Olympus Mju Tough-6010 seeks clumsy photographer to grow old with

The latest addition to the Olympus Mju (Stylus in the US) family of ruggedized cameras is the Tough-6010, which claims to be waterproof up to (or is it down to) 3 m (10 ft), freezeproof to -10°C (14°F), and capable of withstanding drops from 1.5 m (5 ft). It retains the TAP Control Mode from its elder sibling, which lets users access various functions by tapping the camera’s top and sides. If you’re going to be snorkeling on Greenland’s north coast, there is perhaps no other camera for you — but if you care about actual camera specs, this is a 12-megapixel shooter, equipped with 3.6x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD, dual image stabilization, ISO sensitivity up to 1600, and storage handled by your choice of xd-Picture Card or MicroSD. Should you be leaving for Greenland soon, fret not, as the UK will be getting the 6010 this month for £299, with continental Europe and the US probably not too far behind.

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Olympus Mju Tough-6010 seeks clumsy photographer to grow old with originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rugged Cellphones Make iPhones Look Like Wimps

nokia3720classic_1

Nokia’s latest 3720 Classic cellphone can be dropped into a pint of beer, taken into a shower and stored inside a pile of sawdust. But that’s nothing compared to the Sonim XP3 Quest 2.0, a mobile phone that can withstand being flung across the room or used as a hammer — and can be heard perfectly over the noise of a jackhammer.

The devices are part of an emerging category of rugged phones aimed at people who are rough on their gadgets — or who just want to project a tougher image. Major handset makers including Nokia and Samsung, as well as specialized handset makers such as Sonim, are counting on these near-unbreakable phones to reach a section of consumers–plumbers, construction workers and truck drivers, not to mention mountain bikers and snowboarders–who may find the iPhone a bit too dainty to use.

“Finally users have a phone they can hammer a nail with or use while wearing a glove ,” says Bob Plaschke, chief executive officer of Sonim.”Not everyone wants to walk into a store to get the latest touchscreen or a cameraphone. Some people just want a device that is built to last.”

At least 1 percent to 1.5 percent of the billion or so cellphones worldwide ends up in the hands of blue collar workers, estimates Sonim. That means millions of phones for users that don’t care about popular cellphone design trends such as thinness, touchscreen or video camera.

Instead, says Ben Wood, director of research at CCS Insight, these users want a device that can be tossed around without much care.

“They are people who find that their phones keep getting smashed up,” says Wood, “and while they don’t want something that is bulletproof, armor proof and military grade, they would like a phone that is close enough.”

Rugged phones are not for the faint of heart. Most are built to withstand drops on concrete, work in extreme temperatures, sport scratch resistant displays and be spill-proof and dust-proof. But the tradeoff is that the phones are more expensive than their peers and they are usually not available on contract with most major U.S. carriers.

The devices are not entirely a new idea. Rugged laptops such as those from Panasonic and Dell are a staple among road warriors, especially in construction and the military. The early rugged phones were created for industrial strength users such as the UPS deliverymen or Walmart store managers who wanted a sturdy phone to use at work. But these phones were bulky devices that didn’t particularly score high on looks or style, says Wood. That’s changing as rugged phone makers target consumers, he says.

“Aside from the blue collar workers, there’s also the category of weekend warriors who may want these phones to project an uber-macho image,” says Wood. That means bikers, skiers and hikers could opt for rugged devices instead of carrying phones that are more flimsy. Sonim has already partnered with Land Rover in the U.K. to market its phones.

While rugged phones may not have a 5-megapixel camera like the Motorola Zine (on T-Mobile), they have enough features to keep an average consumer happy. Last year, Sony introduced the weather-resistant C702 Cybershot phone that included a 3.2 megapixel camera. The Nokia 3720 Classic includes a 2-megapixel camera, video and audio recording and a music player. Sonim’s phone comes with GPS tracking and turn-by-turn navigation application and a built-in LED torch.

“Our phone battery can offer at least 15 hours of talk time,” says Sonim’s Plaschke. “Every feature we offer is designed with ruggedization in mind.” It’s not just all talk. Sonim backs up its claims with a three-year warranty on all handsets that it calls an “unconditional guarantee.”

