Sporting the mobile OS.”
Mobile POS devices now
enabled relays or connect remotely via Wi-Fi to wireless relays ( www. controlanything.com). More likely you’ll come across remote relays that are web-controlled, typically from a standard web browser, which should also support Android devices (depending on the user interface). US-based National Control Devices can now use If This Then That (IFTTT) to control its web-based relays.
WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS
Keeping track of bulk goods requires no small investment (just ask Amazon) and there’s a whole industry supplying tech for warehouse logistics management. Barcode scanners revolutionised logistics and greatly sped up handling of bulk goods. It’s also another area where Android is popping up. The Zebra TC8000 combines the pistol-grip scanner form-factor with Android mobile computer ( tinyurl.com/ apc437-zebra). This particular unit runs the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP) version of Lollipop/Android 5.1 with Zebra’s own Mobility Extensions (Mx) security layer. There’s also a range of wireless (mostly Bluetooth) scanners that allow you to enter data direct from scanner into an Android app on your smartphone, along with mobile barcode printers that wirelessly connect also.
OTHER APPLICATIONS
Beyond that, other applications using Android include display advertising ( tinyurl.com/apc437-display) and embedded computer systems for industrial applications ( tinyurl.com/ apc437-it4ever).
Connecting industrial machinery to the web will worry many from a security viewpoint, so there needs to be continued investment in security, as there does in innovation. Android is a great personal operating system, but it’s also making in-roads beyond the consumer/enthusiast market into more serious industrial applications. So keep your eyes open — you might just find your favourite mobile operating system pop up where you least expect it.