Filed under: GPS

Hmm, maybe Jeep should stick to scaling mountains and whatnot. To be totally frank, we had all but forgotten that a Jeep-branded navigator was even in the works, let alone closing in on release — of course, maybe that’s because we last heard of this thing in December of 2007. At any rate, the ruggedized RT-300 has finally found its way to the review bench, and unfortunately for those holding out for this critter, it didn’t fare too well. At all. For starters, $249.99 is a lot of scratch for a lowly 320 x 240 resolution screen, and the fact that it’s not even waterproof didn’t help matters either. Worst of all, testers had issues with route calculation (read: its main function), with a certain Cincy-to-Jersey query causing a total freeze three times in a row (and even on a second unit). Bottom line? Steer clear of this one, hard though that may be for the Jeep faithful.

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Filed under: Storage

Progress is beautiful, is it not? Just shy of two years ago, Corsair blew minds with its ruggedized 16GB Flash Voyager, built to withstand all but the nastiest of drops and hold oodles of quarterly reports for a mere $299. Earlier this year, we saw the capacity double up and the price fall to just $229. Now, the bootable drive has been bloated further with a full 64GB of space, only this one’s available right now for just a buck ninety-nine. Dollars to donuts we’ll see a 128GB version in under 12 months for around $150, but don’t let that sway your purchasing decision or anything.

Read - Corsair release
Read - On sale for $199.99

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Filed under: Laptops

Merely weeks after Dell offered its long-awaited Latitude E6400 ATG up for sale, one of said units has been procured, unboxed and briefly tested by the laptop lovers over at NotebookReview. Initial impressions are that it’s quite heavy (expected for a tough cookie such as this), built Ford tough and made to be used in broad daylight. The keyboard showed slight flex and a somewhat disheartening layout, though the touchpad was “very smooth” and the buttons had “excellent action.” We won’t spoil the first batch of benchmark results for you, so you’ll have to wander on down to the read link for that and a handful of other pics.

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Filed under: Laptops

Though we expected Dell’s ruggedized Latitude E6400 ATG to have already launched by now, we suppose late is superior to never. As of this very moment, said laptop is available to order from the outfit’s Small & Medium Business division, and the baseline machine comes with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU, Vista Home Basic, a 3-year warranty, 14.1-inch WXGA LED-backlit (and outdoor viewable, too) display, Intel’s GMA 4500MHD graphics, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB 5,400RPM hard drive, 802.11b/g and a built-in combo drive. The machine we just described can be ordered up for $2,399, but those with a higher spending limit can opt for integrated WWAN, a 64GB SSD, a respectable amount of memory and a 2.8GHz T9600 processor. Sadly, the estimated ship date is September 29th, but you can feel free to get in line before that figure slips well into Q4.

[Thanks, Anthony]

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Filed under: Laptops

Though we expected Dell’s ruggedized Latitude E6400 ATG to have already launched by now, we suppose late is superior to never. As of this very moment, said laptop is available to order from the outfit’s Small & Medium Business division, and the baseline machine comes with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU, Vista Home Basic, a 3-year warranty, 14.1-inch WXGA LED-backlit (and outdoor viewable, too) display, Intel’s GMA 4500MHD graphics, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB 5,400RPM hard drive, 802.11b/g and a built-in combo drive. The machine we just described can be ordered up for $2,399, but those with a higher spending limit can opt for integrated WWAN, a 64GB SSD, a respectable amount of memory and a 2.8GHz T9600 processor. Sadly, the estimated ship date is September 29th, but you can feel free to get in line before that figure slips well into Q4.

[Thanks, Anthony]

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Filed under: Wearables

Automatic movement? Sweeping hands? Pish posh. Casio’s looking to impress a few watch aficionados itself with the all new Tough Movement. Designed to slip inside its Oceanus and G-Shock series of timepieces, the new movement “features a high shock resistance and a hand position correction function using LED.” During the 55th minute of each hour, the movement receives time calibration signals from six bases located throughout the world; if the hands are off at all, it automatically corrects things to ensure that you’re never a moment off. Reportedly, the first wristwatch to utilize the technology will be the GS-1200, which is currently slated to hit Japan this September for a stiff ¥42,000 ($390).

[Via OhGizmo]

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Filed under: GPS

Believe it or not, the Berlin-based IFA trade show is nearly upon us, and Becker is more than prepared. Reportedly, the Z100 Crocodile will be making the journey, complete with a 4.3-inch display, an SD card slot, European NAVTEQ maps, a SiRFstarIII GPS receiver and RDS-TMC support. Furthermore, the unit will sport an ultra-rugged exterior meant to handle nearly any jungle excursion you set out on. Expect to hear more (a price and release date would be just fine, Becker) when IFA commences late next month.

