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LaCie introduces RuggedKey USB 3 flash drive
Paris-based peripherals maker LaCie is known for its compact portable storage and Mac-friendly design, which is probably why drive manufacturer Seagate snapped it up earlier this year. As the Mac portable line transitions toward USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt, that's driving interface changes in the peripherals market; hence today's introduction of LaCie's RuggedKey USB 3 keychain drive. The RuggedKey includes a removable orange plastic sleeve that's modeled on the company's ruggedized mobile drives. Inside the sleeve is a steel keychain drive that comes in either 16GB or 32GB capacities, but the upgrade to USB 3 means that file transfers can hit speeds up to 3x as fast as with USB 2 equivalent drives. (The drive is backwards-compatible with USB 2 and USB 1 ports.) As to the "rugged" part of the equation, LaCie claims that the RuggedKey has drop resistance to 100 meters when it's stored in the sleeve (which does make the drive look a little like a baby carrot). To prove it, a company executive thoughtfully took one along on a skydiving trip. You can see the results in the video below. The RuggedKey starts at $39.99 for the 16GB capacity, rising to $69.99 for the 32GB capacity; you can compare it to the rest of LaCie's line of flash storage offerings. It's available now from the LaCie online store.
Lenovo unveils toughened ThinkPad X131e for education, hikes price to $499
Lenovo must have struck a chord with schools looking for some rough-and-tumble ThinkPads, as it's bringing out the ThinkPad X131e even while teachers are still drafting their course plans for the fall semester. The new model keeps that better-than-military ruggedness in an 11.6-inch laptop while freshening the choices of AMD E-series chips or their Intel-made Celeron and Core i3 challengers. Dolby Advanced Audio even gives the speakers boost when it's not a matter of all work and no play. Educators, in turn, get the usual options for extended support or customizing the laptops with a little school pride. There's a premium to pay for putting classrooms on the cutting edge, however: at $499, the new systems are $70 more costly than the launch price of the X130e portables they replace, which leaves quite a bit less money for notebooks of the paper variety.
NCSU creates stretchable conductors from silver nanowires, lets gadgets go the extra inch
As often as we've seen flexible electronics, there haven't been many examples that could stretch -- a definite problem for wearables as well as any gadget that could afford to take a pull or squeeze. North Carolina State University's Yong Zhu and Feng Xu may have covered this gap through a form of silver nanowire conductor that keeps the energy flowing, even if the wire is stretched as much as 50 percent beyond its original length. By coating the nanowires with a polymer that traps the silver when solid, the researchers create an elastic material that can crumple and let the nanowire take the strain without interruption. Although the stretchy conductor's nature as a research project could put any practical use years into the future, Zhu notes that it can take loads of abuse, making it a perfect fit for rugged mobile devices. It should also allow for robots with a gentler touch and a more natural look... although we'll admit we're skittish about the creepy androids likely to follow.
Veho Muvi HD 'NPNG' Edition action camera impressions (video)
Action cameras. We love 'em. Much like buying new sports gear, owning one makes you feel one step closer to the adventurer you know your true self to be. While we're familiar with more than one contender for the "gnarly throne", who said there wasn't room in the rankings for one more? Veho's been making pocket-friendly cameras for some time, even of the action variety, but this latest edition -- in conjunction with No Proof No Glory (an extreme sports video hub) -- sees it making the clearest move yet towards carving its own slice of the high-octane pie. The latest member of the Muvi HD family will do you full HD at 30fps, along with 720p (at both 30 and 60 fps) plus the usual other resolutions -- 960p, WVGA, etc. Of course, it'll also do stills (if you don't mind them all being wide-angle) and it'll even just record audio if you like. So far, so good. What really got us interested, though, was that Veho has squashed two of our most common bug-bears with action cameras by including a viewfinder / screen and a remote control as standard. So, with hope in our hearts and glory to prove, we fastened one on and took it for a ride. Scoot past the break for the impressions.%Gallery-160204%
GammaTech rugged T7Q launches at $2k and up, promptly steals your iPad's lunch money
For people out there doing actual work (like tech blogging, for instance), there's the need for a tablet like the GammaTech T7Q Windows slate, starting at $2,000. Standing out like an M9 tank among the daily driver tabs, the sealed magnesium unit meets military specs for environmental nasties -- while packing a 7-inch resistive-touch TFT WSVGA LCD, Intel Atom N2600 or N2800 processor, 5MP camera with geotagging, compass, gyroscope and an mSATA SSD. It can also be accessorized to the nines with items like RFID, magnetic stripe readers and GPS through an assortment of connectors and expansion slots. To top it off, there's three different lock-down methods for your your data: TPM1.2 security, built-in BIOS safeguards and a Kensington lock connector -- plus Computracing ability piled on, for good measure. Sure, this guy is intended for oil rigs and desert archaeological digs, but hauling one out at Starbucks might give you a whole new level of shabby-chic cred -- if you've got the cash.
