The company that makes a number of products for other companies bought a stake in rugged camera maker GoPro. Foxconn is widely known for making Apple’s iPhone and iPad but also makes the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360.
This week GoPro announced that Foxconn purchased 8.88 % of the company for $200 million, which puts GoPro’s value at $2.25 billion. Not a bad deal for GoPro. And probably not a bad move either. GoPro reportedly couldn’t meet demand for the holidays, and Foxconn certainly knows how to deliver. While Foxconn came under scrutiny after a wave of employee suicide attempts the contract manufacturer has reportedly increased pay and improved worker conditions.
Still, let’s just hope GoPro cameras aren’t used to show any Foxconn employee suicides.
With a name like Foolish you might wonder what UK-based Nilox are thinking, but apparently this could be a smart move as the company looks to introduce a durable action camera at an affordable price. It will be available for £199.95 ($320). For that price the Nilox Foolish will come with a two waterproof casings, an 8GB micro SD card, and various mounting fixings.
JVC and Sony have joined GoPro and the other action cameras and now so has Polaroid with a new line of sports video cameras that was introduced at the recent Photokina show in Germany. The Polaroid XS sports camera line features three models that include waterproof technology, low-light capabilities and are up to just about any outdoor adventure.
Olympus keeps coming back for more. The company has introduced a full line of rugged cameras this year, but for those that have been holding off you might be in luck. The Olympus Stylus TG-625 is the top of the line – it is waterproof, shockproof and freeze-proof. But this 12megapixel camera with back-illuminated CMOS Sensor is far looking too rugged.
There are several unique takes on the action camcorder market, and CamOne could be a bit of a game changer. Like most rugged go anywhere video cameras, the CamOne Infinity can shoot in 1080p at 30 fps or 720p at 60 fps. It can be mounted on a helmet or handlebars, and it offers an LCD screen to view the action right after you shot it.
Rugged is the name of the game this season with point-and-shoot digital cameras and Sony isn’t going to be left behind. The company announced last week a new line of Cyber-shot cameras, including the rugged DSC-TX20. It can get wet and wild and be submerged up to five meters in water and dropped from 1.5 meters, while also being dustproof and freeze proof. 
Last month we reported that Olympus had shown off its 
What camera company isn’t releasing a rugged digital camera? This week Canon announced its upcoming PowerShot D20, which is much more than just an update of the D10 – in fact in a way it is more because it is less. While the D10 was a large and bulky point and shoot, the D20 is a sleeker model, but still features a robust and sporty design.
There was no shortage of rugged cameras at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. From Olympus it wasn’t just rugged, it was tough, as in the Tough TG-320, the latest in the company’s line of go anywhere cameras. This one is ideal for the budget conscious, as it will cost just $179.99 when it arrives later this year.
