20
May
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Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Shows Its Rough And Rugged Façade In New Leak

Posted by in Galaxy S4, Leaks, News

Throughout the history of the modern smartphone, those who wanted something that could take a beating but keep going were left with one option: buy a device with at least year-old specs. For some reason, manufacturers just couldn't get behind the idea of releasing an ultra-ruggedized device with cutting-edge specs. That has slowly started to change as of late with devices like the Sony Xperia  Z, and now Samsung is looking to join the party and with a rough-and-rugged device featuring top-tier specs.

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This is, of course, the rumored Galaxy S4 Active. Bearing more than just Samsung's flagship namesake, the Active appears to also share the powerhouse device's spec list point-for-point, which includes a 5-inch 1080p display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 600.

10
Apr
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Wirefly Tortures A Kyocera Torque For Your Amusement: Washing Machine Cycle, Frozen In Ice, And Dropped 2 Stories

Posted by in Kyocera, News, Torque

The ruggedized smartphone market is small, but not so small that it's ignored. Admirable entries like the Samsung Rugby Smart and the Casio Commando might not have all the bells and whistles of their flagship contemporaries, but they take a licking and keep on ticking. Phone retailer Wirefly decided to put Sprint's Kyocera Torque (Bear Grylls approved!) through its paces via some decidedly extreme tests: a drop from two stories, hibernation in a block of ice, and most dramatically, a trip through a 30-minute washing machine cycle.

The Kyocera Torque made it through all three, proving its worth for those who value durability over all else.

30
May
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Sony Announces The Rugged Xperia Go and Acro S, Videos Of People Beating Them With Hammers To Follow Shortly

Posted by in News, Sony, Videos, Xperia Acro S (Hikari), Xperia Go (Lotus)

Sony loves making stuff that's hard to break. The Xperia Active was probably the pinnacle of this obsession (see: hilariously awesome video), but now that Sony has decided to make pretty much all of its phones look exactly the same, it's out with the old, in with the new.

The Go and Acro S are the newest additions to Sony's rugged family, and for rugged phones, they don't look nearly as god-awful ugly as almost everything else in that segment of the market. In fact, the press images make it pretty hard to tell they've been ruggedized at all.

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The Go and Acro S, pictured respectively, will be available in Q3 this year (so, by September 2012).

23
Feb
2012-02-23 10h12_26

Samsung And AT&T Intro The Rugby Smart For March 4th, A Rough And Rugged Mid-Ranger For $99 With Two-Year Agreement

Posted by in AT&T, News, Rugby Smart

Rumors of an upcoming ruggedized handset for AT&T made their way around the 'net earlier this week, and that handset is now a reality on Big Blue. The Samsung Rugby Smart is a waterproof, dustproof, and extreme temperature-resistant mid-range handset, perfect for the outdoorsman (or anyone who is prone to destroying devices):

  • 3.7-inch 480*800 Super AMOLED display
  • 4GB internal storage, microSD card slot
  • 5 MP rear shooter
  • 1.3 MP front camera
  • Dustproof
  • Waterproof (submergible up to 1 meter for 30 minutes)
  • 1650mAh battery
  • Android 2.3

2012-02-23 10h12_26

If the Rugby Smart sounds like the rugged handset you've been waiting for, you can make it yours on March 4th for $99 with a two-year agreement.

21
Feb
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Harris Corporation Chooses Android To Power Ruggedized Tablets For Defense And Public Safety Communication

Posted by in Android OS, News

Harris Corporation, an international communications/IT company catering specifically to government and commercial markets, officially unveiled their own 7" Android-powered tablet today, meant to provide a rugged tool for the transmission of "mission-critical" communication for defense and public safety. The tablet is specifically aimed at military personnel and first responders, who "require secure real-time information at their fingertips to execute their missions."

image Tablet-Application-2-12_0036

The tablet has been graded as a ruggedized device, meaning it can stand up to extreme heat, cold, or other rough environments and still provide critical functionality to its users. Dana Mehnert, group president of Harris RF Communications further explained the benefits of Harris' new tablet in a press release today:

The new Harris tablet builds on our leadership in mission-critical communications to provide a powerful device for processing mission-critical information.

07
Oct
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Case Review: OtterBox Commuter For The DROID BIONIC - If You Truly Need A Case, Buy This One

Posted by in Bionic, Motorola, Other Reviews, Reviews

I hate phone cases. When I bought my Nexus One back in March of 2010, the first thing I did with my very first smartphone was head over to Amazon and start searching for a cool and convenient way to protect it. So I bought some leather ordeal with a flip cover and all sorts of gimmickry, and I hated it. I used it for 2 days, and since then, it has occupied my box of unwanted electronics and related accessories. It was probably one of the worst $25 I ever spent. I swore off cases from that day forward.

Enter OtterBox.

11
Aug
buds

Review + Giveaway: JBuds J4M Headphones By JLab - When Ruggedized Actually Works, And Works Well

Posted by in Contests / Giveaways, Other Reviews, Reviews

Ruggedized - doesn't the word just conjur up images of a tiger eating a Toughbook?

When I received the J4M headphones from JLab, I was unsure of how "rugged" an in-ear headphone could actually be. So, I decided to treat them less than, shall we say, "gently" over the last few weeks.

Now, it's not like I've gone dunking them in water or buried them in sand at the beach - that kind of behavior is at your own risk. But, I can say the J4M is a tough little piece of kit that won't disappoint in the durability department.

13
Apr
moto-android-enterprise-tablet

Motorola Working On Ruggedized Android Tablet, Presumably For Rugged Individuals

Posted by in Gingerbread 2.3, Motorola, News, Rumors

From today's "probably should have seen it coming" pile, Engadget has come into possession of what looks like a presentation slide for a ruggedized Android tablet being developed by Motorola:

moto-android-enterprise-tablet

I know, the text is illegible, so here are the main points to take home:

  • 7" capacitive LCD
  • 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor
  • 1GB RAM, 8GB NAND onboard storage
  • Android 2.3 Gingerbread
  • 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera
  • Stylus for signature capture
  • Removable battery good for 5.5 hours of video
  • Can withstand 4' drop onto plywood (oak, cherry, ash, maple certifications pending)
  • Works in temperatures of 0-50 degrees Celsius
  • Tons of enterprise-friendly security
  • Fingerprint scanner

This device is clearly targeted towards business, and probably specifically towards businesses with employees out in the field, where the tablet's ruggedized nature will protect it from the harsh, plywood-filled world.