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Fujifilm FinePix XP30 hands-on: a week of underwater testing (video)
One thing's for sure: we're utterly thrilled with the direction that ruggedized cameras are heading. Canon's PowerShot D10, while impressive, was more like a small stone than a bona fide P&S, but it wouldn't take much convincing to make someone believe that Fujifilm's FinePix XP30 was just another run-of-the-mill compact. Our pals over at Photography Blog already ran this thing through the wringer earlier in the year, but we couldn't resist the opportunity to take it to a few other places for testing. Namely, the Big Island of Hawaii. We spent a solid week with the XP30 and Samsung's W200, and while neither ended up impressing us from a visual standpoint, they both shared one common lining of the silver variety: price. At just $184, the XP30 is quite the bargain given its neatly trimmed exterior, but was the performance enough to warrant a recommendation? Head on past the break for out thoughts, as well as a heaping of sample shots and even an underwater video taken... after dark. %Gallery-131553%
Nikon announces Coolpix P7100, ruggedized AW100 and four S-series point-and-shoots
Camera manufacturers seem to have forgone the straw method for deciding which order to push out their press releases this time around, opting for old-fashioned alphabetical order instead. Yesterday Canon announced a trio of new PowerShots, and now Nikon is doubling down with six new cams, to be followed very soon by ... another company later this morning. First off the assembly line is the $500 Coolpix P7100, with its 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor, 7.1x zoom lens, 921k-dot tilting LCD, and manual controls. Photogs looking to jump in the pool, point-and-shoot in tow will probably be more interested in the $380 AW100, which includes a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, 5x lens, 1080p video capture, built-in GPS, and water resistance to 33 feet. Next up is the $430 S1200pj (pj, for projector). We've never actually seen anyone using the built-in projector in Nikon's digicams, but it's a fun gimmick nonetheless. This model adds iOS compatibility, letting you project 60-inch iPad videos at a whopping 20 lumens. It also has a 14.1 megapixel sensor, 5x zoom, 720p video, and a 3-inch LCD. If style is your game, the $300 S100's sleek design won't go unnoticed, regardless of whether you opt for red, black, purple and gold (oh, definitely go with the gold). There's also a 16 megapixel sensor, 5x zoom, 1080p video, and 3D capture. If a superzoom is in the cards, the $330 S8200 is worth a look, with its 14x Nikkor lens, 16.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, 1080p video, and 3-inch 921k-dot LCD. Its thinner sibling, the S6200 is also less expensive, retailing for $230. You'll need to settle for a 10x optical zoom, 16 megapixel sensor, 720p video, and a 2.7-inch LCD, however. All six digicams are slated to ship in September. Jump past the break for a trio of Nikon press releases, detailing each model.%Gallery-131435%
Itronix GD2000: a rugged handheld for your skydiving, bullet-dodging, building-scaling lifestyle
Taking a break from BASE jumping to shop for your next rugged computer? If you can't wait for Panasonic's Android Toughbook slate, consider the just-announced General Dynamics Itronix GD2000. The PR mavens promise this handheld performs like a full-sized notebook, thanks to an Intel Core Solo processor. Weighing in at 2.4 pounds, this beast can run for six hours on a lithium-ion battery; it also boasts a sun-friendly 5.6-inch, 1024 x 600 LED touchscreen. Fully integrated satellite GPS will help you reach your top secret rendezvous point, and WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity will keep your Twitter feed updated along the way. But how rugged is it really, you ask? The case is Ingress Protection (IP) 54 rated, the company answers, meaning your new purchase is protected from dust and splashing water. When you're ready to build your own – maybe upgrading the standard 64GB SATA drive and adding cellular networking – prices start at $4,900.
Clickfree C2 Rugged hard drive can fall down, backup
There's just something about the phrase "built to strict U.S. military standards" that makes us want to go positively medieval on a rugged device. Sadly, the aforementioned qualifier doesn't mean that Clickfree's new C2 Rugged Back-up Drive is capable of withstanding, say, a hail of gunfire, but the rubberized disk will continue to work after being dropped from four feet. The peripheral also features the company's Easy Run software, which will start automatically backing up your PC when you're done showing that storage device who's boss. The 500GB C2 is available now through Clickfree's site for $140 -- or $100, if you're one of the lucky 100 first people to buy, so maybe buy two, in case you go a little overboard.
