Survival Cover

Survivor-in-Mossy-Oak-CamoGriffin Technology has partnered with Mossy Oak to create a new line of covers for the iPad and iPhone. These are the latest editions to the ultra-rugged Survivor line from Griffin and feature Mossy Oak’s camouflage. The cases are built to military standards, protecting devices from drops, wind-blown rain, vibration, and more, and the camo patterns include Mossy Oak Treestand, Pink Break-Up, Shadow Glass, Winter Break-Up and Obsession.

The Survivor cases for iPhone are designed to meet or exceed US Department of Defense Standards and come standard with a belt clip.

Chances are these will help the devices blend in when out in the woods, but might just stand out when buried on your desk.

Griffin Technology Survivor Official Website

Panasonic to Introduce Waterproof Phone

This week Panasonic announced that will re-enter the European mobile phone market with a waterproof, dustproof phone called the Eluga. While pricey – as much as $650 in American currency – the phones will utilized the Google Android OS.

The Eluga smartphone’s features include a 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of internal RAM plus 8GB of internal flash memory (there is no mention of a microSD slot) and a 4.3″ 540 x 960 pixel qHD touchscreen display. It is reportedly waterproof and dustproof rated to IP57 standards, and it can be immersed in a maximum of 1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes.

Panasonic is currently the leader in the UK market for “ruggedized products” and the company is looking to build on the success of the products in its Toughbook laptop line. No word on whether the Eluga would arrive in America, but we’re sure to hear more about it at next week’s Mobile World Congress from Barcelona.

iPhone Case for Underwater Adventures

The iPhone can do a lot but there is no app for making it waterproof. For that you need a case, and while there are plenty of big and bulky housings available, the Keystone ECO MarineCase is another good option as it is slim and compact but will still ensure that the smartphone can survive underwater up to 20 feet or six meters.

The clear protective silicon cover allows for use of the iPhone screen and won’t interfere with call functionality. Users can still playback video, send email, use apps and more whilst sill in the water. The IP58 certified case will protect the handset from snow, rain, dust and sand, and even let users snap non-flash photos and take video underwater.

Concord Keystone Official Website

Move Over Walkie-Talkie, the Tak Wak Is Here

Combo units are the new name of the game when it comes to getting back to nature. Why fill up that ultra light pack with more stuff than is needed, when a multi-purpose device will serve so much better. One of these is the tw700 from German-based Tak Wak, which includes functionality traditionally seen in a multitude of handheld gizmos including GPS, walkie talkie, camera and tracking system.

The tw700 features all of these in a rugged, waterproof, trail-ready device that runs on the Android 2.2 operating system. It features a 3.5-inch touchscreen, which can be used with the GPS functionality to provide off-road navigation via 100 x 70-km topographical map, and road navigation via Open Streets Maps. When multiple devices are used the GPS can be used as a group tracking feature, to display the position of each member.

As a walkie talkie this unit features eight channels and 38 sub-channels, and can function up to 10 kilometers (six miles). While it won’t replace a true rugged camera, the 5megapixel built-in camera will do the trick well. While the $725 price is a bit steep, the tw700 offers a little functionality in a little package.

Tak Wak Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Tak Wak delivers a rugged GPS-smarthpone-radio for the outdoors]