Samsung launches really, really good looking, yet tough, SD and microSD cards

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  • February 17, 2012 at 12:49 pm

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Samsung stylish brushed metal SD and microSD cards

When considering SD cards, which live mostly inside our devices, stylish design is pretty low on our list of priorities. Nevertheless, Samsung is on a mission to beautify its entire line of electronics, hence meet its new SD and microSD cards featuring a brushed metal exterior. But been being really, really good looking is not their only property, the new cards have some serious rugged credentials.

The seven new SD and microSD card models are waterproof, shockproof and magnet proof. Samsung guarantees the cards will survive up to 24 hours submerged in water, can withstand a 3,200 lbs force (you can drive a 1.6 ton vehicle over them) and even a magnetic field up to 10,000 gauss won’t be enough to screw up your data.
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Panasonic ousts four new Lumix point-and-shoot cameras: two compact superzooms and two rugged

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  • January 31, 2012 at 4:24 am

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Panasonic ZS20 superzoom point-and-shoot camera - top

Panasonic has just announced four new Lumix point-and-shoot cameras, which, combined with a bunch of lower-specced compacts announced at CES, it has now completely blanketed the market.

The new flagship point-and-shoot camera is the Lumix DMC-ZS20, with a 20x (24-480mm) zoom and at just 1.11-inches (28.2cm) thick, Panasonic is calling it the world’s slimmest 20x zoom camera. The camera has a 14.1-megapixel sensor and is capable of shooting 1080/60p video. You will also be able to take advantage of its geotagging abilities with the included GPS.
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Motorola getting tougher with Defy+ JCB Edition 3.7-inch Android handset

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  • January 18, 2012 at 5:43 pm

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Motorola Defy+ JCB edition back and front

We really liked the Motorola Defy+ when we reviewed it because it offers some degree of ruggedization without being ugly or unwieldy. It’s also good value for money, with around £240 ($370) (contract free) buying you an Android handset with a 3.7-inch Gorilla Glass LCD 854×480 (265ppi) display, 1GHz single-core TI OMAP3620 SoC, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of built-in storage and a 5-megapixel rear camera.

Motorola hot on the heals of the success of the Defy+ has introduced the Defy+ JCB Edition. Those unfamiliar with JCB, it’s a construction equipment and heavy machinery manufacturer. Compared to the standard Defy+, the JCB edition wraps the device with a visco-elastic protective sleeve for a stronger exterior, which should handle drops and pressure better. Apparently the skin automatically stiffens on impact and remains flexible in normal use. The special edition also includes a number of apps targeted to builders, engineers and DIY enthusiasts. The apps include a theodolite, spirit level, torch and decibel meter.
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Motorola announces cost conscious Motoluxe and Defy Mini Android smartphones (video)

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  • January 6, 2012 at 4:34 am

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Motorola Motoluxe and Defy Mini

Motorola Mobility has added two new Android smartphones to its lineup, the 4-inch Motoluxe and the 3.2-inch Defy Mini. Both smartphones will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread on launch, though one would hope an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update would soon be on the way. The two smartphones will launch in Greater China, Europe and Latin America this spring.

The Motoluxe has a 4-inch edge-to-edge touchscreen (smaller bezels is one of our wishes for 2012) with a 854×480 resolution. It runs on an 800Mhz processor and 512MB RAM. Other features include an 8-megapixel rear camera, a front-facing VGA camera, 1GB of storage, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and FM radio. A 1,400 mAh gives up to 6.5 hours of talk time in 2G. The Motoluxe measures 117.7 x 60.5 x 9.85 mm and 123.6g and will come in tasty licorice or white colors.

The Defy Mini, as you might have guessed, is the smaller version of the rugged Motorola Defy+ that we’ve reviewed here. Its smallish 3.2-inch touchscreen display with 480×320 resolution is covered by scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. It’s also water-resistant and dust proof. You only get a 600Mhz processor with 512MB RAM and 512MB of built-in storage. A rather large 1,650 mAh gives you 10 hours of talk time. The Defy Mini also comes with a 3-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and FM radio. It measures 109 x 58.5 x 12.55 mm and 107g.

Videos and press release are after the break.
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Sony Ericsson Xperia Active survives decathlon of torture (video)

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  • January 4, 2012 at 4:12 pm

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Active hit with hammer

We are suckers for rugged gadgets. Our lives are hectic enough and our minds are filled with all kinds of worries, like keeping you informed on all the latest gadgets, to have to worry about pampering our smartphones. We loved the Motorola Defy+ in our recent review, because of the convenience in having such a rugged phone.