Xplore Technologies' iX104C5 tablet PC is built for abuse (update)
Sure, we all drool over the slender lines of the latest slates, but there's no shortage of folks in the field who dig the tablet form factor and need a more durable device than anything running Android or iOS. Enter Xplore Technologies and its newest bombproof tablet, the iX104C5. This freshly minted model follows its progenitor PCs, the C2, C3, and the C4, in that it has a 10.4-inch XGA display and rugged good looks. Underneath that industrial exterior, the C5 improves upon earlier models with a 2.13GHz Intel Core i7 620UE processor and 2GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB) running Windows 7. It has dedicated GPS, Gigabit ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, and a Gobi 2000 mobile broadband card to keep you flush with 3G data out in the wild. There's also a hot-swappable 10-cell Li-Ion battery and dual SSD drive capability with RAID support, so your data is as safe as the hardware housing it. Xplore's not telling how much the iX104C5 costs, but we do know it can survive being thermally shocked, dropped, vibrated, and generally abused. All that's left is a snowmobiling showdown with its spiritual soulmate to determine which rugged PC platform reigns supreme. Update: Well, we just got pricing for these tough tablets, and the "Lite" version (an oxymoron if we've ever heard one) starts at $3,299, with costs ballooning to $7,299 for a military spec slate. You didn't think warzone-worthy computers were cheap, did you?
G-Form Extreme Sleeve gives new reasons to throw a MacBook out a window (video)
Extreme products make people do extreme things -- take, for example, all of those phones we've dumped in glasses of water and various things we've run over with cars. When it comes to demonstrating ruggedness, G-Form is no slouch. After dropping a bowling ball on its iPad case (iPad inside, naturally), the company hit YouTube again to toss a MacBook encased in a new Extreme Sleeve from a 20 foot balcony -- a fall it survived unscathed. These heavy-duty cases are made up of PORON XRD, a flexible material that absorbs 90 percent of impact energy, which the company also uses it to make things like skateboarding knee pads and biking accessories. The laptop case starts shipping on May 31st for $69.95, so heads up when walking under windows this summer. Extreme press release and video of gadget abuse after the break.
Froyo hits Motorola Defy, leaves a lasting impression
Until now, the best way to get Froyo on your Defy was to drop the thing while eating at a TCBY -- thankfully, the water and drop-resistant Motorola handset could take the abuse. Things are a bit easier now, however; the company announced today that the rugged handset is finally getting an Android 2.2 update, hot on the heels of Verizon's Samsung Fascinate -- half a year after the operating system first hit the market and a bit later than originally rumored. Click on the source link for the how-to guide you're obviously searching for. [Thanks, Josh]
Fujifilm FinePix XP30 reviewed: average ruggedized cam, with GPS
With this ruggedized, GPS-equipped FinePix XP30 from Fujifilm, you won't have any trouble proving to your friends that that penguin photo your grandmother uses as her "screen saver" really was taken in Antarctica. Unless it happens to be snowing in Antarctica. Or even cloudy. This otherwise average 14.2 megapixel camera is the first to include GPS, but the gurus at Photography Blog had trouble getting a fix while testing in England. They also had issues with the battery door flipping open when the camera was dropped, and sand getting trapped in the zoom rocker -- not problems you want to see on a ruggedized cam. Like most rugged cameras, the XP30's image quality also doesn't compare to its land-limited cousins, according to the review, so this $240 Fuji might be a better bet as a second shooter than your be-all and end-all camera. Head on over to Photography Blog for the full review.
