Nokia's not exactly known for its beefy, ultra-survivable gear, but unless the human race plans on getting a whole lot less clumsy, rugged phones will always be a good idea -- and Espoo's 3720 certainly seems to fill the bill. The Series 40-based candybar features a 2 megapixel cam with LED flash, triband EDGE (sorry, North Americans), FM radio, microSD expansion, and the latest and greatest Bluetooth 2.1, but the real news here is that the phone is built to meet IP54 standards. A quick check with our handy-dandy IP code reference tells us that means that "ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact" -- in other words, your phone might get nasty dirty, but it'll keep chugging -- and it can withstand "splashing" water. Scuba divers, the search for your perfect phone probably continues. Refreshingly, the 3720 will run just €125 (about $175) unlocked when it ships later this summer.

At first glance, you'd be hard-pressed to notice the difference between LaCie's LaCinema Rugged HD and last year's model, but sure enough, the middle square of that device definitely has "HD" ingrained into its genetic code, and if you can't guess what that means, we'll tell ya: 1080p output. Other than that aesthetic modification and the new peak resolution, there's not a lot that's changed -- HDMI and composite output, USB 2.0 transfer, and a sizable number of supported codecs -- but that's not exactly a bad thing here. It's available as of this moment, and while previously we had a few variety of sizes, for now we're only seeing 500GB at a penny under $350 before shipping.

Why leave all the new computer fun to your desk or lap, right? In an effort to give that barren wall of yours something to cheer about, Eurotech has recently introduced a new trio of Panel Computers, all of which are powered by Intel's less-than-amazing Atom CPU. The Vx-120F-N270 and Vx-150F-N270 are practically identical save for the 12.1- and 15-inch touchscreens (respectively), with each possessing an Atom N270 processor, a fanless design, high-brightness LCD, twin gigabit Ethernet jacks, a front-mounted USB port and an expansion slot for add-on boards. The outfit also debuted the rugged Bx-400F-N270, which should withstand abuse not seen on typical in-wall PCs. Prices have yet to be made public, but you can pretty much bank on your local home automation dealer charging a boatload come mid-September.

In a whirring round of hurt that only a dear friend we know simply as Congmasta could deliver, a team of his irreverent cousins got ahold of Panasonic's Toughbook CF-30 to see just how far the envelope could be pushed. We already discovered that said machine was plenty tough for the average adventurer, but Forbes' tests prove that this bad boy is tailor made for maltreatment in the field. Somehow, the machine survived a round of Diet Coke to the keys, a few chomps from a white tiger, an elephant's playful attempt to extirpate it and even a single .22 slug through the lid. After the torment concluded, the CF-30 still managed to boot, and while that hole in the LCD was certainly a nuisance, it didn't stop the rest of the pixels from lighting up and trudging onward. Tap the read link for all the gory details, photographs and video, but seriously, don't try this at home. Or anywhere.

[Image courtesy of Schim Schimmel/SchimmelSmith Publishing, thanks Vipul]

While Canon's PowerShot D10 has been hogging the spotlight in the waterproof point-and-shoot arena, Pentax is dropping in a formidable opponent this evening with the Optio W80. Said shooter measures in at just one inch thick and features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, a 5x internal optical zoom, a wide-angle 28mm lens and a SuperProtect coating that helps repel water, grime and finger marks from the len's crystal cover. The chassis is built to handle submersion in water up to 16 feet deep, not to mention extreme cold, dust and drops of one meter or less. There's also a 2.5-inch rear LCD, a 720p movie mode, face detection and shake reduction. It's slated to ship next month for $299.95; now you've just got to decide between Cardinal Red, Azure Blue and Gunmetal Gray. Tough call, right? The full release is just past the break.

Long rumored as the C721, Casio's pivoting EXILIM clamshell is now available to all comers on Verizon. Though the camera goes way up to 5.1 megapixels with autofocus, image stabilization, and a 3x optical zoom, the phone doesn't stray too far from its G'zOne roots -- it's mil-spec 810F compliant for dust, shock, temperature, and water resistance. It also features expandability up to 8GB (something you'll likely need if you're taking advantage of that cam) and compatibility with Verizon's VZ Navigator service. If you really need to be taking pictures in the shower, the pleasure's going to cost you: expect to pay $279.99 on contract after rebate.