Klipsch gets vibrant, intros S4i Rugged in-ear headphones
The last we saw some colorful headphones from Klipsch was when it introduced the purple Lou Reed X10i in-ears last holiday season. Just in time for the summer, the headphone maker is unleashing a rugged version of its S4i earbuds -- and in four vibrant finishes, no less (red, yellow, orange and blue). Although this water-resistant S4i variant seems practically identical to the S5i Rugged in-ears, we're told that internally they pack the same 8.5mm dual magnet drivers as their namesake. Naturally, the in-ears feature an iDevice-compatible inline remote / mic, but you'll merely get a basic case in place of the flashlight-equipped version reserved for the S5i. The S4i Ruggeds are set to go sale before the month's out, and best of all they're just priced at just $99. Hit up the press release after the break for more info in the meantime.
Motion Computing announces CL910 tablet for enterprise, promises Windows 8 upgrades
Microsoft's slick Surface slates might be the Windows tablet consumers have been waiting for, but business folks? Motion computing hopes to keep their attention, refreshing its enterprise slate with a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom N600 processor, a 128GB SSD and Bluetooth 4.0 support. The 10.1-inch slab, dubbed the CL910, retains the 15.5mm frame of its predecessor, as well as the old hardware's USB port, SD card slot and Gorilla Glass protected 1,366 x 768 panel. $1,260 buys a tablet loaded with Windows 7 Professional, but will be eligible for an upgrade when Redmond's Metro overhaul hits shelves. Hit the break for the official press release, or check out the slate for yourself at the source link below.
Garmin unveils Fenix, its first GPS watch for deep-pocketed outdoorsy types (hands-on)
There may be a few more years remaining before a forced retirement, but there's no question that dedicated automotive GPS units are on the way out. Integrated products, apps and the aviation sector will keep companies like Garmin afloat, but now's as good a time as any to focus on other markets -- and where better to slap that global positioning goodness than on our wrists. Watches seems to be a growing focus for the guidance giant, following last month's GPS-less Garmin Swim introduction. That device has a relatively narrow target (namely, swimmers willing to invest $150 in the sport), but the company is back with a more versatile wearable, complete with an altimeter, barometer, compass, an optional external ANT temperature sensor and Bluetooth connectivity. There's also a GPS receiver, which can be used not only to calibrate the time and sensors, but also to track a route, direct you towards waypoints and guide you back to your starting point with TracBack. The Fenix, as the full-featured watch is being called, is expected to retail for $400 when it hits stores at the end of August. Four bills hardly qualifies it for the luxury wristwatch category, but as digital wearables go, that's certainly approaching the top end. We had an opportunity to try out the device in an office setting (not exactly an ideal environment for a rugged GPS watch, but that's the best we could do in the middle of NYC), and the Fenix had quite a bit of heft to it -- it'll surely look out of place on smaller wrists, and probably won't score you any points among fashion-conscious friends. Inner geeks should be appeased, however -- the enclosure definitely seems an adequate size for housing all of those instruments. It also functions quite nicely as a watch -- in default mode, it displays the time and date in large characters on the backlit LCD, with a nifty ring around the digits to indicate seconds. The Garmin Fenix is on track for a late-August ship date, but you can scroll through the gallery below or dive into the PR after the break to get your fix in the meantime.%Gallery-159616%
Motorola DEFY Pro heads to Brazil, offers tough and tactile Android action