Sonim XP3300 Force hands-on (through insulating gloves)
What do you do with a phone that claims it can withstand anything you throw its way? Dip it in sub-zero temperatures, bang it against concrete, drop it from great heights, and then stand on it? That was the full extent of our imagination today when getting to grips with the Sonim XP3300 Force and the damn thing didn't budge a millimeter, never mind an inch. It has a Gorilla Glass-protected screen and some rather self-apparent water- and impact-resistant hardware surrounding its soft electronic core. Changes in this latest model include the redesign of the Java-based OS, the internal power supply circuitry, the GPS module, and the antenna, all in the name of improving efficiency to a claimed 24 hours of talk time on a single charge. That's quite the feat, even if you can't exactly stream HD Flash videos using this chunky fella. The XP3300 Force is available in 50 countries around the world today, with pricing near $400 unsubsidized or between $50 and $150 on contract. Skip past the break for video of its endurance. %Gallery-116644%
Sony DSC-TX100V and the rest of the Cyber-shot posse hands-on
Sony announced a heap of new Cyber-shot cameras earlier this week, and after spying the entire line posing Miss America-style at Sony's CES booth, we decided to go hands on. The DSC-TX100V's OLED screen, which is a Cyber-shot first, was definitely impressive in terms of clarity, brightness and color reproduction -- despite only viewing a fellow convention goer obstructing the booth. The DSC-TX10 is also one the classiest looking ruggedized camera we've ever seen and thankfully lacks accents such as excessive rubber detailing. Sony wasn't really down with us testinghow much grief it could actually take though. Similarly, we had hoped to check out the DSC-WX10's 1920 x 1080 60fps video capture mode -- since it's the only digital compact to support it -- but that idea got shut down the moment a few Sony VIPs arrived. Still, we did manage to take a few shots of each in the wilds of the convention center which you can check out in the gallery below. %Gallery-113428%
Motorola Defy makes a splash on T-Mobile this November 3rd for $99
T-Mobile USA's tweet pretty much says it all -- the Defy is nigh -- and you'll be able to pick Motorola's ruggedized handset come November 3rd for a penny under $100 on-contract. It's not the fastest handset on the block, saddled as it is with both Blur and Android 2.1, but there's nothing quite like a handset that you can stab with a pen or dunk in the drink while it's still turned on.
NextComputing Vigor Evo rugged PC shipping with three displays, 11TB storage
NextComputing has a line on the types of PCs we will always lust over, yet we'll never ever be able to justify purchasing. Case in point: the Vigor Evo Plus is a thirty-five-plus pound behemoth, featuring a rugged mil-anodized external chassis, shock-mounted internal chassis, and options including a single or dual Xeon, up to 16GB ECC RAM, up to 11TB storage, up to six full-length, full-height PCI Express and PCI-X slots, and up to three integrated 17-inch displays. Call the company for a price quote if you're curious -- we weren't up to the task, but we're sure that it's either this bad boy or our rent for the better part of a year. PR after the break.
Rugged Notebooks hatches Eagle series for 'demanding' work environments
Rugged Notebooks has just launched a new series of ruggedized laptops called the Eagle Series. As one would expect, these laptops are meant to sustain drops, spill and shocks, meeting the FBI's guidelines user-authentication guidelines for computers accessing National Crime Information Center (NCIC) data, though you pay for that in the weight of the beast: the Eagle weighs in at a hefty five and a half pounds. Specwise, the 14.1-incher boasts a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Dup CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and HDMI out standard. Options include dual RAID 0/1 hard drives, 3G, GPS, touchscreen, a webcam, and Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems. The Eagle Series is available now and prices start at $1,695. Full press release is after the break.
Panasonic Toughbook U1 gets new sunlight-viewable screen, still solid to its Atom core
Remember Panasonic's Toughbook CF-U1? Yeah, so it's been a while (2008, in fact) since it was unveiled and then reviewed, which is exactly why Panny thought the time had come to update the rugged UMPC. Its Toughbook U1 has the same magnesium alloy chassis -- we're told it's still the most rugged Toughbook of them all -- but has been updated with "enhanced sunlight viewability." It's no PixelQi display, but the TransflectivePlus screen can be cranked up to 6000 nits for checking e-mails and other pertinent information in the bright light of day. Internally, the U1 has acquired a newer 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a larger 64GB SSD with Windows 7. The optional two megapixel front-facing camera has also been tweaked with better auto-focus and white balance features. However, the updates aren't just hardware-based: screen icons have been enlarged, and there's a new virtual right click button and larger virtual keyboard with a zoom mode. Of course, military grade doesn't come cheap -- the street price has been set at whopping $2,799. That still makes it one of the most expensive Atom device out there, but then again can you really put a price on something that's Rammer-resistant? We didn't think so.
What happens when you leave a skateboard and a tank alone in a dimly lit room? (video)
You get all-terrain vehicle babies, is what. Ben Gulak, the youngster that brought us the Uno electric unicycle, is back with a new transportation device, this time aiming to woo military procurement types with a rugged and extremely versatile one-man transporter. The DTV (Dual Tracked Vehicle) Shredder has enough torque to tow an SUV, but is also flexible enough to turn within a circle of four feet and scale slopes as steep as 40 degrees. To be honest, though, nothing we say can do justice to just how badass this thing really is, you'll want to see the videos after the break for that. Our favorite part? The Shredder can be remotely operated and its makers even advertise its ability to carry offensive weaponry and serve as a "robot attack platform." What self-respecting supervillain wouldn't want an army of those?
