Xplore Technologies' iX104C5 tablet PC is built for abuse (update)

Sure, we all drool over the slender lines of the latest slates, but there's no shortage of folks in the field who dig the tablet form factor and need a more durable device than anything running Android or iOS. Enter Xplore Technologies and its newest bombproof tablet, the iX104C5. This freshly minted model follows its progenitor PCs, the C2, C3, and the C4, in that it has a 10.4-inch XGA display and rugged good looks. Underneath that industrial exterior, the C5 improves upon earlier models with a 2.13GHz Intel Core i7 620UE processor and 2GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB) running Windows 7. It has dedicated GPS, Gigabit ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, and a Gobi 2000 mobile broadband card to keep you flush with 3G data out in the wild. There's also a hot-swappable 10-cell Li-Ion battery and dual SSD drive capability with RAID support, so your data is as safe as the hardware housing it. Xplore's not telling how much the iX104C5 costs, but we do know it can survive being thermally shocked, dropped, vibrated, and generally abused. All that's left is a snowmobiling showdown with its spiritual soulmate to determine which rugged PC platform reigns supreme.

Update: Well, we just got pricing for these tough tablets, and the "Lite" version (an oxymoron if we've ever heard one) starts at $3,299, with costs ballooning to $7,299 for a military spec slate. You didn't think warzone-worthy computers were cheap, did you?

Xplore Technologies

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Scientist cooks up adjustable strength metals

As you may know, crafting a katana is a delicate process that involves carefully constructing a razor-sharp high-carbon edge around a soft shock-absorbent core. One day though, smiths and forging fires could be replaced by electrode-wielding mad-scientists, with the technology to selectively harden and soften metal at will. At least that's what we envisioned when we read about Jörg Weißmüller's breakthrough research in the field of nanomaterials. The German scientist discovered that by placing precious metals in acid he could create tiny ducts through corrosion. Once those channels are flooded with a conductive liquid, electrical currents can be used to harden the material and, if you change your mind about the brittle results, the effect can easily be reversed to make it soft again. The tech could eventually lead to self-healing vehicle armor or scratch-resistant cellphones -- but, really, we just want to zap our way to a high-quality samurai sword. Physorg

Samsung confirms WiFi-only Galaxy Tab availability: April 10th, $350

We've already seen it turn up on a few retail sites, but Samsung has now finally officially confirmed the launch details for its WiFi-only Galaxy Tab. It will be available online and at retail stores across the US on April 10th for $349.99. Specs otherwise remain the same as the 3G version, including a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, 32GB 16GB of internal storage (with a microSD card slot for up to an additional 32GB), rear and front-facing cameras, and Android 2.2 with support for Flash 10.1 -- from the looks of things, it's also only available with a white back. Full press release is after the break. Note: The original press release incorrectly stated that there was 32GB of internal storage. There is, in fact, only 16GB. Samsung Galaxy Tab™ Available for Purchase at Multiple Retail Stores and Online Outlets Consumers receive chance to purchase WiFi-only version of Samsung's award-winning Android™ platform mobile tablet DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Telecommu...

Commodore USA puts the new C64 up for pre-sales, unveils far-less-retrotastic VIC-Slim

Desktops Commodore USA puts the new C64 up for pre-sales, unveils far-less-retrotastic VIC-Slim By Sean Hollister posted Apr 6th 2011 8:43PM Now that Commodore USA has sufficiently piqued your curiosity with a revamped Commodore 64 prototype, it's ready to capitalize on the idea. Quite literally, we might add. $595 buys you the basic basic model with an 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom D525 chip, NVIDIA ION 2 graphics, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive -- which it promises to deliver by "early June" -- with hundred-dollar increments adding premium features like an additional 2GB of memory, a Blu-Ray drive, up to 1TB of storage, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth. However, if you're simply looking for a compact keyboard computer (rather than reliving 80's nostalgia) there's another option on tap -- a likely rebadged thin wedge of a machine that Commodore's...

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