Torture -- Engadget

torture posts

Panasonic's Toughbook CF-30 gets gnawed by tiger, stomped by elephant and 187'd

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 8:41AM

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]

Durable faceoff and torture test: Panasonic's Toughbook 30 vs. GammaTech's Durabook D15RP

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 24th 2009 at 11:13AM

It seems like a bit of a rip-off -- if you want a laptop that won't shatter when its shiny little form slips out of your fingers as you run to your next meeting/target you have to pay a hefty premium to get something dull and durable. And, if that weren't bad enough, you then have to live with something big, boxy, and ugly. Panasonic's Toughbook line defines what many think of as a rugged laptop, but its bulk, heft, and cost give it niche appeal. It's not the only option out there for a notebook that can take a beating, though, with the semi-rugged Durabook from GammaTech offering a package that's a little more comfortable to use and, perhaps more importantly, a lot less expensive.

But, which of the two is right for you? (Assuming, of course, that either is.) Just how durable are these things? And, which one didn't fair so well in the water test? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Durable faceoff and torture test: Panasonic's Toughbook 30 vs. GammaTech's Durabook D15RP

LG's Renoir tortured in the name of science and art

by Tim Stevens, posted Jan 28th 2009 at 9:04AM

We heard some impressive claims about LG's Renoir earlier this month at CES courtesy of a rather desperate spokesman, but nothing compares to the torture test the phone recently underwent and, unlike Nokia's 5800, survived. The handset was left in the freezer at -20C (-4F) for 12 hours, dropped to the floor, stepped on, thrown in a clothes drier for 15 minutes, caked in dust, dunked in wine, and run over by a Ford Focus. After all that it functioned just fine, suffering only a few scratches on the screen inflicted by the pavement -- a small price to pay if you're clumsy enough to drive over your own phone. Curiously soothing videos of the abuse after the break.

Continue reading LG's Renoir tortured in the name of science and art

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic gets torture tested, succumbs to the pain

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 27th 2008 at 10:25AM

The same wild and wacky Russians that demolished a Motorola ZN5 are showing the same courtesy to Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic. The so-called Crash Test involves putting Nokia's first Comes With Music-enabled handset through a litany of horrible scenes, including a stay in the local freezer, a fall from grace, a ride in the washing machine, a dip in a freshly brewed beer and, of course, a crushing blow from a vehicle. The preview video is hosted up in the read link, and the full results of how it fared are promised in the near future. Let's just say we're betting the farm it doesn't handle unlimited downloads, calls nor texts very well (read: at all) after this hellish experience.

[Thanks, Adam]

VIA's PX5000EG Pico-ITX motherboard is no match for a hair dryer

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 9th 2008 at 4:11PM

It's been far too long since we've seen a gizmo from any walk of life get torture tested, but the wait for another is over at long last. As part of the Naked Pico Challenge, the crazy cats over at TechnoVoyance set out to see just how long the VIA PX5000EG Pico-ITX board could operate without any cooling whatsoever. After it hummed along for a fortnight without even a hiccup, the line had been drawn, and it was finally time to see precisely what could shut this thing down. We hate to spoil things, but suffice it to say, even this athlete-of-a-motherboard couldn't withstand the pressure of an 1,800-watt hair dryer for more than a minute or two. Head on past the break to see the softcore abuse on video.

Continue reading VIA's PX5000EG Pico-ITX motherboard is no match for a hair dryer

Asus' Eee PC gets torture tested on video

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 24th 2008 at 5:08PM

For those that had no qualms kicking Teddy to the curb and cuddling with Asus' Eee PC throughout the night just as soon as it was released, you may want to utilize your scroll wheel right about now. For those with a tough stomach and a perverse appetite for destruction, you can most definitely stay put. In the video posted after the jump, the Eee PC is pushed from great heights onto solid floors, forced to sit in extreme temperatures and repeatedly prodded to see if it still functioned. Interested? You're just one click away from a clip sure to make gadget aficionados everywhere cringe.

[Thanks, Roman]

Continue reading Asus' Eee PC gets torture tested on video

Tase me, baby: Taser responds to the UN, says tasers aren't torture

by Nilay Patel, posted Nov 29th 2007 at 8:19AM

Looks like the Taser parties are back on -- Taser issued a terse rebuttal to the UN today, finding fault with its conclusion that being hit with a taser is equivalent to torture. Saying that the committee is "out of touch with the reality that confronts law enforcement officers every day worldwide," Taser also noted that the criteria used to define torture, "extreme pain," also rules out other common police implements like pepper spray and batons. Like some other reports we've seen, Taser says that since their products don't actually electrocute people, the main danger involved in being struck with a taser is an "unassisted fall," which seems to us like pretty much the only kind of fall there is -- but we're not getting in the middle of this one. Looks like this is going to be a long fight -- everybody got their popcorn?

Don't tase me, bro! The UN says it's torture!

by Conrad Quilty-Harper, posted Nov 25th 2007 at 4:04PM

In a month that has seen several people killed after being tasered, a UN committee of ten experts has ruled that tasers constitute torture and are capable of killing. This flies in the face of the manufacturer's statement, which is that any resulting deaths after a taser is used are "attributable to other factors." Intended to prevent officers from having to use lethal firearms, the taser has arguably become well established as just another tool in a regular officer's arsenal for use in scenarios where a firearm would never be considered. As for what effect this ruling will have on the sale of tasers, we're guessing "not much" until all the involved parties come into agreement about the lethality (or lack thereof) of the taser.