The rugged phones, though, carry a stiff price. Sonim’s XP3 Quest will sell through Best Buy unlocked for $500, while Nokia’s 3720 Classic is available for €125 ($175).  Industry executives such as Plaschke hope as rugged phones get popular they will be picked up by U.S. telecom carriers.

“Right now this is a market of a few hundred thousand phones,” says Wood. “But when you have big players such as Nokia and Samsung put some effort, you know there is a real market opportunity here.”

Photo: Nokia 3720 Classic/Nokia


Hitachi intros two new portable HDDs, SimpleNET NAS adapter

If you’ll recall, Hitachi GST snapped up Fabrik in February, and with that acquisition came the latter company’s highly-regarded SimpleTech line. Today, Hitachi is introducing its first consumer products since the pickup, and while you’ll notice a hint of ‘Simple’ in the titles, the branding is all Hitachi. First up is the water-resistant and shock-proof SimpleTOUGH portable USB drive (250/320/500GB for $99.99/$119.99/$149.99), which can survive a 3-meter fall and boasts a twistable USB cable that’s permanently affixed to the enclosure.

Next, there’s the SimpleDRIVE Mini, which is a stylish, colorful portable HDD that is now shipping in red wine (250GB; $89.99), blue dusk (320GB; $109.99) and carbon fiber black (500GB; $139.99). Finally, there’s Hitachi’s alternative to the Pogoplug: the SimpleNET USB/NAS adapter. Put simply, this $79 device enables up to two USB HDDs to be placed on a network, though Hitachi makes clear that this is a convenience device, not a performance device. The 10/100 Ethernet jack is evidence of that, but hey, if you need a quick-and-dirty way to get your hard drive (regardless of format, by the way) on the web, this will certainly do it. Full release is after the break.

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Hitachi intros two new portable HDDs, SimpleNET NAS adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eurotech introduces Atom-powered in-wall Panel Computers

Why leave all the new computer fun to your desk or lap, right? In an effort to give that barren wall of yours something to cheer about, Eurotech has recently introduced a new trio of Panel Computers, all of which are powered by Intel’s less-than-amazing Atom CPU. The Vx-120F-N270 and Vx-150F-N270 are practically identical save for the 12.1- and 15-inch touchscreens (respectively), with each possessing an Atom N270 processor, a fanless design, high-brightness LCD, twin gigabit Ethernet jacks, a front-mounted USB port and an expansion slot for add-on boards. The outfit also debuted the rugged Bx-400F-N270, which should withstand abuse not seen on typical in-wall PCs. Prices have yet to be made public, but you can pretty much bank on your local home automation dealer charging a boatload come mid-September.

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Eurotech introduces Atom-powered in-wall Panel Computers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Agfa Rises From the Depths with Cheap Underwater Camera

DC-600uw

Agfa, the troubled Belgian film and photo company, isn’t quite dead yet, and somebody, somewhere, has slapped the company’s logo onto a new waterproof camera and is offering it under the tagline “sporting submersion”.

You may remember Agfa-Gavaert as a heavyweight imaging company. The medical and industrial side doesn’t concern us here, but Agfa made some stunning films and decent enough cameras. Then, digital photography came along, the company choked and now all that is left of the photographic side is the name, Agfaphoto, used under license from the still ailing parent company.

The new DC-600uw appears to be a pretty good and simple sports cam. It can survive dunks of up to 10 meters (33 feet) and the waterproof sealing keeps out dust, too. The pixel count is kept deliberately small at 6MP to combat high ISO noise (the camera will shoot at up to ISO1600) and it will shoot VGA-quality video with sound.

Other than that, there isn’t much. Zoom is digital only (5x) and focus is fixed, not auto. This is all for a reason: the DC-600uw costs just $200, which, if the pictures are actually any good, is a fine price for an underwater camera. In fact, it might just be the perfect holiday snap machine.

Product page [Agfa]


AgfaPhoto rolls out rugged, waterproof DV-600uw camera

AgfaPhoto’s new DV-600uw rugged camera may not be quite as stylish as Pentax’s latest ruggedized offering, but it looks like it has it beat where it counts, with it able to handle submersion in water up to 33 feet deep (compared to the Pentax’s 16 feet), and hold up to the usual drops, dust, and dirt for good measure. Unfortunately, things are a bit less impressive when it comes to the core camera specs, with this one packing just 6-megapixels, no optical zoom, and a plain old VGA movie mode instead of 720p — not to mention just one choice of color. If that extra ruggedness makes the difference for you, however, you can pick this one up right now for $199.