You got to give it to Motorola, it's pretty specific with its handset releases. Today's announcement? It's the DEFY Pro doing the Samba towards Brazil. The "lifeproof" phone is designed to battle the elements (water, dust and carnival spirit,) and is the first touchscreen / QWERTY Android handset from the firm. There's 2.7-inches of Gorilla Glassed screen to poke at, an SD card slot to upgrade the 2GB onboard memory (upto 32GB) plus GPS and WiFi (so you can find your way home with the morning after). How much for this party of a phone? We don't know just yet, but the fun starts on July 15th, when it becomes available. Update: Motorola reached out to us with some clarification on its claim of being the first touchscreen / QWERTY Android handset: The release denotes that the DEFY Pro is our first life-proof device to feature both a QWERTY and touchscreen. Motorola's life-proof devices are water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof, ready to handle life's daily challenges, indoors and out. Admiral and Titanium have similar features but are categorized slightly differently since they are iDEN-based products and have different mil-spec certification.
Sony's Action Cam prototype is incredibly small, we go fingers-on at CE Week in NYC
CE Week isn't typically a venue for major product introductions, then again neither is Sony's blog. Last night, we got a sneak peek at the company's new Action Cam on the aforementioned site, and this morning the Japanese manufacturer dropped the black curtain on what appears to be the very same prototypes used in yesterday's tease. We almost missed it at Sony's pint-sized booth at the annual week-long CEA event in New York City -- the camera, which has yet to get an official name and model number assignment from Tokyo, is massively smaller than yesterday's snaps may have implied. The adventure shooter is hidden behind glass, but we did manage to pull it out for a brief inspection, and boy is it tiny. A variety of mounts were on hand to demonstrate the shooter's versatility, including a handlebar attachment, helmet holster and some sort of plastic enclosure that could presumably be used to shield the Action Cam from underwater hazards, though Sony declined to confirm. Specification details are also quite spotty at the moment, but we were able to confirm that there will be an Exmor R CMOS image sensor and a wide-angle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens on board. Things seem to be quite limited on the controls front, with simple navigation buttons, a Start/Stop toggle, a tiny LCD and stereo mics up front representing the entire bounty of I/O offerings. There also appears to be SD and Memory Stick storage on board, based on familiar logos printed on the jet-black housing. For now, that's all she wrote -- we expect more details as we approach the Action Cam's official launch in the fall. Flip through the gallery below for a closer look.%Gallery-159248%
Sony teases ruggedly handsome 'action camera,' has GoPro in its sights
It's lights, camera, action cam over at Sony's blog. The company is giving the world a teaser of a new "hi-def wearable video camera" that looks to be an answer to the GoPros and Contours of the world. Sony offered up a handful of shots, including one of the camcorder encased in rugged plastic, mounted atop a helmet. According to the blog, the lightweight camera features SteadyShot image stabilization and an ultra-wide angle lens from Carl Zeiss. Sony's promised more info to come, naturally, until then, you can peep more shots in the source link below.
How would you change the GoPro Hero HD 2?
You can strap the GoPro HD Hero 2 to any number of things to document your extreme adventures in high definition. However, for all of the improvements in the second version, we found it to be distractingly heavy, difficult to mount and with audio that left plenty to the imagination. Still, a few days of testing, even with some aerial combat thrown in, can't match constant use over the last six months. So, why not tell us how you've found using this thing on a daily basis and if you could, what would you change about it?
