to constantly improve my fighting position, so if you have any additional ideas on ways SSD can do more for you, please feel free to share them with us.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Admin | Comments Off on Immerse Yourself in the SSD Experience

Put More SSD in Your Life

Saturday, April 23rd, 2011

Ok, so you can’t spend 24 hours a day with us, but we have come up with several ways for you to keep in touch during your every waking moment.

TacticalFanboy.com
Last Fall we realized that as our readership grew, so did their interests begin to vary and in response, our editorial content began to shift somewhat as well. Ever conscious of our core readership, consisting of Industry, Government, and Military, we became a bit concerned that we had lost some of our focus. And in that notion, the idea for Tactical Fanboy was born. Officially launched during SHOT Show, you can think of it as sort of an alter ego. Over the past few months TF’s fan base has grown and grown. In fact, some of our most popular stories have been from TF.

Now, we can have our cake and eat it too and so can you. SSD at work and TF at home. SSD has moved back to its roots concentrating on hardcore Government and Industry news while TF has picked up the more recreational and entertainment sides of this community, with a little bit of humor and risque content thrown in for good measure. While this may mean no more worries about running across content on SSD that may be questionable at work, don’t just write TF off as some milsim wannabe site. The name might be lighthearted but the content will always be on point. But don’t worry, you’ll see us share content and collaborate regularly.
www.TacticalFanBoy.com

News
We put the “new” in news. If it’s worth knowing you are going to read it here first. And if you do happen to see it somewhere else first, we will tell you to go see it there, unless we have the rest of the story. Which, all too often seems to be the case. We will always endeavor to give you the best and most up-to-date coverage of the tactical industry, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No one else provides this level of coverage.

Comments
Our readers kept asking to be able to comment on our stories and finally, we listened. You can now comment on our articles. We were a bit standoffish at first and maybe one or two commentors seem to forget that this is primarily a tactical gear site but overall we are very pleased to see how well behaved everyone is. Additionally, it is nice to see some of the added value our readers have offered.

Twitter
We have found Twitter to be one of the best means to reach out to our readers and our list of followers continues to grow. In addition to alerts of new stories we also release information through Twitter that might be of interest to our readers or is related to our core content but originates elsewhere.
twitter.com/soldiersystems

Facebook
We launched our Facebook page awhile back and recently started taking advantage of it. Tactical Fanboy has also got his up and running so check him out as well. Make sure you like us and tell your friends about us as well. We recently conducted a test of live Facebook/Twitter coverage of a recent PEO Soldier media roundtable. Overall, it was very well received.

Wibiya
We have added the Wibiya toolbar to our website after learning about it from our friends at Shellback Tactical. Once installed, it is configurable from their website so we can update links to our social media without having to mess around with our site’s code. Additionally, it allows the reader access to social media features without leaving SSD. Please let us know what you think and if it has been causing any performance issues for you.
www.wibiya.com

iPhone
Our iPhone app has been extremely popular and delivers the latest updates directly to your iPhone each time you open it. If it seems to have died on you, delete it and reinstall. We want to do an Android app but we are not happy with the company we had chosen. Any suggestions?
iTunes

M4Carbine.net
M4Carbine.net has been most gracious in offering us a dedicated sub-forum to interact with our readers. Not only is it a great place to discuss our articles and current issues in the Soldier Systems industry but M4Carbine.net gives access to the best group of Subject Matter Experts we have run across. No over-inflated CVs, no BS, just good information. Military, Law Enforcement, or a fan of the Black Rifle? You should be a member of M4Carbine.net.
M4Carbine.net

Youtube
We post videos for our articles on our Youtube channel. Additionally, we make use of content posted by others. Always be on the look out for more content.
www.youtube.com

Kindle
Subscriptions to SSD’s content are available for the Kindle via Amazon. Don’t forget there is a Kindle reader for iPhone and iPad.
Scribd.com/solsys

Contests
We have been running some cool contests this year thanks to our sponsors. Our recent kit design contest was the first time we have seen industry reach out to partner with a user to develop new products. We also ran a camouflage design contest that brought 29 unique patterns vying for a $500 prize from one of our sponsors.
Contest.SoldierSystems.net

Trade Shows
In the near-term look for us at ADS Warrior Expo West and SOFIC.

On-line Gaming
If you have an Xbox Live account, you can friend request ‘Tactical Fanboy’.

The Future
Here at SSD we continuously look at ways to increase interaction with our readers. For example, some of our writers have begun to develop specialized content for other sites. In fact, you may have seen the article on HIGH GEAR on ADS Inc’s web site. If you look hard enough, you will also see some of our stuff in print. Additionally, we have also posted guest content from the Mad Duo and others. Look for some SSD logo items becoming available VERY soon through well known vendors. We don’t run this site to sell you anything but people keep asking us for it so we’ll let them do what they do best and we’ll stick with the news.

One final word. None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. We have affiliated ourselves with reputable companies who provide solid products and services and we would not hesitate to recommend any of them. At SSD we look at our sponsorship program as a two-way street. We are endorsing them as much as they are us and we urge you to support them. They offer some great products. Use them and let them know you saw them on SSD.

