The first waterproof camera I used was a Pentax W10 in 2006, one of the first simple cams that didn't need a case. It was only guaranteed to a depth of 5 feet, but it shot video, and that's all I needed for some snorkeling on a Kauai's north shore. I still have shorts of fish and turtles I took then. A year later, I used the same camera and lost it off some reef near a friend's house in Oahu. The current was strong and I was not, and when I swam to a safe spot the camera's lanyard had slipped off my wrist. The shiny little Pentax wasn't so shiny below the waves.

The second rugged, water resistant camera I used was a pistol gripped Sanyo E1. It was a lot more powerful of a camera, shooting DVD quality vids and 6 megapixel shots, but a lot bulkier than the Pentax. I called it in to use for the winter, during the snowboarding season. I couldn't use it but on the first day I used it, I noticed I couldn't toggle the buttons without removing my gloves, and mounting it on my strap as I rode wouldn't be a great idea anyhow. I lost it after not zipping a pocket after taking some shots and making a blistering run.

I'd chalk up these loses to my own user error to some extent, but if these cameras are waterproof and rugged enough to withstand the elements, shouldn't they also be fitted with accessories that assume the worst? Straps that can be fitted to gloves, neck lanyards, neoprene arm bands, or even orange buoys that can keep the cams from sinking during water adventures. I don't know. I just think that there has to be a better solution to keeping these cameras secured in the outdoors than the simple lanyards you find on your average point and shoot.

The Price: $699

The Verdict: Meh. The keyboard feels great and the trackpad works about as well as a standard laptop trackpad, but the speed and quirkiness set this thing back a bit. It's decent enough when you're just browsing the net, but startup times and shutoff times are atrocious. CNET says it's the slowest UMPC they've tested, which we agree with. The 4.8-inch screen's 1024x600 resolution is sharp, but renders text so tiny that anyone over the age of 30 will not be able to read it.

We also had trouble getting the webcam to work with Skype, which might have been just us, but we had a lot of trouble doing a lot of other things (Wi-Fi connection, Windows Update) with it as well. It's definitely not a great Windows machine. The relatively low price of $699 may make this worth it to you if you need an XP machine on the go, but we'd recommend a small laptop instead of the WiBrain if you don't mind the extra space. [WiBrain]

From first viewed to last viewed:

• Mr. Clock Radio by Geewiz Entertainment ($99.99), is primarily an alarm clock radio. However, it does have a line-in jack, making it usable as a personal speaker set. It also has some three-hundred different wake-up message (half are aggressive, half are charming), and a fun/pointless "fortune telling" mode. The price is a little steep for the basic tech it implements, (flashing lights, portable speakers and pre-recorded messages), but we can't help loving the guy for his fantastic witticisms. [Geewiz Entertainment]

• Comprehensive Robot Kit by Bioloid ($869.00), one of the most complete and versatile robotics kits we saw on display at CES '08. The Comprehensive Robot Kit is really a a super-glorified Lego kit. It comes with various robotic bits'n'bobs, including IrDA receivers for dual robot communication, microphones for sound detection, luminosity detectors, piezo-electric speakers, essential battery packs and a full software suite for programmable characteristics in your robot's behavior, all via your PC. At this price, the kit is strictly an educational tool or for serious enthusiasts. [Bioloid Comprehensive Kit]

• Wrex the Dawg by WowWee ($TBA), has three emotional modes (happy, sad and angry), 14-motors for movement and a remote control for general locomotion. Expected to ship this Spring; if Wrex's quirky styling does not have reaching for your wallet, perhaps his mechanized wagging tail will? [WowWee]

• Tribot by WowWee ($99.99), is the robot that will replace the much loved Robosapien. The Tribot comes pre-loaded with a series of games that rely on the user to position the bot in various different orientations, it has three wheels that allow it to have a wide range of movements, a motion sensing controller that allows for Wii-esque navigation and it will hit the shops this summer. [WowWee]

• iRobiQ by Yujin Robot has been doing the rounds since CES 2007. It is a home information service that is able to display the news, weather, cooking recipes, photos, videos and sing some karaoke if you get bored. All this information goodness is displayed on a 7-inch LCD screen, but the iRobiQ also accepts voice commands for various jobs, like sending images to a cellphone, ordering a room to be cleaned by pairing with a Roomba type device and even read books that are stored on its central server. The iRobiQ, at present, has no US distributor, so do not expect it to ship anytime soon. [Yujin Robot; Korean link, via Tech Digest]

• E1 by Roboware ($1,500), recognizes set voice commands via a Bluetooth headset, connects to your network to transmit pictures captured via the on board camera, which it can also display on its tiny LCD screen and boasts bi-pedal motion, generated by a ton of different joints. At present, it is not ready for shipping, as the engineers are working out the bugs in the system. The final model will come with a full software suite, as well as an online developers community that will be launched along side the bot. Roboware hopes to ship the E1 by March, and envisions a truly malleable robot that can be completely defined by its users. [Company website is not live at present]

• Zeno by David Hanson (concept stage); we have covered Zeno an awful lot here at Giz, but the creepy bot was displaying his moves at CES '08, still in prototype stages. Zeno did not look so horrific in the real "frubber," but he still made us a little unsettled. Zeno will be able to talk, recognize faces and detect specific sounds, as well as be user upgradeable via an online community, with which Zeno can remain wirelessly connected thanks to the inbuilt support for Wi-Fi connectivity. [Hanson Robotics]

• FemiSapien by WowWee ($TBA), the FemiSapien is coined as Robosapien's girlfriend, and when the two interact, hilarious girlfriend/boyfriend rifts take place. The Femisapien is able to control Robosapien, but not visa versa. The female bot will be able to dance, move, sing and carry out a range of movement like her out-dated boyfriend. We are not sure the robot god approves of them living in sin, but we did not see them romp. However, if Robosapien carries on acting like this (VERY NSFW), we are sure robot god will be most displeased. Expect the FemiSapien to ship this summer. [Robots Rule]

That's the best of the robots we uncovered at CES '08. It looks like it is going to be a great year for fans of this genere of toys, but Sony, if you are reading, we wouldn't mind Aibo joining in the festivities at some point. Until then folks, there should be more than enough here to tide you over.