[Via Electronista]

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AgfaPhoto rolls out rugged, waterproof DV-600uw camera originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s Toughbook CF-30 gets gnawed by tiger, stomped by elephant and 187’d

In a whirring round of hurt that only a dear friend we know simply as Congmasta could deliver, a team of his irreverent cousins got ahold of Panasonic’s Toughbook CF-30 to see just how far the envelope could be pushed. We already discovered that said machine was plenty tough for the average adventurer, but Forbes‘ tests prove that this bad boy is tailor made for maltreatment in the field. Somehow, the machine survived a round of Diet Coke to the keys, a few chomps from a white tiger, an elephant’s playful attempt to extirpate it and even a single .22 slug through the lid. After the torment concluded, the CF-30 still managed to boot, and while that hole in the LCD was certainly a nuisance, it didn’t stop the rest of the pixels from lighting up and trudging onward. Tap the read link for all the gory details, photographs and video, but seriously, don’t try this at home. Or anywhere.

[Image courtesy of Schim Schimmel/SchimmelSmith Publishing, thanks Vipul]

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Panasonic’s Toughbook CF-30 gets gnawed by tiger, stomped by elephant and 187’d originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pentax’s Optio W80 point-and-shoot shrugs off water, haters

While Canon’s PowerShot D10 has been hogging the spotlight in the waterproof point-and-shoot arena, Pentax is dropping in a formidable opponent this evening with the Optio W80. Said shooter measures in at just one inch thick and features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, a 5x internal optical zoom, a wide-angle 28mm lens and a SuperProtect coating that helps repel water, grime and finger marks from the len’s crystal cover. The chassis is built to handle submersion in water up to 16 feet deep, not to mention extreme cold, dust and drops of one meter or less. There’s also a 2.5-inch rear LCD, a 720p movie mode, face detection and shake reduction. It’s slated to ship next month for $299.95; now you’ve just got to decide between Cardinal Red, Azure Blue and Gunmetal Gray. Tough call, right? The full release is just past the break.

Continue reading Pentax’s Optio W80 point-and-shoot shrugs off water, haters

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Pentax’s Optio W80 point-and-shoot shrugs off water, haters originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio EXILIM now available on Verizon, water resistance no extra charge

Long rumored as the C721, Casio’s pivoting EXILIM clamshell is now available to all comers on Verizon. Though the camera goes way up to 5.1 megapixels with autofocus, image stabilization, and a 3x optical zoom, the phone doesn’t stray too far from its G’zOne roots — it’s mil-spec 810F compliant for dust, shock, temperature, and water resistance. It also features expandability up to 8GB (something you’ll likely need if you’re taking advantage of that cam) and compatibility with Verizon’s VZ Navigator service. If you really need to be taking pictures in the shower, the pleasure’s going to cost you: expect to pay $279.99 on contract after rebate.

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Casio EXILIM now available on Verizon, water resistance no extra charge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GETAC’s ultra-rugged V100 gets upgrades for performance, not looks

For those of you in need of a PC capable of operating in extreme conditions (anyone reading this from a mine shaft or a bunker, for instance). Getac’s battle-tested and war-weary V100 convertible tablet PC has received several key upgrades, including a bump in processing power to a 1.4 GHz Intel Penryn, a front side bus increased from 533 MHz to 800 MHz, a RAM increase (bringing the total up to 4GB), and a max capacity increase from 250GB to 320GB. If that weren’t enough, this bad boy now supports draft 802.11n WiFi, and lastly (but not leastly) a new UL 1604 certification (optional) ensures safe, spark-free use of the device in potentially explosive environments. Yes, that’s right — you’ll soon be able to read The Onion from the shop floor at the TNT factory. No definite prices or release dates yet, but if this is up your alley you can keep an eye on your usual sources. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading GETAC’s ultra-rugged V100 gets upgrades for performance, not looks

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GETAC’s ultra-rugged V100 gets upgrades for performance, not looks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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