So we’ve looked at four rugged and waterproof cameras this week: the $150 Kodak PlaySport, the $200 Fujifilm XP10, the $300 Casio EX-G1, and the $400 Olympus 8010. Which, if any, is worth your hard-earned scratch? Spoiler alert: I prefer the Casio. But here’s a quick rundown of their pros and cons if you’re not convinced.

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Kodak Playsport

This one is different from the rest, being a pocket camcorder and all. Still, at $150 I found it to be a fun little gadget to have around. It’s practically an impulse buy at the price — if you can handle not being able to focus closer than 3ft or so.

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Fujifilm Finepix XP10

The cheapest point and shoot in the roundup unfortunately looks and feels like it. Although it’s certainly as waterproof as the rest, its crappy buttons and generally weird design didn’t impress.

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Casio EX-G1 (CrunchGear’s pick)

It’s rugged as the rest, but slimmer and easier to use, as well as providing the best still images. Unfortunately, it suffers from a lack of HD video — not that any of the others shoot particularly high-quality 720p, but it would have been nice to have. Some handy extra features round out the package — this one would be my choice. But come on, Casio, give us the high-speed video in a rugged body! That would be killer.

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Olympus Stylus 8010

This brick of a camera is definitely the most rugged, and is rated to greater depths and higher crush pressure than the others. It also sports image stabilization and a handy two gigs of internal memory. However, its picture quality doesn’t match its price, and the on-screen menu was sluggish (though useful, and the tap control is interesting). Not a bad camera by any stretch of the imagination, but also not worth the $100 premium over the Casio. However, there is a cheaper version, the 6020, which I would put on par with the EX-G1.

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What’s missing from this roundup? The Pentax W80 and the Panasonic TS2. They couldn’t get units out in time or just wouldn’t respond (Pentax), so no review for them. It’s too bad; I was looking forward to the TS2 in particular.

That’s the end of this little round-up. I’ll have the cameras for a bit longer, so if you have any questions, feel free to put them in the comments here or in the individual reviews.

If you have a dog and you’ve thrown a party, you know that dogs generally add a bit of fun to the mix at the beginning of the party but by the end, they’ve mostly eaten food off the coffee table, scared the bejesus out of the three guests who have an irrational fear of dogs, and had a few “accidents” in high-traffic areas like hallways and doorways.

You can definitely add some value to your house pet with this collar that features a built-in bottle opener. It’s retractable and it only costs $15 – not a whole lot to think about there, it’s pretty much an impulse buy. If you can teach your dog to fetch beers, too, well then you’ve set yourself up for a long, stress-free life. Man’s best friend, indeed.

Bark4Beer [Product Page via Craziest Gadgets]

• Intro
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Fancy Mouse
• HD Webcam
• Rugged HDD
• Secure HDD

Peripherals, they say, are the spice of life. Well, maybe they don’t say that, but they do say it about variety, and peripherals add variety to your computing life. If you’re reading this on a stock HP desktop, clicking on links with the mouse that came with it, and trusting your data to that 512MB USB stick they gave you at work, then you should consider accessorizing.

There are lots of things out there that make your computer better, more secure, or more comfortable. Why not treat yourself or a loved one to one of them?

Logitech G110 keyboard: $80

Now, I haven’t used this keyboard specifically, but I did review its big brother, the G19. The essential difference is that the G110 doesn’t have the big, expensive LCD on it, which, while cool, wasn’t really adding much to what was otherwise a great keyboard. It’s comfortable, good-looking, and full of extra stuff like macro keys for games or frequently typed phrases, colored backlighting, and handy media controls. Logitech makes great keyboards, and this one is probably their best deal.

Product Page | CrunchGear Review (kind of)

Logitech G500 Gaming Mouse: $70

Anyone who spends a lot of time with a computer likely spends a lot of time with their mouse. So why should they be stuck using whatever $5 piece of junk came with the computer, or whatever was in the impulse buy section at Radio Shack? There’s a world of mice out there for differently sized and shaped hands, and it can make a huge difference in terms of comfort and efficiency. The G500 is a great mouse with a proven and familiar shape, and at $50 (street price) it’s a bargain as well. Any gamer or big PC user will appreciate it.

Product Page | CrunchGear Review

Razer Mamba: $130

The Mamba is the final word in mice at the moment. A revision of the Death Adder shape, which was popular for a reason, the Mamba adds two extra buttons and wireless operation to the mix. I found it comfortable, accurate, and extremely good-looking. If you’re willing to spend the dough, this is the best mouse you can buy.

Product Page | CrunchGear Review

Chances are if you or anyone you know has a webcam, it’s either built into your display or a cheapie one that’s no better than that. Well, a new generation of webcams is coming out that support high-def video, and the first representative is Microsoft’s LifeCam Cinema. It’s got a nice wide angle on it, has more clarity than those pinhole webcams, and the clamp it uses is really convenient. One for you and one for a kid going off to college would be a great way to stay in touch; Microsoft’s video chat software is pretty decent. You can find it for around $60, which isn’t bad at all if you use your current webcam much.

