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Atlantic launches waterproof EGO floating speaker system for iPod
Considering your mind is probably more focused on that upcoming trip to the slopes than your thoroughly frozen outdoor pool, you probably aren't in any dire need of a floating iPod speaker system in the midst of January, but nevertheless, Atlantic's bringing it to you. Aside from always staying on the sunny side of whatever liquid it's in, the plastic shell also touts a pair of (presumably weak) stereo speakers and the ability to house your dock-connecting iPod. Reportedly, the device is waterproof enough to withstand pool parties and showers, and can supposedly operate for 30 hours on just four AA batteries. While the EGO has been floating around (ahem) briefly, the firm plans to officially launch it during next week's CES, but those eager to get their swim trunks on in the middle of winter can find one now for around $115.[Via TGDaily]
Radtech hardens HDD lineup
For getting a couple of gigabytes from point A to point B, there are plenty of online options. For getting lots of gigabytes from point A to point B... well, never underestimate the bandwidth of a carryon bag full of hard drives. If you're gonna fly that drive, best to go ruggedized and improve the likelihood of all the bits arriving safely at sunny, scenic point B.If you're in the rugged drive market, RadTech is now shipping its tough line of Impact HDD enclosures for 2.5/3.5" drives. The aluminum casings are listed for crush loads of 4000 pounds and the drives themselves are mounted on flexible bushings to improve shock resistance. The enclosures support PATA or SATA for drive connection, and on the SATA 3.5" model you can use eSATA to connect a host (in addition to the usual Firewire 4/800 and USB2 ports). The company has also updated the Drivemate USB 1" product to include an 8 GB, encryption-enabled pocket drive. Pricing and options available over yonder at RadTech's site.[via MacTech]
Logitec's uber-secure, rugged Precious LHD-PHAU2 external HDD
We admit, we do get a tad creeped out when a manufacturer dubs a hardcore, tough looking product "precious," but considering how dear the data that's on your Precious LHD-PHAU2 hard drive is likely to be to you, we guess the name fits the bill. This stainless steel clad drive comes in 80GB, 120GB, and 160GB sizes, spins at 5400RPMs, and can reportedly withstand drops from around one meter. Moreover, this darling of a storage device rocks a security switch that automatically encrypts the data and locks out intruders, and can only be re-accessed by logging in through the Logitec Secure Projects software. The firm also claims that this device is light on the power usage, RoHS-compliant, and while it can play nice with both OS X and Windows, the security application will only load on the Wintel side. All three flavors are slated to hit shelves next month, and you get your very own precious for ¥16,485 ($140), ¥25,410 ($216), or ¥33,285 ($282), depending on capacity.[Via Akihabara News]
Aliph's Bluetooth Jawbone headset sports military-grade noise cancellation
We've seen our fair share of Bluetooth headsets (with and without DSP), and we hold a soft spot in our heart for the hardcore, rugged devices out there that can withstand next to anything, but Aliph's Jawbone earpiece blends the best of both worlds into one fashionable piece of kit. While the firm already has a wired version on the market, this Bluetooth-enabled set rocks a silver or red color scheme, dual microphones, lightweight design, and a noise cancelling sensor that is literally military-grade. Crafted after conducting research for DARPA, the goal was "to create a mobile phone headset capable of erasing background noise," even in less-than-amicable (or safe) situations. Although there's no pricing or availability information just yet, the unit has already made its way on the Award Honorees list for CES 2007, and if you want to see this bad boy in action, be sure to continue on after the jump for a YouTube demonstration.[Via BlueTomorrow]
Kontron intros ultra-rugged 13-pound NotePAC
If you think your Toughbook or Itronix laptop is hardcore, then you haven't been formally introduced to Kontron's forthcoming NotePAC. While we've seen our fair share of rugged (and not-so-rugged) devices, this bad boy definitely ups the ante. Presumably designed to literally go through hell (and back), the nearly 13-pound beast can survive a 3-foot drop onto solid concrete, is MIL-STD 810F and IEC 529 certified for shock and vibration tolerance, and there's even an available upgrade that adds MIL-STD-461 certification for low electromagnetic radiation output, and ATEX (atmospheric explosives) certification "for use in areas where the slightest spark could prove deadly." Besides the tank-like armor surrounding it, it holds a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo T2300 processor within, accompanied by up to 2GB of DDR RAM, a 12.1- or 14.1- touchscreen LCD, removable 80 GB / 120GB SATA hard drives (mounted in shock absorbing, sealed cartridges, no less), and a hard disc heater that keeps your platters spinning down to minus 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, you'll find twin PCMCIA slots, gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, VGA output, and a myriad of connectivity options that include UMTS, GSM, GPRS, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Notably, the system has been "fully validated" under Windows XP, but can also be ordered sans an OS if users wish to install Linux, and the company's own product manager stated that Kontron had already tested SUSE Linux and found that it "ran well" under the circumstances. Though we've no idea how much coinage this uber-tough NotePAC will demand, it'll be available to customize starting next month.
