Panasonic SDR-SW21 Waterproof Camera Non-Review: NO NO NO NO NO!

This camera doesn't deserve a review; it deserves a warning. It is one of the most expensive rugged cams, but takes only 640x480 SD video and 0.3MP stills as bad as the worst camphones. Miserable! More »

Accidentally Take Your Gadget Swimming? Rice Might Be Your Best Friend

Who hasn't accidentally left a phone, camera or MP3 player in a swimsuit pocket and gone swimming? It's a harrowing experience, but there's hope: Dunking the gadget in rice is a somewhat surprising yet very effective drying method. More »

Waterproof Conductive Earbuds Vibrate Your Skull

Thanko's new EMP-708LITE Vonia earbuds work by actually vibrating the bones of your skull, which is then picked up by your brain and processed as recognizable music. They are, quite literally, skull-rattling 'buds. More »

GoPro Hero Wide Helmet Cam Gets Upgraded With 1080p, 720p Slo-Mo

Brian enthusiastically called the original SD Hero helmet camera, an easy-to-use wide-angle shooter, "cheap and amazing." With 1080p recording and 720p slow motion capability, GoPro's new Hero sacrifices a little of that first adjective for a ton of the second. More »

Does the S in iPhone 3GS Stand for Submarine?

Sure, this video must be fake, but the sound is so clear I find hard to believe that it is inside a case. Then again, I find even harder to believe that any iPhone can survive this. More »

Golden Shellback's Waterproofing Voodoo Magic Now Available For Purchase

Golden Shellback started circulating videos of their extraordinary gadget waterproofing treatment in action way back in July, and it took us a while (and a live demo) to really believe that it works. Well, it does, and now you can buy it. That is, if you're willing to send the company your gadget to be treated with their mysterious "vacuum deposited film." All of the coatings come with a warranty, but its modest 30 day duration raises some concerns about the coating's durability. But really, warranties? Longetivity? Whatever, tell me about it on my underwater BlackBerry. Amphibian-able gadget list, with prices, after the jump. [OhGizmo] More »

iDive iPod Case and Speakers Are Waterproof Up to 300 Feet

If you simply can't go anywhere without listening to your iPod, H2O Audio's new iDive 300 system will ensure that the tunes keep coming even as your lifeless body sinks into Davy Jones' locker. Features include a polycarbonate casing that uses a locking cam knob to ensure a watertight seal up to a 300 foot depth, an integrated microprocessor for complete control of touch-screen and click wheel iPods and over ear speakers that can be attached to mask strap or tucked under a dive hood. The iDive retails for $350 which is steep for a case, but at least H2O Audio has a reputation for making decent products. [H2O Audio via Blast]

Build Your Own Waterproof iPod Video Boombox

Popular Mechanics has a great DIY feature, showing you how to build a waterproof video boombox for your iPod. Making use of an iPod touch, some old speakers, an 8" personal video player screen, video cables, gorilla tape and a hard camera case, Anthony Verducci has created a waterproof video case for the iPod that he believes is the first to float. More »

iPhone 3G + Rain = Disaster

In case you needed any extra warning, do not leave your iPhone 3G in the rain. It's not waterproof. According to routine testing by the Fédération Romande des Consommateurs: More »

AMPHIBX Waterproof Armbands: iPhone 3Gs and Nip-Slips Collide

With the Olympics in full-swing, and the watersports getting so intense that both balls and boobs are flying (NSFW link), there was no better time for H2O Audio to unveil their new AMPHIBX watersports armband. According to a recent press release, it provides 100% waterproof protection up to depths of 12 feet for both the original iPhone and the 3G version as well as almost every iPod, MP3 player and cellphone under the sun. More »

Lancer's Laqa3 Waterproof MP3 Player Takes Design Simplicity to New Levels

Maybe I'm not a slope-wise skier, but when I'm hurtling down a mountain I love to hear wind sounds—not music from my iPod. Other people are different, and this waterproof MP3 player from Lancer certainly fits the "rugged enough for big snowboard crashes" bill. The Laqa3's design is a plain metal tube. And... well, that's it. There's a headphone connector, and presumably controls somewhere, but other than that it's a plain metal tube. You may dig its industrial-look, or not, but it weighs just 25g, has IPX7 waterproofing so it's good for swimming, and comes with IPX7 silicon ear buds. It plays MP3s and WMAs, has an eight-hour lithium battery. It's released July 25th in Japan for about $185, which is lots considering it's 1GB. [AVWatch]

Golden Shellback Hands-on: Phones Can Make Calls While Underwater

I just got to play with a phone that had been waterproofed using the Golden Shellback technology, and it was pretty amazing, not to mention legit. In the video above, Golden Shellback inventor Sid Martin took a Golden Shellbacked BB Pearl, started a call, dropped it in a glass of ice water, and it all worked without a hitch. More »

Garmin's New Nuvi 500 GPS Does Driving, Walking, Boating Nav in One Unit

Garmin has just announced a new member of the Nuvi GPS range, the 500 series. In a first for Nuvi, the rugged, waterproof 500 units are specifically designed to be multipurpose, with maps for driving, walking, cycling and boating built in. For out-doorsy types, there's a shaded digital elevation map option, and a dedicated compass page and tracklog. Plus the battery is a swappable 8-hour Li-ion type, so you can carry a spare for extended trips away from a power source. The 500 comes with City Navigator, and topographic maps of the US, while the 550 has highway coverage of the US and Canada, but no topographic data. The units are on show at the British International Motor show in London form today, and go on sale soon in the US for $499. Press release below. More »

