Filed under: Ask Engadget, Portable Audio

It’s true — hunting down a waterproof MP3 player is a cinch, but finding a decent pair of waterproof headphones to accompany said player can prove challenging. Have a look at Melinda’s question, and after you’re done providing your best advice, send over an inquiry of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

“I am an almost-daily lap swimmer, but lately I have been suffering from “lap boredom.” I’ve been looking into the latest ways to take my MP3 player into the pool with me, and I need a set of waterproof headphones in order to do so. I’ve found waterproof earphones like H2O Audio and Aquatunes priced between $30 and $100, but I’ve also read many negative reviews. Before I spend this much money on waterproof ‘phones, I want to know what I am getting. What brand / model do you recommend?”

Climb on out of the kiddie pool and toss in your advice, swimmers. What ‘buds do you use to listen to music while submerged?

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Filed under: Wearables

Gore-Tex is fine and dandy, but the real argonauts out there know it still buckles under the most extreme conditions. Now, however, adventurists that happen upon a ridiculous amount of water could soon ford rivers (à la Oregon Trail, of course) without worrying about soggy socks. The technology, dubbed ion-mask, was originally crafted to “ensure soldiers’ clothing remained impermeable to chemical weapons,” but now shoe maker Hi-Tec has inked a deal that will being the solution to a smattering of its kicks. Reportedly, ion-mask can outperform “commercial waterproof fabrics such as Gore-Tex by more than a factor of 100,” and in testing, it maintained its breathability / waterproof abilities even after 100,000 flexes. No word on when full suits will be doused in this stuff, but hopefully you’ll be able to wear the same outfit to the office and the jungle here shortly.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wearables

What’s up with Japan getting all the cool toys first? Yeah, we can claim little victories like Pleo and basketball (shared with Canada, some say), but the two 1.5 of those don’t even come close to measuring up to Her Cuteness. Differences aside, we’re thrilled to see that Liquid Image’s underwater digital camera mask is available anywhere after missing its March launch date by quite a bit. These face-swallowers pack a 3.1- or 5.0-megapixel CMOS sensor, LCD screen, 16MB of built-in memory, a microSD card slot, a USB port and even a VGA video mode. It’s supposedly available as we speak in Tokyo and the surrounding ‘burbs for just over $100, and yes, the urge to import is extraordinarily high.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Just because you haven’t been remotely interested in seen a mirror TV in, oh, years, doesn’t mean that companies aren’t still interested in exploiting the niche. Take Pantel, for instance, who is totally stoked about debuting a trio of ‘em at CEDIA 2008. Set to launch in 20-, 32- and 42-inch flavors, the Mirror TV line is aimed at folks looking to add a multipurpose display in their bathroom, shower or sauna. The 20- and 32-inch editions arrive with a 720p panel, while the 42-incher checks in with a full 1080p resolution. Price wise, you’re looking at $1,200 for the little guy, $2,755 for the 32-inch sibling and $5,800 for the mack daddy.

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Filed under: Tablet PCs

Poor xTablet. First it’s used as a hammer and now it’s submerged under water by an accented man in a wetsuit. In the latest test of the xTablet T8700, the guys over at RuggedPCReview swam gingerly with the machine all the while tapping away at its screen, amazed that it continued to work, submerged and “without bubbles.” The Jacque Cousteau-like narration had us hoping that a shark (or even a furtive sea turtle) would come along to make things a bit more exciting, but all we saw was some creepy whispering, scuba gear, and uncomfortable silence. We mean no harm to the diver, we just felt as though something really, really bad was about to happen. Video after the break.

Continue reading xTablet T8700 left alone in a pool with stranger, does indeed work under water

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Filed under: GPS

Sure, Garmin’s new nüvi 500 series can get you from point A to point G on paved and well-lit highways, but that’s not the (whole) point here. Instead, these rugged (and waterproof) navigators are geared up to take to the trails, waterways and sidewalks with one-touch transitions between driving, bicycling, boating and walking modes. The 500 includes road maps and topographic maps for the lower 48 US states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, while the 550 touts comprehensive street map coverage of the US and Canada. Both devices boast a 3.5-inch touchscreen, a removable, rechargeable battery, Garmin’s “Where Am I?” feature and geocaching support to boot. As for USers, you’ll find the 500 and 550 on sale in Q3 for $499.99, while those across the pond will see the nüvi 550 land this September for £299.

[Via GPSTracklog, thanks Rich]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

If anyone is going to make a decent waterproof MP3 player this time around, it would have to be someone like the tight bathing suit-producing Speedo brand. The Speedo Aquabeat — made by Iriver — contains 1GB of storage, plays for nine hours on one charge, come in three colors, and weighs just 35 grams. So what’s so Speedo about them? These players (and earphones) are good for up to 3 meters below the surface and they float — so you can just leave the things floating about while you go mix another margarita. Retail price is $145, available now from your local Speedo dealer or high school coach — just listen for the whistle.

