5th CCG hosts technology showcase, vendors give crowd view of new gadgets Published July 1, 2010 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th Air Base Wing ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Team Robins members attended the 5th Combat Communications Group's 2nd Annual Technology Showcase last week to see the hottest new tactical communications gadgets. Approximately two dozen vendors showcased a wide variety of products, from high-tech communications equipment to low-tech items such as collapsible traffic safety cones. Many of the vendors are already doing business at Robins. Joe Guest, business product manager for Tracewell Systems, showed off some of the company's E-Tool Mobile Managers, specially-designed metal cabinets to house laptops. The cabinets are in use on the flightline at Robins, Guest said, adding such products are developed through close communication with people in the field. "We modify our manufacturing to satisfy their needs and requirements," he said. Some items were geared more toward direct sales to military members. One example is a roll-out pad that acts as a solar panel to recharge an iPod. Other products included rapid-deploy tents and shelters, customizable storage cases guaranteed to never break, and optical cable that can withstand hammer blows and still transmit a signal.