Waterproof Gadget Coating is Invisible, Mystifying, Mind Boggling Witchcraft

Golden Shellback is a coating that lets you spill, pour, or submerge your gadget in a liquid and have it survive. Golden Shellback says it will protect against oils, water-based liquids, synthetic fluids, dust and dirt. Tekzilla's Patrick Norton shot a segment on Golden Shellback and has footage of cellphones and CB radios functioning normally under a foot of water (Golden Shellback claimed the CB sat underwater for 455 consecutive hours). More »

MarineAV's 70-Inch, Waterproof LCD TV

The 57-inch Aquavision is a definitely a big waterproof television, but it falls well short of the 70-inch beast that MarineAV is packin'. Outside of its size and rugged exterior, the LCD70 also features full 1080p resolution, a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, 600cd/m2 brightness, 8ms response time, 178 degree viewing angle, and AV, S-Video, Component, HDMI, PC (VGA) inputs. Not bad...until you see the £27,995.95 ($55,500) price tag that is. [MarineAV via HDTV UK via Born Rich]

Sega Updates HomeStar Planetarium to Fit the Bathroom

Sega's HomeStar planetarium has been around for aeons and aeons, in a raft of different versions. Its latest incarnation is the HomeStar Spa, which basically means it's ripe for the bathroom. As before, you sit the newly-waterproofed little globe in the corner of your (bath)room and throws crazy shapes onto the walls. New projections include "Flowers" and "Kaleidoscope." The HomeStar Spa will be launched at the Tokyo Toy Fair, at the end of this month. [Trends In Japan]

'Really Cool' Keyboard Is Silent, Waterproof For Underwater Spy-Typing Adventures

This "Really Cool" keyboard mixes two things we really love about keyboards: the ability to type quietly and the ability to withstand a glass of milk being poured on it. It's completely sealed in a silicone outer shell with "no" moving parts, which explains its waterproof-ness. If our experience with silicone keyboards is worth anything, these things are pretty hard to type on, making this a silent, waterproof and awkward keyboard. [Man Machine via DVICE]

Pentax Optio W60 Extreme Weather Cam Good for Dips, Not Dives

The Optio W60 is the most waterproof Pentax cam yet. A step up from the W30, it's a 10MP point-and-shoot that will survive at depths up to 13 feet for two hours, good enough for the pool, beach and most non-competitive snorkeling. It also handles freezing temps (14°F) and is certified dustproof against dirt, sand and dust. The Optio features 5x optical zoom, 28mm wide-angle shooting, and HD video recording. It comes in silver and blue and will be out in July for $330. Maybe this summer I'll test it against the Olympus 1030SW and others in a Bathtub Battlemodo. Additional picture after the jump. [Pentax] More »

Light-Up LED Furniture is Sticky, Disco, But You Can Call It Stardust

This lightweight furniture by Meritalia is so light you can pick it up with one hand, and so light that you can probably read by it. Designed by Mario Bellini, and made of plastic "ravioli," the stuff often found in packaging, LEDs and inox wire, Stardust furniture can be used by the pool, in the pool (well, it says that on the fact sheet) as well as in the house. And I love the name—Stardust makes me think of all sorts of lovely things, such as Bowie, as well as one of the best French house tunes ever, Music Sounds Better With You. More »

Problem: Waterproof Rugged Cameras Are Too Easy to Lose!

Rugged and waterproof cameras are great, but they've got a lot of improving to do in general design before they'll be good in the outdoors. I mean, someone just keep me from losing these things. More »

Sanyo Xacti DMX-CA8 Waterproof Camcorder has 8 Megapixels

Sanyo's new Xacti isn't much of a change over the previous version: mainly a new 8 megapixel CMOS sensor (versus the previous 6) and a "face chaser" mode. This maintains exposure and focus settings on people you're videoing or snapping. There's a new underwater shooting mode too, which corrects for blue-color light effects, and seems sensible for a cam that can be taken down to five feet underwater for an hour. The rest of the camera remains the same, including the case and 5x optical zoom. Next time give us a waterproof HD version, eh Sanyo? Available in Japan at first, mid-May, for around $490. [Akihabaranews and Impress]

PQI's Intelligent Stick Flash Drives are Tiny, Waterproof, Dust-Proof

PQI's new Intelligent Stick USB flash drives may be a boon for those clumsy people, like myself, who often spill coffee on their electronics or get them soaking wet in pockets that let the rain in. I can't think of a time when I've got a gadget too dusty to use, but these tiny flash drives can even cope with that. Manufactured with a special COB process, they're available in 2GB and 4GB in a number of colors, and are due to be unveiled at CeBIT this week. More »

XZABADY iPod Dock is Waterproof, Thinks It's a Picture Frame

Shrink-wrapping your MP3 player has suddenly become reality, thanks to the guys at Twinbird. The XZABADY (crazy name, eh, crazy guys?) is a frame-shaped iPod dock with FM radio that you can park your player in to make it waterproof. The player connects via an audio jack, and you can customize the background with a picture of your loved one—maybe they look better with an iPod superimposed on top of them—and then press down on the silicon rubber sheet to seal. XZABADY: truly a byword for fugtional; where fug meets function. [Trends in Japan]