Sony Ericsson’s rugged Android smartphone is called the Xperia Active. It’s a small 3-inch device with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor running Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Someone who either loves or hates his Sony Ericsson Xperia Active immensely, has gone to great lengths to torture-test the device. First, dunking it into a street puddle, then stubbing it with a swiss army knife, a cutter, a screwdriver and a chisel and finally hitting it with a hammer and a wrench. If that wasn’t enough to make you close your eyes and look away in pain, the last test involves driving over the Xperia Active and a potato with a Jeep Wrangler; guess which one survives! All three videos are after the break.
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Panasonic Toughpad A1 and Toughpad B1 rugged Android tablets announced (video, specs)

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  • November 8, 2011 at 12:46 pm

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Panasonic Toughpad A1 rugged Android tablet

If you find yourself in the freezing snow, under the scorching heat of the desert, getting wet or dropping your thing on the asphalt, then take note. Panasonic has just announced a duo of Android tablets for extreme handling and extreme conditions. Bear in mind that Panasonic is no stranger to rugged computing; it has long marketed the Toughbook laptop to military, law enforcement and heavy industrial users.

The new tablet duo consists of the 10.1-inch XGA LED 1024 x 768 Toughpad A1, which will be available next spring for $1299, and the 7-inch Toughpad B1, which will be coming in the fall of 2011. They both feature a military grade rugged design with water and dust-resistance.

The Toughpad A1 is an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet with a Marvell 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storaga. It has a GPS receiver, optional integrated 4G or 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and 2-megapixel front and 5-megapixel rear cameras. What you would be more interested to know is that it’s military standard MIL-STD-810G and IP65 certified rugged with 4-foot drop rating, water and dust resistant and is safe for use in extreme temperatures from 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The chasis is made of magnesium alloy encased with ABS and elastomer.

Panasonic claims a daylight-readable 500nit LCD display with anti-reflective and anti-glare coatings. Embedded hardware security for FIPS 140-2 compliance with hardware encryption and software encryption. Panasonic hasn’t skimped on any features here and course all these add up, making the Toughpad A1 a 10.5x 8.4x 0.7 inch, 2.1 lbs (952g) beast.

Panasonic is marketing the tablet for business use, like law enforcement, healthcare, field sales, utilities and military.

You can catch a video of the Toughpad A1 getting some seriously rough handling after the break.
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Motorola Defy+ (Plus) review

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  • October 23, 2011 at 9:21 am

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Motorola Defy+ Plus front wet

Rugged phones had been monstrous beasts that could do nothing more than send and receive calls and messages. Motorola pretty much created the rugged smartphone space and last year introduced the Motorola Defy. The Defy looked very normal — which is a good thing — with the added benefit that it was ‘life-proof’. A year later, Motorola released the Defy+ (Plus), which is for all intents and purposes the same as the original Defy, with two key improvements: a faster 1GHz processor and a more recent version of Android, 2.3 Gingerbread.

The Defy+ is a mid-range 3.7-inch Android smartphone, and everything on it shouts average. But for its class and price it’s a really well executed device. It currently retails in Europe for around €240 or £240 ($360) sim-free, while it hasn’t yet reached American shores. The original Defy was available on T-Mobile for $99 on contract.

Motorola also makes military grade rugged phones, like the Admiral; the Defy+, although not military grade, is water, dust and scratch resistant, and much more stylish. Note it’s water resistant, but not waterproof. In a sense it’s a standard Android phone that has been inoculated against the weather and active and demanding lifestyles.
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LaCie’s Rugged Mini external hard drive can take some abuse, can’t wait to get into your pocket

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  • July 20, 2011 at 2:34 am

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LaCie Rugged Mini - USB3.0 portable hard drive

The folks at LaCie are known for busting out some of the best looking external storage devices out there; and with their more recent ‘Rugged’ family of hard drives, they have also been toying with the most robust of the bunch.

Here comes the latest addition to the Rugged family, the Rugged Mini, which has been shrunk to a pocketable size while still keeping the trademark orange bumper. The latest drive, which has also been designed by Neil Poulton, is rain, drop and shock resistant, while LaCie claims that a 1-ton car can drive over it and the drive will still work.
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