Guard your retinas, fashionistas -- this one's bound to burn. Data Ltd has just loosed its latest ultra-rugged tablet PC, and it's quite clear that the gains in rigidity come at a severe cost to style. The DLI 8400 is actually rather diminutive for a tablet, weighing just three pounds and packing a 7-inch sunlight-viewable LCD. Other specs include a backlit QWERTY keypad, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, built-in WWAN, 2GB of RAM, twin hot-swappable batteries (good for nine hours of use) and a shock-mounted HDD or SSD. Naturally, the IP54-rated enclosure is home to Intel's 1.6GHz Atom CPU, and there's a plethora of ports for field workers with gobs of peripherals. The Q2-bound rig gets going at $1,795, and while there's no telling what kind of beating this thing can survive, it's obviously done well to walk away from that awful plummet from atop the ugly tree. [Warning: PDF read link]

We won't deny it -- a stroke of envy took us by storm when Dell introduced its durable, colorful new line of Latitude netbooks for the education market. Not only were we stuck with aged textbooks and school machines that were chained to a desk, but we never even had the chance to read up on the latest tech news while glossing over a summary of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Reminiscing aside, Laptop Mag has evidently found the 2100 to be a solid rig for the segment for which it is intended, though its bulk may turn some GED-toting consumers off. 'Course, the thin layer of armor is perfect for those who tend to bump and bang their machines around, and with internals much the same as in the Inspiron Mini, well -- you can pretty much imagine the performance. Hit up the read link for the full writeup and a bevy of hands-on shots; just keep Junior far, far away unless you're fine with nagging and pleading.

Looking for a digi cam that can stand up to your adventure vacations (you know, like, the beach) while also capturing HD-quality video? Panasonic's LUMIX DMC-TS1 may be your salvation, and we're happy to have one in the house for a bit of testing. It's only just arrived and we're still getting a feel for it, but so far we're impressed with the build quality of this semi-rugged 12 megapixel compact shooter, which is taking some solid pictures and videos through its 4.6x stabilized zoom. Full impressions will come soon, but for now enjoy a few unboxing shots.

Did you seriously shell out to have ARGONAUT plastered on your license plate? Oh, yeah? Listen up. Garmin has just pushed out a new duo of navigators aimed squarely at you, the Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t. Both of the touchscreen-based devices boast a 3.2 megapixel camera, a 3-axis compass, waterproof chassis, 850MB of internal storage and USB connectivity. Each unit packs a 3-inch, sunlight-readable display, two precharged AA NiMH batteries, loads of waypoint storage and the ability to route you while on the road, on the trail or in the wild. The standard 550 is set to arrive with a worldwide basemap in shaded relief for $499.99, while the 550t comes with preloaded topography maps for the entire US for $599.99. The full release is after the break.

If you've been toying with the idea of buying a bulletproof shell for your CradlePoint portable hotspot, we're guessing that Proxicast's Cell-PAK is an entirely better option. Said box, which is described as a rugged, self-powered 3G + WiFi wireless hotspot in a box, was designed to provide "mission-critical wireless communications" in the jungle, on the battlefield or in your backyard. Aside from having its very own battery pack for completely untethered access, the device comes encased in an impact and water-resistant MIL-spec rated chassis, and we're told that it can accept "any 3G modem from any cellular carrier worldwide." We're talking over a dozen hours of wireless access from anywhere that you can retrieve signal, and there's even an external high-gain antenna to help with that. Now, if only that $1,295 price weren't so gigantic...

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

Clearly LaCie's going for that "timeless" look, 'cause the Rugged XL looks precisely like the original Rugged that launched over three years ago. The drive, which was unsurprisingly designed by Neil Poulton, touts a durable aluminum casing with external and internal shock absorbers, USB 2.0 and eSATA connectors along with a software suit to handle your backups. Packed within is a single 1TB drive, and externally, there's a "warm orange LED strip" to either keep you informed of drive status or just look stupendously fashionable, one. It's up for grabs today (or it should be soon, anyway) for $159.99, and no, the orange exterior cannot be swapped for a non-DOT-approved hue.