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).

The 1040 is a super-slim cam, and in fact, the thinnest Stylus yet. It ditches the big zoom lens typical of other Olympus cameras for a more common slick, boxy style with flat controls on the back. As far as specs go, it's basically the 1050 SW without the huevos, a 10.1MP point-and-shoot with 3x optical zoom and a 2.7" LCD screen. Also out in October, the 1040 will run $200. [Olympus]

The Price: $400 retail, we've seen it as low as $340.

The Verdict: It's tougher than Glass Joe, but it's no Mike Tyson.

I tested the 1030SW under fairly rigorous conditions, and for the most part it stood up to the challenge. After dropping the camera to the ground from around six feet, it took pictures without any problem. Next was the underwater test. I didn't take it to the limit, but I did bring it with me in the tub. The camera works under water, and there are options designed for capturing images of sea life. The pictures didn't come out too well, but that could be my fault as it is likely designed to shoot fish in clear water and not sitting in a bathtub, taking pictures of my...er...feet.

Things got a little trickier during the freeze and crush tests. I left it in the freezer for about two hours, and when I took it out I had a "Battery Empty" message. Worried that I damaged the camera, I let it thaw and it came back to full power after 10-15 minutes. For the crush test, I placed all 170+ pounds of myself on top of the camera. At first I heard a little unnerving crunch, and when I picked it up, I saw what looked like a crack in the LCD screen. However, after about 15 seconds, it went away and I was left with the same crack-free screen I had when I started.

As for the pictures, they came out well for the most part. In optimal conditions, they looked great. When I was under water, or in a dimly lit room the snapshots left a little something to be desired. I was able to correct some of the shots with the various exposure options, but it's still a point-and-shoot.

If you are going on an outdoor adventure and looking for a light, easy camera to take, this is a good bet. I wouldn't recommend pushing it to the advertised limits, but it's definitely sturdier than other cameras in its price range. [Olympus]

M-Infotech IH19 G-Shock of iPod docks [newlaunches]

New shockproof HDD case [Akihabara News]