Sanyo's weatherproof LCD TV: the 42-inch 42LM4WPN
Sanyo's been on an LCD run of late, busting out a 7.1-inch 1080p edition, only to now take things outside with its weatherproof 42-inch LCD TV. The 42LM4WPN sports the IP56 weather resistance approval, and also sports an anti-reflective, tamper-resistant glass to show off those sparkling HD signals even when pummeled with streams of water. The set boasts a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 800:1 contrast ratio, 178-degree viewing angle, 8-millisecond response time, and a lightweight aluminum frame to boot. On the rear, you'll find inputs for VGA, HDMI (HDCP-compliant), RGBHV (BNC), component, composite, audio out, and even an RS-232 serial port. The display also plays nice with Sanyo's PJ-NET organizer, which allows the display to be used as a network monitor, "using your internet browser to monitor and control" its properties without any additional software. While there's no set release date or pricetag associated with this rugged beauty just yet, we're hoping Sanyo opens up the flood gates around CES.
Azentek planning ruggedized, longevous "Scout" UMPC
While the UMPC in general hasn't had the appeal manufacturers surely hoped for, they're still hanging in there, and apparently Azentek sees an opening in the less-than-attractive market. Diverting from its traditional "carputer" (i.e. in-car PC) offerings, the firm has announced a forthcoming UMPC built to military specifications to handle any dropkicks it may receive once the battery craps out after an hour or two, and will be based on its "Scout" platform. Beneath the hood, the device will be built around Intel's second generation "UMPC ultra low voltage platform," and feature up to 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 30 to 160GB standard / hybrid hard drives, and a rotatable webcam to boot. The 6.5-inch touchscreen will sport 500 cd/m2 brightness, and the battery will supposedly last "six to eight hours," which seems mighty liberal considering how pitiful most UMPCs are at sipping juice. Nevertheless, it'll also boast a biometric scanner, PC card / SD slot, and a pair of USB ports. While no concrete information was given on future availability, the outfit is aiming for a $1,500 pricetag at launch, which wouldn't be all that bad if the battery lives up to the admittedly lofty promises behind it.[Via Carrypad]
Xbox 360 survives multi-roll car crash, keeps churning
Some stories are simply too sensational to be true, thus giving us every reason we'd ever need to just blow it off, but there's one saving grace to a whacked-out story: pictures. Reportedly, an Xbox 360 owner was rammed in a hit and run style accident, where his Chevrolet S-10 "rolled over three or four times," launching the helpless console and a bevy of accessories onto the freeway. While the fellow (thankfully) survived the ordeal with little more than a "bruised elbow," his beloved console suffered quite a beating; the Xbox 360, its power brick, and several controllers were ran over by oncoming vehicles, leaving "tire marks" everywhere and "squishing" the metal supports within. After the turmoil subsided, this hardcore gamer was (understandably) more concerned with the life of his toy than whether or not his insurance policy had expired, so he rushed home to try things out. Although his trigger arm was a bit sore, the console managed to boot up, play games, and even play back a DVD, providing an assumed sigh of relief for traumatized lad. You can catch a video of the rugged console in action after the break, while hitting the read link will show you the survivor's tale and a bevy of pics.[Thanks, Arjun]
Panasonic's 3G-equipped Toughbook CF-W5 reviewed
True road warriors tend to be willing to sacrifice that FPS-boosting power for "just a few more minutes" of battery life, and having an always-on 3G connection sure makes things easier, too. Panasonic's wee Toughbook CF-W5 replaces the slightly heavier W4, and performed quite admirably in the longevity / portability departments during Laptop Mag's prodding. Reviewers marveled at the 12-inch LCD, "rigid" nature of the 1.8-inch thick machine, and its ability to withstand the typical bumps and bruises you'd expect, say, while trekking through through the woods or camping out for a Playstation 3. Another nice touch was the combo drive's automatic shut down feature after three minutes of inactivity, but they were none too pleased to find that a DVD burner wasn't even an available option. Further criticizing the specs, the (admittedly paltry) 60GB hard drive and 512MB of RAM were scoffed at, and the "cramped" keyboard wasn't exactly made for cranking out dissertations. Overall, however, the machine accomplished its main goals -- staying tough and toughing it out -- by offering up 8 hours and 28 minutes of realizable battery life with wireless options inactive, and still mustered just about 5 hours while surfing the 'net. So if you're rarely near a power outlet, and come across cellphone towers entirely more often that WiFi hotspots, the Toughbook CF-W5 just might be your "ideal candidate."