[Via NaviGadget]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Oh sure, waterproof LCD TVs have been available for ages, but Sanyo’s making the choice of which outdoor display to buy simple with the introduction of its CE52SR1. You see, unlike many alternatives, this waterproof set packs a 1080p Full HD panel, meaning that you can enjoy your Blu-ray films in full-res glory while slouched in a beach chair beside your pool. Furthermore, the display is daylight readable and features a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, 1,500 cd/m2 brightness, 6.5-millisecond response time, 176-degree viewing angles, a slew of inputs and a frame constructed from marine grade anodized aluminum. Unfortunately, the summer in America will be long over before you can actually drop $13,995 in order to claim one, but October isn’t too far out, now is it?

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Filed under: Ask Engadget, Storage

Yeah, we’ve let you folks toss out suggestions for a similar question back when a 1TB internal HDD was nothing more than a pipe dream, but it’s about time we gave this one an update, don’t you agree? Hear Ian out:

“I was wondering which portable hard drive was good enough to stand up to the life of a student. Something that can take a few bumps and not be harmed. It doesn’t have to be huge in capacity, but I need one larger than 80GB. I’d obviously like FireWire and USB 2.0 if possible, but I’m not trying to spend a fortune here either.”

Had any particularly good / bad experiences with battle-tested portable HDDs? We want to hear ‘em all, so don’t be shy, alright? To get your question up in the lights, send us a note at ask at engadget dawt com — just don’t forget to include the secret password.

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Filed under: Peripherals

iKey’s done this whole rugged keyboard thing a time or two before, so when it builds one meant to operate like a champ around environments laden with grease, you know it means business. The new line of Membrane keyboards — which arrives in a trio of flavors — boasts a stainless steel enclosure, or customers looking to integrate can snag the OEM edition and do as they please. The board possesses a “hard-coated, textured, polyester film that is more rugged than industrial silicone rubber keypads,” and it’s designed to withstand “directed hose water, disinfectants and environmental contaminants.” Seems as though you’ll have to phone up iKey to find out what this Apocalypse-approved device will run you, but it should get along quite well with that impenetrable Iron Drive of yours.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

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Filed under: Storage

LaCie’s bright orange Rugged Hard Disk hasn’t changed much externally since it surfaced over two years ago, but what used to buy you 160GB will now land you a full half-terabyte with dough left over for several In-N-Out runs. The latest Rugged drive packs Hitachi’s 500GB Travelstar 5K500 and still maintains the scratch-resistant aluminum shell and shock-resistant rubber bumper. As for ports, you’ll find a USB 2.0-only edition or a more versatile iteration that includes USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 sockets. Either flavor comes bundled with the company’s Setup Assistant and backup software, and if you’re tired of waiting for 1TB in your pocket, you can make do with this one for just $299.99 / $399.99 depending on your choice of interface(s).

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Filed under: Laptops

Look out, argonauts — you’ve got more than Panasonic and Dell vying for your hard-earned dollars, as even Averatec is looking to make a play in the rugged laptop space. The firm’s new Voya line of lappies gets going with a new duo of rough ‘n tough rigs: the 14.1-inch 4473 and the 15.4-inch 6494. Both units pack a magnesium alloy outer case, corner bumpers and an anti-shock mounted hard drive. Internally, you’ll find an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB HDD, WiFi, X3100 graphics set, a dual-layer DVD writer, 4-in-1 multicard reader and Windows Vista running the show. We’re told that each should be available to order real soon, and with the Voya family starting at just $1,299, it may be just the thing for the outdoorsman / outdoorswoman on a budget.

[Via Blast]

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Filed under: Desktops

Under most circumstances, we too would take one glance at the monolith pictured above and scream in horror. But of course, we’re entirely sure you’re familiar with the wacky machines emerging from NextComputing. The ultra-tough Vigor Evo HD is hailed as the company’s “highest performance rugged workstation,” and besides offering up a floating chassis which absorbs all sorts of bumps and shocks, it also comes with a 17-inch LCD plastered right on the side. Said panel is covered with a hard-coated protective screen, and sitting just beneath that is your choice of AMD / Intel processors, up to four PCIe or PCI-X 64-bit slots, a dual-layer DVD writer, up to 3TB of internal HDD space and most everything else you’d find in a pre-fab desktop. Of course, it loses the vast majority of its intimidation factor when equipped with the optional wheels / telescoping handle package, but we won’t tell anyone if you’re not man / woman enough to lug it over your shoulder.