Stealth's rugged USB keyboard is extremely tough, extremely pricey
There are no hard and fast rules in the gadget game, but there is one bit of wisdom we generally stand by: everything benefits by being ruggedized. Sure, we know this speaks to a deep-seated need to smash things, drown things, run 'em over in a truck or shoot them -- and we're not making any excuses. Housed in vandal resistant stainless steel, the Stealth KYBX-400-DT-BL-TB-USB keyboard feature an optical trackball mouse, and NVIS-compliant red adjustable backlighting (just the thing for when you dig out the night vision goggles). If that weren't enough, the whole thing is environmentally sealed to NEMA 4, 4X, IP65 specifications (whatever that means). Yours now for $695! Get a closer look below. %Gallery-101177%
Motorola Defy: Android 2.1 goes rugged with water, dust and scratch resistance
Remeber the Motorola i1? Moto has just added its second rugged(ish) Android handset in the 3.7-inch Gorilla Glass-fronted Defy. It's dust-, scratch-, impact-, and water-resistant. Matching up to the IP67 durability spec means it's expected to resist being submersed in up to a meter of water for up to half an hour -- making it a pretty awesome option for taking your Android to the beach, 854 x 480 is your screen resolution, backed up by an OMAP 3610 chip running at 800MHz (there had to be some tradeoffs, right?). Android 2.1 is another slight disappointment, we're not clear on why Froyo had to be left off the table, but at least Motorola has bundled Swype as the default input mechanism. Should be a boon for some, we suppose. The Defy is expected to launch across Europe in Q4 2010. Update: Hands-on video now available after the break.%Gallery-100857%
DRS Armor X10gx gets a handle on military-grade tablet technology, specs it slightly shy
DRS' latest ARMOR tablet hasn't quite gotten with the times; the new X10gx sports the same 10.4-inch resistive display, a similar 1.2GHz processor and lags behind consumer products in RAM (2GB) and storage (64GB) almost as badly as predecessors two years prior. The badass quotient, however, has gone through the roof... as this magnesium-shelled puppy is now MIL-STD-810G, IP67 and UL1604 certified. To translate that in layman terms, you can (and they did) drop this 4.7 pound Windows 7 tablet from four feet dozens of times, throw it in a meter-deep pool of water and subject it to sub-freezing, sweltering and potentially explosive environments, all while still accepting standard-height 2.5-inch hard drives. Other features for worthy warriors include integrated GPS, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, optional Gobi broadband and the ability to attach external antennas to each, plus hot-swappable 2400mAh batteries to minimize downtime. Smart card, TPM module and fingerprint scanners come standard, of course, and in a singular gesture to the consumer world, there is one HDMI port. No word on price, but given the construction of these machines, we're not going to pry -- it had just better be competitive with Panasonic's $3,400 device.
Sony's waterproof and dustproof DSC-TX5 stands up to review scrutiny
You'll remember the TX5 as Sony's do-it-all solution for compact camera fans. It aims to be both stylish -- with a slender 0.7-inch profile and a 3-inch touchscreen -- and rugged, thanks to a metal frame that makes it impervious to water, dust and sub-zero conditions. Throw in the backlit Exmor R CMOS sensor, optical image stabilization, SDHC compatibility, and 720p movie mode and you've got a pretty fearsome paper tiger on your hands. But does it roar in reality? According to Photography Blog, you won't be getting the finest image quality around, but the TX5 impressed with some terrific high ISO performance, excellent handling of chromatic aberrations, and a versatility that allows you to take photos you might not otherwise get to with more conventional shooters. That is an opinion broadly shared by CNET, though both reviewers agreed that pricing will be a tough pill to swallow given that this is still just a 10 megapixel point-and-shoot. Hit the sources for more or mosey on past the break for a sample video.
Corsair Flash Survivor GTR keeps up enduring tradition of rugged survivalism
Was the torture-tested Survivor GT flash drive just not extreme enough for you? Time to slap an extra letter on the end of the model name and take the plunge with the Flash Survivor GTR from Corsair. As far as we can tell, it retains all the salient features of its predecessor -- meaning a CNC-milled aircraft-grade aluminum shell that can withstand ridiculous amounts of punishment -- while tweaking the aesthetics a bit and adding water resistance down to a 200-meter (656-foot) depth. With transfer rates of 34MBps and 28MBps for reads and writes, respectively, it's no slouch either, though that's to be expected from what will surely be a pricey accessory for your superhero utility belt. 32GB and 64GB versions are expected to ship soon.
