Hasta La Gadget!

Americans who likes the Sony Xperia go’s approach to lifeproof smartphone design won’t have to live vicariously through their overseas friends anymore. Keeping up its recent habit of selling unlocked versions of niche devices, Sony is selling the toughened smartphone in the US as the Xperia advance. The 3.5-inch handset won’t initially be a surprise to those who’ve had a peek at an international version, right through to the out-of-the-box Android 2.3 installation — you’ll be sitting in line for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean like everyone else. For most, the advantage will rest in a dust- and water-resistant phone that can wield its 3G on AT&T or Straight Talk while being free to use at least basic GSM calling abroad. Be sure to shop around before committing to an Xperia advance, though. While Newegg’s $250 price makes a reasonable case, the $300 official cost has our minds wandering to the much more powerful (if more fragile) Nexus 4.

Continue reading Sony ships Xperia advance to the US, offers unlocked ruggedness for $300 or less

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

Sony ships Xperia advance to the US, offers unlocked ruggedness for $300 or less originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drift has updated its HD action camera to help you better document your Baumgartner-esque death defying acts. The Drift HD Ghost gets a two-inch LCD screen with a refreshed control setup and chunky, 1,700mAh battery. The company is boasting that audio on this new unit should be greatly improved (something we took issue with last time out) so the world can hear your blood-curdling screams as you plummet through the stratosphere. It’s available to pre-order from today for $399, with the device set to begin shipping from November 19th.

Continue reading Drift HD Ghost helmet cam available to pre-order today for $400 (video)

Filed under: Cameras

Drift HD Ghost helmet cam available to pre-order today for $400 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Wire’s Lester Freamon was never too far away from his Panasonic Toughbook, and we’d bet he’d be able to handle plenty more wiretaps with one of these. This is the Toughbook C2, the company’s latest 12.5-inch convertible notebook for Windows 8 Pro that’s designed for healthcare professionals and daring explorer types. On the hardware side, there’s an Intel Core i5-3427U vPro CPU, 11 hours of battery life and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. You’ll be staring into a 500 nit, LCD IPS display (and a 720p webcam) that offers five-point multitouch and a digitizer so you can scrawl down your notes with a stylus. Connectivity options include 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth and a choice of either LTE or Gobi global 3G. As you might have guessed from the name, it’ll withstand a 30-inch drop and can take up to six ounces of freshly-brewed coffee being spilled over its magnesium alloy body. The Toughbook C2 starts shipping from December, with the base model setting you, and the Baltimore PD, back $2,949 with a three-year warranty.

Continue reading Panasonic introduces new Toughbook C2 convertible tablet with Windows 8 Pro for $2,949

Filed under: Laptops

Panasonic introduces new Toughbook C2 convertible tablet with Windows 8 Pro for $2,949 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those of us picking budget smartphones in the US seldom have the choice of a toughened smartphone, and it’s even more of a challenge when we’re not signed on to one of the top four carriers. US Cellular is offering the cost-conscious a (hardened) olive branch by shipping the Alcatel One Touch Shockwave. Skip past the creaky Android 2.3, 800MHz processor, 3.2-megapixel camera and 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 display — a shock- and water-resistant shell as well as Dragontrail-based glass should keep the smartphone working through most forms of casual abuse. We also don’t mind having preloaded Amazon Appstore and media apps, although the frugal 2GB microSD card in the box won’t leave much room for any downloading. We’d at least keep the Shockwave on the short list when the $50 price and long-lasting design will leave ample funds for just about everything else.

Continue reading Alcatel One Touch Shockwave reaches US Cellular, takes your bumps and scrapes for $50

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Alcatel One Touch Shockwave reaches US Cellular, takes your bumps and scrapes for $50 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The last Casio G’zOne handheld to come our way was the Commando, a military-grade device that marked the company’s first foray into Android smartphones. Now it seems there’s another one in the works, at least if a recent FCC filing is any indication. The Casio C811 looks to be a successor to the aforementioned Commando, with its G’zOne branding and features like WiFi and GSM world phone capabilities. Notably, the FCC document reveals the phone has Verizon-flavored LTE plus NFC support, both of which lead us to believe it’ll likely be a mid- to high-end handset. Not much else is divulged from perusing the filing, but we’re sure that whatever the C811 turns out to be, it’ll be just as tough and durable as the rest of Casio’s G’zOne offerings.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon

Next-gen Casio G’zOne makes it to the FCC, reveals LTE and NFC support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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