tough
Panasonic toughens up ruggedized LUMIX DMC-TS2
By Paul Ridden
14:57 February 4, 2010 PST

Panasonic has announced significant improvements in the toughness department with its new 14.1-megapixel LUMIX DMC-TS2. It's now waterproof to even greater depths, can survive being dropped from a height of six feet and winter sports enthusiasts will no doubt be pleased to hear that it can also withstand some seriously chilly temperatures. Read More
i-mate 810F - the 'Chuck Norris' of handsets
By Jeff Salton
18:57 January 26, 2010 PST

Handset manufacturer i-mate’s 810-F is so tough the company has given it a lifetime year-on-year warranty. That’s because it has already put the 810-F through a grueling set of tests and trials, including running a car over it, immersing it in all kinds of fluids, kicking it, dropping it, baking it, freezing it and even calling it bad names – and yet the device continues to work. I-mate says the 810-F has even passed the rigors of US Military toughness specifications (standards as referenced for impact resistance, crush force, submersion, rain/mist/salt, fog, dust ingress, and vibration). Follow the link for some video evidence. Read More
Olympus goes to the dogs with their new Stylus Tough-3000
By Alan Brandon
09:56 January 20, 2010 PST

Olympus has updated their go-anywhere Stylus Tough line of compact digital cameras with the new Stylus Tough-3000. This new rugged shooter features 720p HD video capability, plus a special "pet mode" that automatically tracks and focuses on Man's best friend. Of course, the Stylus Tough-3000 is also shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof, with image stabilization and an array of Olympus art filters. Read More
Dell Latitude XT2 XFR - small, tough and multi-touch capable
By Jeff Salton
22:15 October 27, 2009 PDT

Dell continues to expand its Latitude range by revealing a 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet PC with a multi-touch display - the Latitude XT2 XFR. The company says this PC is designed to meet the unique and demanding needs of customers in the military, police, border patrol, field service organizations, factory fulfilment and first responders. At only 1.5 inches thick (38.1mm) this rugged 12.1-inch convertible tablet weighs 5.4lbs (2.45kg) and adds to Dell’s Rugged Mobility Solution offering that includes the fully rugged Latitude E6400 XFR and the semi-rugged Latitude E6400 ATG laptops. Read More
A touchy subject: the new maXTouch chip from Atmel
By Paul Ridden
16:27 September 16, 2009 PDT

Atmel has just announced that its highly anticipated maXTouch mXT224 capacitive touchscreen controller chip is now ready for production release. Atmel representatives are positively bubbling with excitement about this product, which supports an unlimited number of simultaneous screen touches, looks out for unintentional touches and delivers smooth visuals with refresh rates of up to 250Hz - all on one tough, tiny, low-power chip. Read More
SimpleTOUGH portable USB drive withstands 10 foot drop
By Darren Quick
21:09 July 16, 2009 PDT

It seems ‘rugged’ is the new black when it comes to external hard drives. Following the acquisition of SimpleTech, Hitachi has released a rugged portable USB drive under that brand - the SimpleTOUGH. The new drives are designed to endure some serious punishment with a rubberized body that's engineered to withstand a 9.8 foot (3 m) drop and take the pressure of a one-ton truck. The units also include an integrated, flexible, foldaway USB cable so the forgetful among us won’t get caught short. Read More
Pentax announces tough new compact - the Optio W80
By Paul Ridden
07:03 June 30, 2009 PDT

Whether you're the rugged outdoor type or just accident prone, Pentax is aiming to make your life a little easier with the release of the Optio W80 compact digital camera. The Optio W80 is dustproof, waterproof to 16 feet, has an operational temperature range starting at a chilly -10 degrees Celsius and can withstand a drop from 3.3 feet. Read More
Wetsuit not supplied: Stealth WPC-500F waterproof PC
By Paul Ridden
01:16 June 25, 2009 PDT

It's absolutely vital for all life on the planet yet it can kill a computer with relative ease. Water, moisture, fluid, liquid - whichever way you look at it computers and wet stuff are not on friendly terms. Stealth Computers begs to differ however, and has recently announced the release of a completely waterproof PC. Incorporating a whole host of tough tech, the rugged new unit promises reliability and performance whatever you throw at it and whatever conditions you might find yourself in. Read More
Land Rover mobile phone on standby for toughest off-road assignments
23:00 June 15, 2009 PDT

Sonim Technologies already has a reputation for producing near-indestructible mobile phones but now, in partnership with Land Rover, they’ve gone one better. The Land Rover S1 is the world’s first IP-67 rated GSM mobile, a standard which means it has tested as totally impervious to dust and is waterproof to a depth of one meter. The S1 can also withstand dirt, shocks, drops and up to 400kgs of pressure. Read More















Mr Stiffy
- February 9, 2010 @ 06:26 UTC