Sony Xperia Go makes a trip to the FCC, doesn't bring suntan lotion
Sony isn't wasting much time getting regulatory approvals. Just a few weeks after it brought the Xperia Go into the world, it's passing the toughened-up phone through the FCC for Uncle Sam's rubber stamp. Before you get visions of picking one up for Facebook updates on a canoe trip, be aware that it's the international version we're looking at: it can run on GSM and EDGE with US carriers, but the 900MHz and 2,100MHz HSPA bands are meant for 3G in other corners of the world. All the same, it does put the phone on the fast track to its scheduled international release in the summer. There's always importing if you've just got to have some weather-hardened Android 2.3 for a California vacation.
Toughbook goes Ivy Bridge with 10-inch magnesium CF-19
One thing we haven't seen too much of from the ongoing Ivy Bridge onslaught, is rugged notebooks. Sure, there was that Durabook from last week, but not much else -- and we all know the big name in indestructible laptops is Panasonic's Toughbook line. Luckily, for those of you with jobs or hobbies that tend to involve dust storms and head-on collisions, the CF-19 is on the way with a 3.3GHz Core i5 under its 10.1-inch hood. The €2,950 (roughly, $3,727), convertible notebook has an optional touchscreen, 500GB hard drive, SSD options for the drop prone, as well as lone USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. If you're a truly mobile warrior, there's even an HSPA+ upgrade available for the wireless card. Basically it's the Toughbook 19 we've all grown to know and love, but with some nice Intel upgrades on the inside. The updated rugged lappy should start shipping in Europe this July, but we're still waiting on availability info for the US.
Ask Engadget: best 'invincible' point-and-shoot camera?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Mark, who's in the market for a heavy-duty camera. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Back in 2009, you asked what the best rugged, waterproof point-and-shoot camera was. I'm looking for the same thing now and wondered if the readers had any recommendations. I'm not interested in a normal point-and-shoot with a waterproof case, I want something that's waterproof, sandproof, shockproof, that's idiot-proof, with a reasonable optical zoom and with minimal shutter lag. Hope someone can help! Thanks." Firstly, thank you for doing your homework! It's reasonable that we should swing past this topic again after three years, so what about it dear friends? A point-and-shoot you'd be happy to take dirt biking, snorkeling and won't break when you drop it. Any you've bought yourself that's withstood your lifestyle, have you found any that you'd warn us away from? Let us know in the comments below.
Motorola Solutions buys Psion for $200 million
Psion has mostly slipped out of the public eye, but that's about to change -- Motorola Solutions just bought the company for $200 million in cash to bolster its work with industrial companies. The deal will mostly focus on improving Motorola Solutions' toughened-up handhelds and in-car terminals. Not always exciting out of devices like the ET1, but it ends Psion's 32-year history as an independent company and a legacy that includes some of the very first PDAs, like the Psion Organizer. We won't miss the fight over the "netbook" name, mind you. Regardless of how you feel, you'll have until fall to wax nostalgic, as that's when the two sides expect the deal to close and the Psion name gets subsumed into that of another mobile pioneer.
Gammatech's brawny 12-inch convertible Durabook adds Ivy Bridge brains
The Durabook convertible's always been a tough jock, but now it's got some Ivy Bridge finesse as well, with the new U12Ci. Ruggedized to military MIL-STD-810G specs to resist drops, shocks, spills, dust and power nastiness, the new Intel chipset will add more speed and improved battery life to its tough-as-nails surface. The kid brother to the U12C keeps that same 12.1-inch 1280 x 800 panel, with a choice of Core i5 or i7 chipsets, USB 3.0 and the option to add up to 16GB of RAM. Prices start at $1,000, so if you're hitting the trenches or your local Starbucks, head down the source link for more info. Ten-hut!
