Hasta La Gadget!

Just like many of you, I dread dropping my phone. It happens from time to time, but I’ve never had a drop damage my phone. That being said, there’s no way that my phone could survive a 6,000-foot drop, or could it?

The people behind mentalKase have developed a case that’s supposed to be capable of surviving a drop from up to 6,000 feet – that’s more than a mile, folks.

The styling of the mentalKase isn’t that hot, but the foam rubber that it’s made of is ideal for protecting electronics. This means that you could probably throw your phone around and it would never be a problem, if you can get used to the size and bulk of the case.

With less than a day of funding left in this Kickstarter project, and more than $40,000 in funding missing, this case will probably not be funded by Kickstarter, but it might be released for retail nonetheless. You’ll have to pledge $45 for an iPhone 4/4S case or $50 for an iPhone 5 case.

Nikon introduced this morning in Japan and USA the the COOLPIX AW110. Waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof, the rugged AW110 is built to handle the elements, whether hiking up a mountain, hitting the slopes or riding the surf. Nikon’s newest tough camera also offers built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for sharing, Full HD 1080p video capabilities and a slew of advanced features that adventurers covet, including GPS and underwater shooting modes.
The COOLPIX AW110 is the ultimate point-and-shoot …

The Algiz XRW ultra rugged notebook computer has debuted and is available through Handheld Europe. The machine is designed to be incredibly rugged and is aimed at people who work outdoors in harsh environments such as the lumber or oil industries. The machine is also appropriate for anyone who works in an industry where they need notebook that can survive the harsh outdoors or drops.

The notebook has a full-size keyboard and 10.1-inch touchscreen that uses MaxView technology. Screen resolution for the machine is 1366 x 768. The processor is 1.6 GHz dual core Intel Atom in the machine has a 128 GB SSD. The computer also uses 4 GB of RAM and runs Windows 7 Ultimate. Other features of the computer include integrated GPS, Bluetooth, integrated Wi-Fi, and an optional 3G modem.

The rugged notebook uses optional Gobi 3000 technology allowing users to access 3G networks anywhere in the world. The computer uses a 57.72 Wh battery promising eight hours of use per charge. The machine has an integrated two-megapixel autofocus camera.

Connectivity options include an SD card slot, two USB ports, and one RS232 port. The machine also has a Kensington lock as an option for security in the field. The machine measures 260 mm, 178 mm x 40 mm and weighs 3.3 pounds. It meets military standards for drops, vibration, sand and dust resistant, water resistance, humidity, and altitude. The manufacturer claims the machine can survive drops from 4 feet.

[via HandheldEurope]

Algiz XRW rugged notebook launches is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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We’ve seen a handful of rugged Androids in our time, but none are as affordable and as weird as these ones at CES. The backstory here is that a couple of Chinese guys in camouflage gear approached us at our CES stage, and after an awkward conversation, it turned out that they just wanted to show us the three rugged phones they brought all the way from Shenzhen. Starting from the right we have the Runbo (like Rambo?) X1 IP67-certified featurephone cum walkie-talkie, which packs a 2-inch 176 × 144 display, a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera, a laser pointer, quad-band GSM plus 800MHz CDMA cellular radios, 400 to 470MHz range for the software-configurable walkie-talkie, a surprisingly loud speaker and a 2,200mAh battery. This will be available for ¥980 or about $160 on Taobao online store (the Chinese equivalent of eBay) in the next couple of days, and we’ve been told that there will also be a variant with GPS added.

But the real stars of the show are the two brick-sized vanilla Android 4.0.4 devices. The phone pictured in the middle is the Runbo X5, a device featuring a 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 MTK6577 chipset, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, microSD expansion, a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 IPS display, an app-triggered laser pointer, an eight-megapixel main camera, a 0.3-megapixel front camera, a super loud speaker (again) and a massive removable 3,800mAh battery. And yes, this also comes with a 400 to 470MHz walkie-talkie radio (up to 10km range; with detachable antenna), along with the additional 850/1900/2100 WCDMA radio, two SIM slots (WCDMA plus GSM), WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS. These specs are the same for the Runbo X3 on the left, except for the smaller 3.5-inch 800 x 480 IPS panel to make space for the QWERTY keyboard below it. The best part here are the prices: both of these IP67-certified devices are available on Taobao or the official website for just ¥1,999 or about $320, which is a bargain for both the ruggedness and the fact that these double as standard walkie-talkies. US folks can also order directly from eBay for $380, which is also a steal. But does this surprisingly low price reflect the quality? Find out in our hands-on after the break.

Continue reading Runbo X5 and X3 rugged Android phones moonlight as walkie-talkies, cost just $320

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Runbo, eBay

Olympus knows many of us will be jonesing for a rugged camera once the weather warms up, and it’s more than happy to deliver with a trio of refreshed Stylus Tough point-and-shoots. The TG-2 iHS flagship is all about going closer and deeper than before: it preserves the 12-megapixel CMOS sensor, 25-100mm equivalent f/2.0 lens and 1080p video of its predecessor, but introduces a new Microscopic Macro mode that Olympus claims can provide extreme detail from as little as 1cm (0.4 inches) away. The body’s waterproofing is also resilient enough to survive at a deeper 50 feet, just in case the TG-1 isn’t quite a match for that upcoming reef expedition. The TG-2 will arrive in March, and it should undercut its predecessor’s original asking price at $380.

Those who aren’t quite so committed to rough-and-tumble photography still get a few updates of their own. The TG-830 iHS adds geolocation to the TG-820’s formula with both GPS and an electronic compass to show the way; its 16-megapixel CMOS sensor is also new, although we’re more interested in a newfound option to shoot stills while recording video. At the entry level, the TG-630 iHS is a close cousin of the recent TG-625, adding a front metal plate to the 12-megapixel model we know. The two will ship alongside their bigger sibling in March with respective prices of $280 for the TG-830 and $200 for the TG-630.

Continue reading Olympus intros upgraded Stylus Tough TG-2, TG-830 and TG-630 rugged cameras

Filed under: Cameras

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Source: Olympus