The Japan Trend Shop also says the 2mm-thick lenses wouldn't shatter, even if a 500g 1.1-pound shaft of iron is dropped on them from 4 feet. You know, for those times when you escape the clinches of some evil mastermind at the last minute. I guess I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but it still kinda sounds like they're just pulling numbers out of the air.

If you're in the market for a pair of super-rugged glasses, these puppies will only set you back $317. Yikes. [Japan Trend Shop via DVICE]

The Price: $300

The Verdict: The Stylus Tough 6000 is waterproof to 10 feet, shockproof to 5 feet, can withstand temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. In this camera, Olympus even acknowledges the fact that its xD format is pretty much useless, and includes a MicroSD adapter, so you can buy a much more useful MicroSD card instead. (I used a 4GB SDHC one for this test, and didn't notice any performance holdbacks.)

As much as the puke yellow finish didn't really go over well with the rest of my ski party, it's easy to see in the snow, one of many characteristics that jive with Blam's key requirements for a good snow gadget. It did get a little scratched up as you can see in the gallery, but the scratches were superficial, and kinda made it look tough.

Besides sheer durability, Oly added some great UI enhancements. I typically don't give Olympus much credit for UI, but the main controls are straightforward and the icon-based menu is less confusing than the menu on most cameras.

I didn't have much trouble controlling the camera with heavy gloves on—the zoom buttons and scroll wheel are laid out correctly for that—but the UI addition that makes this a real Snowmodo contender is the tap control: You toggle between shooting and reviewing, and change flash and macro settings, just by tapping the sides and top of the camera. It sounds weird, and at first it's a little confusing, but it takes just minutes to figure out, and once you do, you'll love it.

One big problem I ran into was that video resolution and frame rate were both set, as a default, to the lowest specs (QVGA, 15fps). So the video you see below is a little choppy and low-res, in spite of the fact that I could've shot 30fps VGA. I didn't realize how bad my video was—and how much better it could have been—until after our days on the slopes had ended. The fact that there's no HD sucks in this day and age, but I am sure Oly will get there soon. BTW, someone a lot better (at skiing) than me shot this:

Camera wise, there were some great things and some not-so-good things. It's a basic 10-megapixel 3.6x optical zoom with a great wide-angle setting for one-armed self portraits and shooting in tight areas. I am partial to including the sun in outdoor shots because I like lens flares, but in this case, the optics were a little weird: During video shooting, the lens flare was a blinding bar, straight up and down, and in the still shot, I got the mushy pink flare you can in one of the following four sample shots:

And though the 6000 is good for most daytime outdoor shooting, it's no good indoors without a flash or tons of ambient light, meaning it's not the best choice for everyday use. To pay $300 for a camera you only use on vacations might sting a bit, but hey, if you're into destination-oriented pursuits like snorkeling and snowboarding, $300 for a great beat-around camera might sound pretty reasonable. [Olympus Product Page]

Snowmodo is our snow sport winter meet up at Lake Tahoe, with prizes, discounts, tons of fun snow activities, a party and GADGETS. If you can make it (and people are coming from TEXAS) please RSVP. I'll let you wear my hat (below).

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – The company with the nation’s most reliable wireless network today introduced the G’zOne Boulder™ – the newest Push to Talk phone that is exclusively available through Verizon Wireless. This rough and tough phone is built to military specifications to withstand shock, water and dust environments. The G’zOne Boulder provides customers with access to Verizon Wireless’ Push to Talk service that uses the company’s Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network to ensure customers can get their jobs done quickly and efficiently. Packaged in two smart-looking finishes – black and silver or orange – the G’zOne Boulder is now available online at www.verizonwireless.com and through business sales channels. The phone will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in mid-August.

Leveraging EV-DO Rev. A technology, Push to Talk from Verizon Wireless provides customers with fast two-way communication – all with the assurance of a reliable network so customers can instantly connect to colleagues and friends. Additionally, the G’zOne Boulder supports a number of productivity tools and entertainment services from Verizon Wireless including VZ NavigatorSM, Field Force Manager, V CAST Music with Rhapsody and V CAST Video.

The G’zOne Boulder comes with the following features and capabilities:

* Rugged design that meets military specifications – 810F standards for water, shock and dust resistance; immersion; vibration, salt fog; humidity; solar radiation; altitude; and low and high temperature storage
* Flashlight
* Electronic compass
* VZ Navigator-capable – audible maps, turn-by-turn directions and location information to more than 14 million points of interest that customers can share with others
* Field Force Manager-capable – a resource management tool that provides businesses with the ability to locate, monitor and communicate with their mobile field workers
* 1.3 megapixel camera to conveniently capture an afternoon hike or a night on the town
* V CAST Music with Rhapsody-capable – download music directly to the phone from a library of more than 5 million songs and get the master copy of the song on a PC free of digital rights management software that restricts how and where music can be played. Customers can also sync favorite tracks, albums and playlists from a PC.
* Music player for .mp3, .wma, unprotected .aac and unprotected .aac+ formats
* Create and manage playlists and sync music from a PC to the G’zOne Boulder
* Carry music on an optional microSD™ card up to 8 GB (microSD card sold separately)
* Supports the following Bluetooth® profiles – headset, hands-free (car kits), dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution profile (stereo), audio/visual remote control profile, object push profile for vCard, object exchange profiles for phonebook access profiles, generic audio/video distribution profile, audio/visual distribution protocol, and audio/visual control transport protocol
* Advanced speech recognition with dedicated voice dial key
* Alarm clock, calculator, calendar, stop watch, countdown, timer, world clock, electronic compass
* Voice commands
* Speakerphone with dedicated speakerphone key
* Bilingual interface – English and Spanish language
* Phonebook with up to 500 entries with multiple contacts
* TTY compatible
* Hearing aid compatibility = M4/T4
* Display:
o Main: 2.0” 240 x 320 TFT display with up to 65K colors
o External: 1.2” 96 x 96 Mono STN display
* Dimensions: 3.9” x 2.0” x 0.9”
* Weight: 4.9 ounces
* SAR:
o Head: 1.04 W/kg
o Body: 0.489 W/kg
* Usage time: up to 214 minutes or
* Standby time: up to 63 hours

The G’zOne Boulder is available for $129.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement. Corporate discount pricing is available. In addition, customers may choose to purchase the G’zOne Boulder without a camera in silver and black, available today through business sales channels and through the company’s online store.

Verizon Wireless customers can add Unlimited Push to Talk to their G’zOne Boulder for $5 per month, per line to any Nationwide voice plan.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers should call 1-800-VZW-4BIZ or contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative.

A Ruggedized Computing Solution for Mobile Professionals

ASUS B51E combines computing prowess with tough build to serve in the rough fields

Taipei, Taiwan, July 2, 2008 – Professionals who frequently find themselves on the road or in the field need a computer that can withstand the rigors of travel as well as operate reliably despite harsh environmental conditions. It is for this group of demanding users that ASUS has created the B51 notebook, which possesses ruggedized design and is built for excellent performance and reliability.

Ruggedized Notebook for Tough Environments
The B51 is built to endure harsh treatment. Starting with a lightweight yet strong magnesium alloy chassis that offers excellent protection for its components, the B51 is additionally buffered against shock by rubber bumpers along its edges, and high strength protective film to shield the notebook from scratches.

Built to Withstand Drops, Shocks, Spills and Scratches
The sum effect of the B51's ruggedized design is an exceptionally hardy notebook able to withstand most abuses that will damage conventional notebooks. The B51 is drop tested to military specifications (MIL 810F Method 516.5 Procedure IV), able to withstand drops from tabletop height – up to 75 cm.

Preserving the integrity of the data within, the B51's hard drive is floated on a sponge protection system, while the keyboard as a drainage path integrated into its design, so that the B51 is able to weather the occasional shocks and spills (up to 120cc) and continue to function reliably. Even while the insides are protected against rough use, the LCD screen of the B51 is also well protected from scratches by a high strength film, for a truly hard wearing notebook, inside and out.

By addressing the various areas of durability and usability, ASUS has created in the B51 an ideal mobile computing solution for professionals who routinely operate in tough, demanding environments.

Intel® Centrino Procesor Technology
-Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T8300/T8100/T5850/T5750
-Mobile Intel® GM965 Chipset, Intel Int. GMA X3100 Gfx
-Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/4965ABGN Network Connection
Genuine Windows® Vista Business
RAM DDR2 667MHz, up to 4GB (2 slots)
SATA HDD up to 320GB & ODD S-Multi
Built-in webcam 1.3M pixel (Optional); Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR (Optional)
36.5cm (W) x 27.3cm (D) x 3.82 cm (H), 3.1KG (with 8 cell battery)

All three systems sport a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, between 1GB and 2GB of RAM, Bluetooth, an SD card slot and a shock-mounted 80GB hard drive. They are all mobile broadband "ready," which means integrated antenna and Mini PCI slot for the wireless WAN card of your choice.

The Y7 has a 14.1" screen, weighs just 3.7lbs and can run for five hours on a single battery charge. The W7, with 12" screen, weighs just 3lbs even, and can make it seven hours on a charge. Both of those systems have DVD Super Multi Drive for massive multiple-format burning.

The T in T7 stands for "tablet," complete with touchscreen. The trade-off is there's no optical drive. The T7 weighs about 3.3 lbs, and can last the longest of them all, up to eight hours, on its battery. A hand strap on the T7 (shown in the gallery) means you can hang on tight, just in case you don't want to test the shock-proof claims.

In case you are interested in these tough little buggers, pricing is still a bit on the high side, but getting closer to earth: roughly $2,400 for the Y7, and around $2,100 for the W7 and T7. [Panasonic Toughbook]

So what is "ruggedized," anyway? The 6.8-pound XR-1 meets military standards for drop/shock and vibration, and is also watertight and dustproof. Its keyboard can withstand liquids and abrasive dust and dirt particles, too. It can even be submerged, scrubbed and bleached after it's been exposed to toxic substances. That's tough.

It's not messing around in the power department, either, with an Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz processor and 80MB 5400RPM SATA drive along with optional fully-integrated GPS. You'll have to pay dearly for all this protection and power, though—prices start at $4330. Available in September. – Charlie White

Product Page [General Dynamics]