Though touted as "all-new," Handheld's Nautiz eTicket Pro (right) seems to us to be very similar to the Nautiz eTicket announced in May 2009, as well as to the Nautiz X5 released in March of the same year.

Again designed for ticket validation and other transactions in the transport sector, the new device apparently adds a revised smart card reader designed by the Swedish company Arcontia, "a leading supplier of smart card readers for the public transportation market."

According to Handheld, the eTicket Pro is compliant with ISO 14443 A/B and ISO 18092 smart card standard, and also supports NFC (near-field communications) in both passive reader and active peer-to-peer (P2P modes). The device has three integrated SAM (secure access model) slots, which can work in parallel or independently of one another, the company adds.

Running Windows Mobile Professional 6.1, the Nautiz eTicket Pro is said to withstand six-foot drops, operate from -20 to 55 deg. C (-4 to 131 deg. F), and to be sealed against water and dust intrusion. Unlike many rugged handhelds, the eTicket Pro also incorporates a three megapixel autofocus camera, with LED flash, and a speedy 806MHz Marvell PXA320 processor, says Handheld.

The eTicket Pro also includes a GPS receiver, based in this case on the SiRF starIII chipset. In addtion to the smart card reader, the handheld has an integrated 2D imager, according to Handheld.

The eTicket Pro's wireless capabilities include a GSM modem, whose operating bands aren't specified, but which is said to be compatible with HSDPA data downloads of up to 7.2Mbps. The handheld also includes 802.11b/g wireless networking with CCX (Cisco compatible extensions) and Bluetooth 2.0, plus an integrated speaker and microphone, making it VoIP-capable, the company says.

According to Handheld, the device sports a 3.5-inch touchscreen display with 640 x 480 resolution. Unlike the earlier X5, which was available with an optional QWERTY keypad, the eTicket Pro apparently only comes with a numeric keypad, as shown at the top of our story.

The PXA320 processor is combined with 256MB of RAM, 512MB of flash storage, and a microSD slot for memory expansion. Meanwhile, the eTicket Pro includes both USB host and USB client ports, a serial port, an IrDA interface -- uncommon these days -- and a headphone jack.

Handheld says the eTicket Pro's 4400mAh battery can power the device for more than eight hours. An optional desktop cradle charges the device and provides it with a wired Ethernet port, the company adds.

Features and specifications listed by Handheld for the Nautiz eTicket Pro include:

• Processor -- 806MHz Marvell PXA320
  
• Memory -- 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage
  
• Display -- 3.5-inch touchscreen display with 640 x 480 resolution
  
• Keyboard -- numeric keypad
  
• Camera -- 3 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
  
• Networking -- 10/100 Ethernet (via optional cradle)
  
• Wireless:
  • WAN -- GSM (bands not specified), HSDPA compatible
    
  • LAN -- 802.11b/g
    
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
    
  • GPS
    
  • Smart card reader:
    • Supports Mifare Standard 1kB, Mifare 4k, MifareUltralight, Mifare Plus, Mifare Desfire, Mifare Desfire EV1, Mifare SmartMX, NFC, ISO14443A tags, ISO14443B tags, Felica RCS-860, Felica RCS-885
• Other I/O:
  • USB host
    
  • USB device port
    
  • Serial port
    
  • IrDA
    
  • Headphone jack
• Expansion -- microSD slot
  
• Battery type/life -- 4400mAh battery provides more than eight hours of operation
  
• Operating temperature -- -20 to 55 deg. C (-4 to 131 deg. F)
  
• Dimensions -- 6.3 x 3.15 x 1.4 inches (160 x 80 x 35.5mm)
  
• Weight, including battery -- 14.46 ounces (410g)

• Rugged handheld adds smart card reader
• Rugged handheld has GSM, 3Mpix
  
• Windows handheld targets VoIP users
  
• Rugged PDA runs Windows Mobile
  
• Pistol-packin' handheld targets retailers
  
• Rugged handheld has sealed expansion
  
• Rugged handhelds get GSM
  
• Rugged handheld has barcode reader