6 underwater gadgets to survive the winter weather (or maybe a swimming pool too)
As the nights draw in and the weather gets worse – maybe it’s time to think about waterproof gadgets? There’s going to be a lot of it falling from the skies so you may as well be prepared! So here’s our pick of six different waterproof gadgets!
Camera: Olympus Tough TG-820
Whether you’re photographing the ocean landing of a Soyuz capsule by holding on to the outside, or capturing the magic of Bring Your Kitten To Work day and the pillow factory, the Olympus Tough TG-820 can probably endure it. It’s waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 2m, crushproof to 100kg and freezeproof to -10 degrees celsius.
The camera inside this lump of armour too isn’t bad either – it packs a 14MP sensor and has 5x optical zoom. It even shoots in 720p if you want to capture some video.
Perhaps most interestingly too, it also has GPS and a compass built in – ideal if the place you’re using it in is basically just a blank map for miles around.
Phone: Sony Xperia Z1
Now what about your phone? If you’re the sort of business tycoon who can’t bear to be away from their emails, even when having a relaxing swim, then you need a Sony Xperia Z1.
It’s a fully waterproof phone – both against submersion and from jets of water. And with it’s large 5″ display it’s bordering on being a “phablet” (what a shame we can’t drown the word “phablet”…) – and runs at full 1080p resolution of 1920×1080. It’s running Android 4.2 – Jelly Bean, and inside packs a fast 2.2ghz Qualcomm quadcore processor.
What’s perhaps most remarkable about the phone is that the camera is even better than the Olympus – 20.7MP! And it’s important to mention that it’s also dustproof – keeping the insides safe when you get out of the pool and step in to your sawmill.
Watch: 1. Luminox 3001 Original Navy SEAL Dive Watch
Now if it’s good enough for Seal Team Six, it’s probably good for a trip to the beach, right? The Luminox 3001 doesn’t do anything particularly special – it’s not a smartwatch – but it will tell you the time. Perhaps more crucially, it even works up to 200m underwater – which is what you want next time you’re infiltrating an oil rig deep behind enemy lines from underwater.
iPad Case: OverBoard Waterproof iPad Case
Despite, umm, earlier press reports, the iPhone and iPad are not waterproof. This is a bit of a problem if you want to watch Netflix in the pool or have Words with Friends keep you company whilst out on your trawler. Luckily OverBoard have come up with a case that – get this – even lets you continue to use the touchscreen through it. Whilst the touchscreen won’t work underwater (pesky physics), it does mean that you can safely start filming above the waterline before taking your iPad underwater.
Windows 8 Tablet: Fujitsu Stylistic M702
Now how about a tablet that works underwater natively? Check out the above video of a Russian guy dunking the Fujitsu Stylistic M702. Even though you know its going to be fine… it’s still slightly scary to watch. In the video he’s testing a version of the tablet running Android – but this is also available running Windows 8 Mobile, which runs a full sized version of Microsoft Office – so if you want to work remotely from the office… you can always work really remotely, with your snorkel on.
Spec-wise the tablet is pretty good: 1.7ghz, 32GB on-board memory, with a 10.1″ HD display (1920×1200). The rear camera is 8.1MP and front camera is 1.2.
Car: Lotus Espirit Submarine
Now how about a car that can drive underwater? The model above was famously driven by James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me. Don’t get your hopes up though – unfortunately it’s off the market as last month it was snapped up by Tesla billionaire Elon Musk. So I guess you’re just going to have to swim for it.