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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: Storage

For small and medium sized businesses, data redundancy is more than a novel concept, it’s unquestionably critical. Unfortunately, tight budgets don’t always allow for pricey off-site storage or fire / waterproof server rooms, which is where ioSafe comes in. Said outfit has just announced the ioSafe 3.5 series, which is hailed as the “industry’s first internal hard drive with disaster protection.” Put simply, the company has stuffed a 2.5-inch HDD into a 3.5-inch chassis, and it used the extra room to insert matter that protects platters from fire (up to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit) and flood (full immersion in fresh or salt water). The family will include the Pilot line ($329 to $449) — which arrives in 80/160/250/320GB sizes with an 8MB buffer, SATA I interface and 5400RPM rotational speed — and the Squadron line ($359 to $459), which includes 7200RPM 80/160/200GB versions with a SATA II interface. Both lots have already started to ship.

[Via TGDaily]

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Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Pentax has been cranking out waterproof Optio point-and-shoots for a while now, and the company’s latest, the W60, doesn’t really break from the company’s successful basic formula. The 10 megapixel shooter packs a 2.5-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom that doesn’t ever extend out from the main camera body, 720p movie mode, ISO 6400 sensitivity and face, smile, and blink detection. Oh, and it works in depths up to 13 feet in temperatures of just 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and is JIS Class 5 certified against dust and sand. You know, just in case. Should be out in July for $329 in both blue and silver.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Wearables

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Attention wet people: Sealife has released the DC800 Underwater Digital Camera. This modular unit — it drops into a waterproof case or will operate as an out-of-water point-and-shoot — includes an 8-megapixel camera with 2.7-inch display, wide-angle lens, SD/SDHC card support, and 4x optical zoom. So what makes this camera diver-friendly? Its menus and modes are designed for sub-surface snappers with five underwater modes to deal with the various water bodies’ muck, grime, and color. The DC800 will function at 200 feet, weighs about 17 ounces and will set you back $549. Sure, you could get another point-and-shoot and waterproof case, but prepare to suffer the ridicule of your diver friends.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Continue reading Sanyo’s Xacti DMX-CA8 waterproof camcorder drips VGA weak sauce

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Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

So you’re the type who actually needs to scrub behind the ears? Good, this UMPC is for you. The Toughbook CF-U1 is a “fully ruggedised” UMPC which runs XP or Vista on Intel’s Menlow platform. So rugged in fact, that only a case of glass and gravel can withhold it from Intel’s new Atom branding. We can’t tell you much without an official announcement or any PR types around to drone on (and on) about its Mil-Spec or Ingress ratings. Regardless, it’ll still look great strapped to the dash of your Hummer as you pull into the strip mall for a milkshake. And that’s all that really matters right, Mr. Milquetoast?

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Filed under: Cellphones

Plenty of waterproof phones and other small weatherproof devices have made it off the assembly lines and into our clumsy clutches, but P2i, a small spinoff company using tech originated within the Defence Science and Technology Lab in England, could be bringing waterproof gadgets to the masses. The Ion-Mask is a special invisible coating that is chemically bonded to the device and repels water. It should allow waterproofing to make it into devices that are too small for the seals that are usually used to do the trick. Devices can have joins and gaps coated for a general level of water repellence, or have individual components treated for even more protection. The tech was originally designed to repel toxic vapors and liquids from soldier uniforms, and could also be making its way into athletic shoes. Three leading phone makers are apparently in discussions over using the tech in upcoming phones.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

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

Filed under: Storage

I-O Data is very worried about your data. Very. Worried. How concerned is the Japanese company about protecting your precious files? Well, they’ve gone and created a 16GB, freezable, droppable, completely water-proof USB flash drive just for your sake (and sweet Yen). You need only watch a few moments of the psychedelic mind-melter that is the promo video to realize you should… nay, must, purchase one of these puppies while the gettin’s good — as it were. Check out the technofied vision after the break, then be prepared to drop ¥25,300 (around $230) to own a piece of history.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading I-O Data launches ultra-tough 16GB HDMC flash drive

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

Filed under: Household, Portable Audio

We’re not exactly sure what makes the Euphonia headset better than all those other waterproof alternatives out there, but if you’ve found yourself immediately hooked by the photo above, here’s the skinny. These wireless cans reportedly shun water like it’s their job, though we wouldn’t recommend plunging into a pool and expecting them to work unimpeded. Supposedly, they sync up with Bain Ultra’s wall-mounted MP3 player, but there’s not a whole lot of details beyond that. The Euphonia is set to land on December 1st, and while pricing information has yet to be disclosed, we’ve got a sneaking suspicion this won’t be cheap.

[Via ShinyShiny]

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