Fujifilm's rugged BIGJOB HD-3W digicam
Fujifilm's got a new ruggedized camera for those whose photography takes 'em into less than ideal conditions -- or anyone that just tends to beat up their equipment, we suppose. Its BIGJOB HD-3W also doesn't seem to skimp too much on features to accommodate your abuse, packing in a reasonable six megapixels and a 3x optical zoom, along with ISO settings up to 1600, VGA video recording, 23MB of built-in memory, and an xD slot for expansion. Just don't plan on going too crazy with it -- Fujifilm apparently doesn't recommend drops of more than two feet, although the cam is water and dust resistant. Price and availability are as yet unknown quantities, as is so often the case.
G'zOne, White Chocolate see launches on Verizon
Ultra rugged or delicate, glossy white -- that is the question. Verizon has gone ahead and launched a couple of its more hotly anticipated handsets this week, the over-engineered G'zOne Type-V clamshell from Casio and the white variant of the LG VX8500 Chocolate slider. While neither phone is going to go easy on the wallet, the G'zOne is the budget buster of the two with a hefty $300 price tag (and not a rebate in sight, mind you). Then again, with water resistance top center on the list of the Casio's features, the phone might just pay for itself the first time it makes it through the wash.[Thanks, reemusk]
University of Florida scientists build a faster supercomputer for spacecraft
Haven't you ever sat in your space shuttle/module/station and said to yourself, "Gee, I wish that we had faster computers like those terrestrial scientists do." No? Well our actual astronauts apparently have. See, while you've got your current dual-core (soon to be quad- or oct-core) desktop PC, computers in space have to endure a great deal more stress -- you know, like that whole launching into space thing, not to mention cosmic radiation, and a whole host of other rugged requirements, which takes a toll on what processors can be used. Engineers at the University of Florida (including Alan George, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, pictured at right) and Honeywell Aerospace announced late this week that a new supercomputer 100 times faster than any current space-bound computer (that's 20 processors at a combined power of 100 gigaflops) is under development. If all goes according to plan, it'll get hitched to an unmanned NASA rocket aboard a test mission in 2009.[Via Roland Piquepaille]
Nokia tweaks 5500 to make "Sport Music Edition"
At this point, it seems like Nokia has the procedure for relaunching aging S60 handsets down to a science: bundle them with some new goodies, maybe offer some new colors, and tack "______ Edition" onto the end of the model number. In this case, the lucky victim is the not-so-old, ruggedized 5500, which has undergone a magical metamorphosis of marketing to become the 5500 Sport Music Edition. Other than a bundled half gig of microSD (for, you know, music), a new carrying strap, and an "energetic new color," the Sport Music Edition looks to be a dead ringer for its predecessor -- and like the original, we don't expect to see it on these shores any time soon. Europeans, however, should be able to find these things on store shelves already for something in the neighborhood of €350 (about $450).[Via Camera Phones Plaza]
Stealth Computer's $1,195 2000-DT-TB keyboard
We've seen plenty of rugged devices hit the market, and we've witnessed all sorts of newfangled keyboards as well, but Stealth Computers is blending over-the-top durability with one of the most basic input peripherals known to man in its 2000-DT-TB models. Offered in both PS/2 and USB forms, this "totally sealed" NEMA-certified stainless steel 'board is entirely weatherproof, sports an integrated trackball (complete with adjustable "tension ring"), silicon rubber keys, and can handle a dissertation composition in 194 degrees F and 100% humidity (as long as the operator can endure the conditions). The bonus "WIN" button is also a welcome touch, as we imagine it allows you to emerge victorious in a WOW raid with a single key press. Oddly enough, this beast of a 'board is only backed by a one year limited warranty, which doesn't exactly support the bold claims we're led to believe -- while most may harp on the $1,195 pricetag, the real issue is whether or not your $10,000 Dell XPS 600 Renegade (and $99 mouse) can hold their own in the rough as well.