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Filed under: Storage

Just because Maxell left the disc manufacturing to other rivals doesn’t mean that it’s bowing out of the external HDD market. Announced this week, the firm has introduced its all new iVDR, which “connects directly through a bi-directional USB or eSATA adapter to a shoulder-mounted camcorder capable of delivering 10-bit, 4:2:2 master-quality video and native full HD video.” In layman’s terms, this here drive caters to those logging clips in the rough, and its innate ability to resist drops of up to 4-feet makes it the ideal candidate for even the clumsiest shooter. Unfortunately, mum’s the word on price, but we are told that a 160GB version (with a 540Mbps transfer rate) is set to land in Q2, while a slightly more capacious 250GB edition is hitting shelves in Q3.

[Via BIOS, thanks Christian]

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Filed under: Storage

Corsair’s Flash Voyager comes straight from the factory in a water- and shock-resistant enclosure, but for one particular owner, said chassis just wasn’t hardcore enough. Rather than swapping it out for an Iron Drive, he took matters into his own hands by gutting the innards and custom building an ultra-rugged aluminum casing. Showing off his fantastic attention to detail, a machined slot for the keychain and a LED indicator hole were included, too. Hit up the read link for the walkthrough if you’re feeling atypically industrious — otherwise, just kick back and admire.

[Via Hack N Mod, thanks Joe]

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Filed under: Tablet PCs

It’s been a solid tick since we heard a peep from Motion Computing, but nearly a year after we first wrapped our paws around the firm’s C5 medical tablet, the F5 has arrived. Granted, this bugger is more suited for service industries and field work than the ER, but its “semi-rugged” nature ensures that it’ll get the job done almost anywhere. Packed within the IP54-compliant (read: dust, water, shock and temperature resistant) chassis is a 1.2GHz Intel Centrino U1400 processor, 10.4-inch XGA (1,024 x 768) View Anywhere display, 40GB HDD (optional 32GB SSD available), built-in 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth, WWAN (EV-DO) support and a 2-megapixel camera for good measure. Additionally, you’ll spot an optional barcode reader, integrated RFID reader / passive tag, a biometric scanner, three USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, VGA output and a battery good for about 1.5 hours of usage. Unfortunately, such a well-spec’d Slate PC won’t come cheap, as this creature will set you back a stiff $2,699 to $4,000 depending on configuration.

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Filed under: GPS

It’s a Jeep-branded GPS — did you really expect it to look any less barbaric? ‘Course, we’re pretty sure those infatuated with the brand won’t find anything to kvetch about, and after all, this uber-rugged navigator will withstand more dirt, dust and bumps that your average Garmin. The GPS RT 300 is slated to launch sometime next month for $399, and in exchange for payment you can expect a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen, an integrated media / text viewer, one million POIs, turn-by-turn voice guidance and loads of off-road credibility. Okay, so that last feature isn’t guaranteed, but we feel tougher just looking at it.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

Trust us, we’ve seen a smorgasbord of smallish PCs designed to reside in places humans aren’t fond of visiting, and ICI Controls is making no bones about the ruggedness of its latest alternative. The fanless SC240M is a relatively small, completely sealed PC designed for “embedded and industrial applications in wet and dirty environments.” Packed within the rough and tough exterior is a 1.2GHz VIA, 1.6GHz Pentium M or 1.6GHz / 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, up to 2GB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, WiFi and a slew of ports including Ethernet, four USB 2.0 sockets, audio in / out, RS-232, FireWire and S-Video. Notably, users can customize the innards to their heart’s content, but the basic configurations start at $1,695, and you can even add in a backlit sealed keyboard for just $250 more. You know, for your upcoming stay in an underwater hotel, or whatever.

[Via LinuxDevices]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: GPS

Lowrance’s XOG isn’t the first from the company to feel at home away from the beaten path, as this 3.5-inch navigator was built to handle everything from in-car vacations to weekend treks through the forest. Sporting a rugged, weatherproof enclosure, this unit touts a 320 x 240 resolution backlit touchscreen, 2D / elevated 3D maps, a 12-channel GPS antenna, NAVTEQ maps, three million POIs, support for the firm’s FreedomMaps, Fishing Hot Spots PRO, LakeMaster ProMaps and NauticPath options, an integrated MP3 player / JPEG viewer, SD expansion slot and a rechargeable Li-ion for good measure. Mum’s the word on pricing as of now, but it will apparently be “available soon” and will come bundled with a device cradle, in-car mounting kit and a mini-USB cable.

[Via NaviGadget]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

It’s been a tick since Motorola / Symbol’s MC70 saw a notable refresh, but today Moto is announcing that the newest version of its rugged Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA) will boast GPS capability. The firm claims that this addition will allow organizations with field-based employees to “track and manage dynamic, real-time tasking, as well as verify specific locations of activities and provide mobile workers with pinpoint navigation support to improve location-based productivity.” Additionally, the device will still include barcode data and signature capture, WWAN, 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth, and should be available for sale worldwide in Q1 of 2008.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!