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Filed under: Tablet PCs

While Panny’s Toughbook CF-U1 looks mighty novel, is it really worth the cost to have it added to your gadget collection? For those who’ve never quite been able to wrap their noodle around the whole UMPC concept, TrustedReviews bets that you’ll be able to overlook this one without losing any sleep. All in all, the CF-U1 seemed to make the best of an awkward situation by excelling at tasks that would likely take place in everyday field work, but the average joe / jane may want to see one in person before buying blind. Yeah, hot-swappable batteries, an Atom CPU and a full QWERTY keypad are lovely additions, but if you’ve never needed a UMPC before (let alone one built for extreme scenarios), you aren’t apt to gain a whole lot from owning this one. Hit the read link for the full spill.

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Source: Darren Murph

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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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Source: Darren Murph

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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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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

Just in case Dell’s Latitude XFR D630 was too mainstream for you, DRS Tactical Systems has a pair of equally tough rigs for you to chew on. Up first is the ARMOR C12 convertible (shown above), which packs a 12.1-inch outdoor readable touchscreen, 1.2GHz ULV U1400 CPU, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 60GB shock-mounted HDD, full-sized keyboard, integrated WiFi, Ethernet, PCMCIA, a biometric scanner and a die-cast magnesium case built to pass MIL-STD-810F / IP54 standards. As for the ARMOR X10 tablet (pictured after the jump), you’ll find a 1.2GHz U2500 Core Duo processor, an optional 16GB SSD, 10.4-inch sunlight readable display, Bluetooth and many of the same highlights seen on the aforementioned C12. No word on a price for either at the moment, but trust us, you’ll pay a pretty penny for a machine that just begs for pain. [Warning: PDF read link]Continue reading DRS intros rugged ARMOR C12 convertible, X10 tablet PC

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: CES, Storage

As if you didn’t have enough options when scouting a totally locked down flash drive, Imation is cranking out a revamped Pivot and an all new Pivot Plus to quell your paranoia. As for the former, it provides “software encryption software,” ReadyBoost compatibility and capacities up to 8GB, while the all new Pivot Plus ups the ante with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. And just in case you’re still worried, the drive also features “one password-protected partition that only allows storage of encrypted data and a tamper-resistant housing.” As for the refreshed Pivot, it’s slated to land later this quarter in the US for $29.99 to $199.99, while the ultra-secure Pivot Plus is available as we speak in 1/2/4/8GB sizes for $69.99 to $249.99.

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Source: Darren Murph

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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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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Peripherals

Sure, we’ve seen our fair share of rugged input peripherals, but iKey’s FT-86-911-TP hits a niche that isn’t often covered. This ruggedized mobile unit is resistant to spills and sealed to IP55 specifications, and the universal mounting holes make it ideal for placement in “police, emergency, transport, service, and marine vehicles.” Notably, this here device also boasts a built-in trackpad, a one-touch emergency key, and LED-backlit keys in case you’re left typing after hours. No word yet on pricing nor availability, but considering just how expensive one of its rebadged siblings is, don’t count on it coming cheap.

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Source: Darren Murph

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