Dell considering ruggedized laptops, tablet PCs
We've seen other companies try their hand at ruggedized notebooks and tablet PCs, but today, we found out that an old hat may be getting into this specialized sector of the market as well. At Dell's Technology Day last week, Alex Gruzen, general manager of Dell's Product Group, said that his company was looking into entering these two product categories; an article in eWeek, however, added that Gruzen (pictured at right) stressed that the company was merely considering its options at this point, and hadn't decided if it would begin production anytime soon. Our take? If Dell could make a ruggedized computer as cool as that XPS 600 Renegade that we saw at CES, we're sure they'd make a killing. [Via Laptoping]
Intermec's rugged CV30 and handheld CN3
While we were busy covering Stevie J's latest shenanigans yesterday, Intermec announced a new rugged fixed-mount computer, the CV30. This 6.4-inch terminal runs Windows CE.NET 5.0 or Windows Mobile 5.0 and has WiFi (802.11g) and Bluetooth built-in. Intermec is marketing this little guy to cab drivers, forklift operators and other industrial scenarios, and it goes on sale (sans price for now) September 15. Best part: the screen on the CV30 is "heated" for use in cold environments -- we can just imagine workers in a refrigerated warehouse crowding around one of these things for warmth. Also on September 12, Intermec introduced the CV30's little cousin (157 x 84 x 30mm) , the CN3, which looks basically like a ruggedized BlackBerry, except that it runs Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and comes with GSM/EDGE and CDMA/EV-DO, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth and has a 1.3 megapixel camera built-in. Still no word on price or availability, but Intermec adds that it should be available by the end of the year. Best part about the CN3? It also comes with a built-in butane lighter. Ok, not really, but that would be pretty rad if it did.
Itronix unveils lightweight, rugged XR-1 laptop
If any of you have plans to venture towards the Sahara desert or Arctic Circle, but can't bear the thought of making such treacherous journeys without a laptop in tow, Itronix has the goods to keep you connected while fending off the brutal elements. The latest laptop to make it out of Itronix's testing facilities alive is the XR-1, a lightweight and rugged notebook that doesn't sacrifice performance in order to operate in less-than-ideal conditions. The 6.8-pound beast sports a 12-inch XGA touchscreen display, 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 40GB SATA hard drive, 512MB of RAM, and a fancy glow-in-the-dark keyboard to boot. While specs this good aren't usually found in such rough and tough machines, the XR-1 also manages to rock WLAN, WWAN, Bluetooth, and built-in GPS antennas that can all be utilized concurrently to presumably track down a signal from any corner of the globe. Making sure that all this internal goodness remains functional, the company designed the notebook to meet "military standards" for drops, shocks, vibrations, and water / dust resistance, not to mention its ability to survive a "bleach-water" bath if exposed to toxins. For those headed towards a pole, the built-in hard drive / display heaters warm up your fragile components before attempting to boot in sub-zero temperatures (and probably double as a halfway decent space heater, too). While we're impressed with the amount of power found beneath the plates of armor, er, casing, the (practically) everything-resistant XR-1 demands a premium for its abilities, and we'd humbly suggest changing your vacation spot unless the $4,330 (and way up) pricetag doesn't deliver a shock of its own.
Symbol's invincible MC70 Pocket PC phone
She may not be pretty or pocketable (and "invincible" might be going a bit far), but unlike your typical consumer-grade Windows Mobile device, Symbol's beefy MC70 is probably going to handle the occasional drop, dunk, toss, or burn. The quad-band GSM / EDGE handheld comes equipped with your choice of Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Premium or Phone Edition, 802.11a / b / g plus "comprehensive VoIP support," Class II Bluetooth 1.2, and -- being that this is a Symbol device and all -- the obligatory barcode scanner, all sitting atop a crazy fast 624MHz PXA270. Of course, we're suspecting everything-proof smartphoning doesn't come cheap, but for the accident prone among us, it does have a certain strange appeal.[Thanks, Cristian P.]
Xplore Technologies' iX104C3 rugged Tablet PC
So what is it with Xplore Technologies' and their insistence on calling random strings of letters and digits "model numbers?" Regardless of the nonsense, they've expanded their lineup further with a new offering that boasts a host of new security features like a finger print reader and user accessible hard drive and PC card bays for those who deal with sensitive data . This tablet was built for a beating -- its magnesium alloy shell and shock-resistant hard drive complement its ability to withstand dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures. Powered by an Intel processor and sporting an XGA screen, you'll have the world at your fingertips with all this connectivity: wLAN, wWAN, PAN (Bluetooth) and GPS wireless are all options here. If you just can't wait to get your hands on the iX104C3, well, you'll have to anyway; complete specs, pricing and availability are all currently unavailable -- but but that's no big surprise. [Via Mobilewhack]
Motorola's new ruggedized i580 iDEN clamshell
If push-to-talk isn't too sissy for you now that those Cingular kids can do it, Motorola is prepping a rugged version of their i870 iDEN phone, the i580. The phone has the same WiDEN connectivity, PTT (of course), Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera, and dual displays of the i870, though the external display on the i580 is a smaller grayscale one. The phone does lose the external MP3 controls, though it can still play your tunes off of the internal microSD slot. Of course, the main addition is the rubberized shell and military grade resistance to rain, dust, shock, and vibration that the new handset includes. The i580 should be available in Q2 of this year for an undetermined price.[Thanks, Allen]