Sony Handycam HDR-GW77V has pocket camcorder form-factor and waterproof design, we go hands-on
Waterproof camcorders have traditionally been popular in the pool but less compelling on land, given the somewhat-cumbersome designs, so-so image quality and form-factors that aren't necessarily more comfortable than a similarly equipped smartphone. This may describe nearly every pocket cam you've considered, but not Sony's new Handycam -- instead, think of the HDR-GW77V as a high-end camcorder you'll want to use everywhere, that happens to be just as rugged as it is practical. The camera packs the standard ruggedized punch, with a waterproof rating to 16 feet, the ability to survive a five-foot drop and a dustproof housing (though that's typically a given for tightly-sealed cams). You wouldn't think to take still photos with your camcorder, but Sony wants you to just that -- to the tune of 20.4 megapixels. The Handycam's 10x optical zoom lens can capture static frames just as easily as motion, with features like optical SteadyShot and Sweep Panorama, though the 1/3.91-inch CMOS sensor means you shouldn't expect point-and-shoot-level image quality. The GW77V can shoot 1080/60p video and features a wide-angle 29.8mm G lens, along with a 3-inch 921k-dot ExtraFine touch-enabled LCD. There's a dual Memory Stick M2/microSD slot, 16GB of internal memory and a GPS module with built-in NAVTEQ maps to boot (accounting for roughly 2.7 gigs of that internal storage). We spent a few minutes shooting with the GW77V and were quite pleased with its performance -- the Handycam was very responsive, with very fast focusing and an Optical SteadyShot feature that resulted in smooth footage, even while holding the camera by hand with the lens zoomed in completely. This certainly isn't your run-of-the-mill waterproof model, but considering the $700 price tag, you wouldn't expect it to be. The Handycam HDR-GW77V is slated to hit stores in silver, blue and black later this month.%Gallery-156601%
Toddler-friendly Vinci Tab II makes its way to online retailers
Though already available through Amazon and SkyMall, the Vinci Tab II -- who we met in a previous life -- has found its way to WalMart.com and is moseying to other e-tailers such as ToysRUs.com, Diapers.com and YoYo.com next month. The Vinci carries a 7-inch (800x480) display, a 3-megapixel camera, 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor, 8GB of intenral storage, a microSD card slot, runs Android (flavor unspecified) and is touted as the only tablet certified for child safety. The tab also supports three levels of premium educational apps and includes a few samples, interactive storybooks and animated music videos for your rug rats to work their noggins.While the slab's first incarnation lacked WiFi to minimize radiation exposure to little tykes, the latest iteration can pack WiFi for those who'd rather not update apps via microUSB. Interested in keeping your young'un busy? You'll be set back $249 for a WiFi model or $199 if you forgo wireless connectivity -- a hefty drop from its predecessor's $389 starting point.
DRS unveils trio of ruggedized tablets in Windows and Android flavors
Drops, shocks, heavy vibrations, dust, water and temperatures in the extremes -- just the kind of punishment you'd expect a DRS Armor slab to put up with, and the firm's latest do so without the briefcase-like look. With MIL-STD 810G certification and an IP65 rating, the 7-inch multi-touch slates can withstand some rough and tumble -- though there's no word if they can pass the tesla coil benchmark. At 1.3 pounds, the Android 3.2-loaded X7ad squeezes out eight hours of battery life with a 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 processor. Its Windows-minded doppelganger, the X7et, holds a six-hour charge, sports an Atom Z670 processor and tips the scales at just under 1.5 pounds. If the chunkier look strikes your fancy, the 12.1 inch X12kb has you covered -- though at 5.5 pounds, it's the lightest MIL-STD-810G certified convertible tablet currently available. The swivel screened slate has up to eight hours of battery life, a Core i5 560UMCPU processor, a polarized LCD glass display, a spillproof keyboard and touchpad in addition to a one-click stealth mode that disables light and sound for "covert operations." With GPS, WiFi and Gobi Wireless Broadband options, all three of these are ready for missions at home and abroad, however you might need that stealth function to find out the (currently unspecified) pricing.