One of the first things I learned in the Army was to constantly improve my fighting position, so if you have any additional ideas on ways SSD can do more for you, please feel free to share them with us.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Admin, TFB | Comments Off on Put More SSD in Your Life

Can’t Get Enough Soldier Systems?

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

In addition to our daily updates here on the site, there are several other ways to get your Soldier Systems fix. Don’t forget that we are a daily and normally update a minimum of twice per day so come back regularly to keep up on the latest news. If that isn’t enough, we offer several alternatives.

Twitter
Our list of followers on Twitter continues to grow. In addition to alerts of new stories we also release information through Twitter that might be of interest to our readers or is related to our core content but originates elsewhere.
twitter.com/soldiersystems

Facebook
We launched our Facebook page awhile back and are jut beginning to make use of it. Dissatisfied with how we have seen some companies use their accounts we wanted to get in there with a plan to make the experience more meaningful. Look for lots of content soon.
Facebook.com

iPhone
Our iPhone app has been extremely popular and delivers the latest updates directly to your iPhone each time you open it.
iTunes

M4Carbine.net
M4Carbine.net has been most gracious in offering us a dedicated sub-forum to interact with our readers. Not only is it a great place to discuss our articles and current issues in the Soldier Systems industry but M4Carbine.net gives access to the best group of Subject Matter Experts we have run across. No over-inflated CVs, no BS, just good information. Military, Law Enforcement, or a fan of the Black Rifle? You should be a member of M4Carbine.net.
M4Carbine.net

Youtube
We post videos for our articles on our Youtube channel. Additionally, we make use of content posted by others. Always be on the look out for more content.
www.youtube.com

Kindle
Subscriptions to SSD’s content are available for the Kindle via Amazon. Don’t forget there is a Kindle reader for iPhone and iPad.
Amazon.com

The Future
Here at SSD we continuously look at ways to increase interaction with our readers. One example is that we are ready to release an app for the Android. Additionally, some of our writers have begun to develop specialized content for other sites. For example, you may have seen the article on Environmental Clothing Systems on ADS Inc’s web site. You will also begin to see some of our stuff in print. We have also posted content from the Mad Duo and others.

Something very exciting is happening to SSD very soon. Once we get over this busy trade show season, a big change is coming.

One final word. None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. We have affiliated ourselves with reputable companies who provide solid products and services and we would not hesitate to recommend any of them. At SSD we look at our sponsorship program as a two-way street. We are endorsing them as much as they are us and we urge you to support them.

We are constantly improving our fighting position, so if you have any additional ideas on ways SSD can do more for you, please feel free to share them with us.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Admin | Comments Off on Can’t Get Enough Soldier Systems?

Soldier Systems and Social Media

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

In addition to our daily updates here on the site, there are several other ways to get your Soldier Systems fix. Don’t forget that we are a daily and normally update at least twice per day so come back regularly to keep up on the latest news. If that isn’t enough, we offer several alternatives.

Twitter
Our list of followers on Twitter continues to grow. In addition to alerts of new stories we also release information through Twitter that might be of interest to our readers or is related to our core content but originates elsewhere.
twitter.com/soldiersystems

Facebook
We launched our Facebook page awhile back and are jut beginning to make use of it. Dissatisfied with how we have seen some companies use their accounts we wanted to get in there with a plan to make the experience more meaningful. Look for lots of content soon.
Facebook.com

iPhone
Our iPhone app has been extremely popular and delivers the latest updates directly to your iPhone each time you open it.
iTunes

M4Carbine.net
M4Carbine.net has been most gracious in offering us a dedicated sub-forum to interact with our readers. Not only is it a great place to discuss our articles and current issues in the Soldier Systems industry but M4Carbine.net gives access to the best group of Subject Matter Experts we have run across. No over-inflated CVs, no BS, just good information. Military, Law Enforcement, or a fan of the Black Rifle, you should be a member of M4Carbine.net.
M4Carbine.net

Youtube
We post videos for our articles on our Youtube channel. Additionally, we make use of content posted by others. Look for more content in the future.
www.youtube.com

Kindle
Subscriptions to SSD’s content are available for the Kindle via Amazon.
Amazon.com

The Future
Here at SSD we continuously look at ways to increase interaction with our readers. One example is that we are looking at releasing an app for the Android. Additionally, some of our writers have begun to develop specialized content for other sites. For example, you may have seen the article on Environmental Clothing Systems on ADS Inc’s web site. You will also begin to see some of our stuff in print. More on that soon.

One final word. None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. We have affiliated ourselves with reputable companies who provide solid products and services and we would not hesitate to recommend any of them. At SSD we look at our sponsorship program as a two-way street. We are endorsing them as much as they are us and we urge you to support them.

We are constantly improving our fighting position, so if you have any additional ideas on ways SSD can do more for you, please feel free to share them with us.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Admin | Comments Off on Soldier Systems and Social Media

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