Hasta La Gadget!

A solid four months after first seeing thing plastered across half of Las Vegas, Motorola’s i1 finally has a date with Sprint. The planet’s first Android-equipped smartphone with Nextel Direct Connect will go nationwide on July 25th (via telesales and websites; all other Sprint channels will see it on August 8th), bringing military spec ruggedness, push-to-talk capabilities and a certain ability to withstand all sorts of death grips. Unfortunately, Android 1.5 is a bit of a dinosaur at this point, but it’s still a heck of a lot better than that G’zOne Rock you’re currently toting. Get ready — you’ve got just under a week to scrounge up $149.99 and the nerve to sign another two-year contract.

Continue reading Motorola’s rugged i1 coming to Sprint: July 25 for $150 on contract

Motorola’s rugged i1 coming to Sprint: July 25 for $150 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getac’s long-standing V100 has never been a thing of beauty, but you’d think it may get a little easier on the eyes over the years, wouldn’t you? Regrettably, we’re still left looking at a fairly industrial little machine, but at least the improved innards make it that much easier to focus on the Device Manager rather than, well… the device itself. Boasting a 10.4-inch sunlight viewable display, 320GB shock-mounted HDD and an 83-key waterproof backlit rubber keyboard, the revamped V100 is ready to chew through all sorts of computations while laying low from jungle cats and pools of quicksand. The 1.2GHz Core i7 within is the real standout, and it’s joined by a multitouch-capable LCD, 2 megapixel webcam, SD card reader, inbuilt Bluetooth, optional 3G and a GPS system. There’s no telling how much this five pounder will set you back, but we’re guessing it’ll run somewhere between “way up there” and “you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Continue reading Getac tosses 1.2GHz Core i7 into ultra-rugged V100 convertible laptop, drops it from atop ugly tree

Getac tosses 1.2GHz Core i7 into ultra-rugged V100 convertible laptop, drops it from atop ugly tree originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crash! Bang! Whack! Bubbbbble! These words, when used anywhere near your precious data, should terrify even the most casual of computer users. Data storage devices are weak and pathetic, and even the solid-state storage found in a USB-key or MP3 player is susceptible to drops, heat, water and roaring flame.

LaCie’s XtremKey laughs at these dangers, all as it keeps your bits safe inside a tough, screw-shut metal tube. The blurb:

XtremKey is constructed with zamac, a metal alloy composed of zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper that’s so strong, it can withstand the pressure of a 10-ton truck.

Impressive, right? The USB2 pen-drive is waterproof to 100 meters (330-feet), can be dropped from 5-meters (16-feet) and can suffer temperatures as low as -50ºC (-58ºF) and as high as 200ºC (392ºF). Better, when sat on your desktop it wobbles cockily on its round edge, daring you to knock it over.

The drives run from 8GB up to 64GB and start at $50.

LaCie XtremKey: The World’s Most Adventurous USB Flash Drive [Lacie via Uncrate]

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There are iPhone cases, and then there’s Magellan‘s waterproof Toughcase. Priced at $199.99, it’s actually just as expensive as a new iPhone 4 on contract, and double the price of an iPhone 3GS (which it actually houses). So, what does two Benjamins get you? Most would argue “not nearly enough,” but argonauts may beg to differ. The case meets IPX-7 waterproof standards, enabling it to be submerged at a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, and there’s also an integrated 1,840mAh battery that’s able to “double the life” of your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or second / third-generation iPod touch. Moreover, there’s a built-in high sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS chipset for superior GPS reception, and nothing here prevents consumers from accessing the touchscreen. ‘Course, the sex appeal of your iDevice goes right out of the window once you strap this monster on, and there’s no official support for Apple’s newest iPhone, but it’s hard to knock the approach here.

Continue reading Magellan’s waterproof Toughcase wraps GPS module, extended battery around your iPhone

Magellan’s waterproof Toughcase wraps GPS module, extended battery around your iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, your tablet is pretty, but can it survive a four-foot drop? Motion Computing has announced the J3500 tablet PC, a rugged tablet designed for the construction, field service, and healthcare industries. It’s built with extra-durable Corning Gorilla glass, which offers up to four times improvement in breakage resistance. It also offers an anti-smear coating for improved visibility.

Inside, the J3500 includes an Intel Core vPro processor, 160GB storage, up to 4GB RAM, and a 3 megapixel documentation camera. For even more durability, you can opt for a 64GB or 128GB solid state drive. It starts at $2,299 and is available now through Motion’s network of value-added resellers and distributors.