Product Page | CrunchGear Hands-On

Lacie Rugged XL 1TB: $160

Lacie’s Rugged series isn’t so much rugged as merely protected from everyday life. While your average external hard drive would probably go belly up if you spilled on it or dropped it, the Rugged XL will take a (minor) licking before rolling over. I’d be much more comfortable bringing this on a long trip than any other drive. There’s a premium for the ruggedness (street price is around $140), but whoever get this will thank you later when the dog knocks it off a table.

Product Page | CrunchGear Review

For your loved ones that are security-conscious, or simply paranoid, I recommend this great drive. Spacious it’s not, and you’re paying a lot for the gigs you’re getting, but the built-in keypad is just too cool to pass up. Not only is it very secure, but it’s also very well-designed. Since you’re actually pressing buttons, there’s no need to worry about administrating it or security software — just set it up once (keep the instructions just in case) and you’re good to go. You can also get a 320GB version for around $200.

Product Page | CrunchGear Review

There is a rumor swirling around the tubes this morning that Microsoft’s motion controller Project Natal will be $80 when it comes out next November. First off, there is no way that the Wii-killer be $80 based on precedents set by the current crop of Xbox add-ons. But more importantly, if the controller system is only $80, it will suck.

Project Natal won E3 this past year. It came out of nowhere and surprised everyone. What was most shocking is how far along the system was developed. It looked almost ready for prime time, but yet the release date is seemingly far away. That’s fine but as time passes, the Wii gets a bit more stale and expectations rise.

The system has so much potential. Think about how it could change sports games, FPS, and general puzzle games. Suddenly you’re actually in the game as never before. It’s almost like Nintendo opened the door for next-gen gaming, but Microsoft could bust down the damn wall with Natal.

But not if the system is only between $50-$80 and 14 games are included like the rumor states. That’s right at the impulse buy price point - which is what MS is reportedly targeting – but also where all the novelty add-ons live. That price range shows that Microsoft wants to sell a crapton of Natals to the Wii crowd, but also doesn’t view the controller as a game changer.

It might have some sweet games that will give the Wii a run for it’s money, but unless Microsoft is taking a huge loss on each Natal sold, it’s probably nothing special. I’m not saying that an item has to expensive to be successful, but an $80 price tag on a controller that supposed to “next-gen” doesn’t exactly scream a premium product.

At $80, I expect Project Natal to be like the PowerPad: a fine accessory with a few good games, but not a must-have add-on. Now if the system were, say, $150 or more, I would have more faith in the system. The higher price shows that Microsoft stands behind the years of research and development and believes that the system is a worthy add-on to the Xbox 360.

At that price point Microsoft would have no chance in hell selling it unless there was at least one killer, mainstream game. The add-on would need the support of 3rd party companies and developers to get going, which would result in a wider variety of games. If the rumor is right, and the system is bundled with games, you can bet that, they are simple Wii Sport-ish games, which were cool about 3 years ago.

Let’s hope that Microsoft believes enough in the system to price it above the impulse buy price point. Let’s hope that the system lives up to its potential and not forced into parlor tricks but rather utilized for serious gaming too.

Also, don’t forget the prices of the Xbox 360’s current accessories. It costs $100 for a wireless adapter, $50 for a wireless controller, and $160 for a 120GB hard drive. I’m just saying, $80 doesn’t fit the pattern.

We’re excited about pico projectors here at CG, but the first wave of them has been somewhat underwhelming. Optoma, 3M and Dell have the right idea, but image quality just isn’t up to par yet (the new 3M one might change that, though.. On the other hand, mini-projectors are a perfectly good option if you’ve got a decent surface to project on. Peter liked the Joybee, and this new one from Viewsonic looks like a competitor, though it isn’t quite as small. The idea, I think, is “portable” but not “pocketable.” Where are you going to go, after all, that you need a projector but can’t take a backpack?

The PJD2121 has 400 lumens and an 1800:1 contrast ratio, which is perfectly solid and good enough for using in your apartment with the blinds down. Lacking some of the features of the Joybee, it’s meant for a more traditional projector role, but it’s still very portable. At about 8″x5″x2″, it’s almost exactly the size of my copy of Tale of Genji — a thick but not oversize hardcover. At $450 it’s cheaper than full-size projectors, but still not quite an impulse buy.

I’ll be checking this one out, so you’ll know soon whether the brightness and simplicity is a good trade-off for smaller size and (semi-functional) extra features of the Joybee.

Several months ago, CrunchGear reviewed Klipsch’s X5 headphones, which I pronounced the best in-ear headphones I’d ever used. Unfortunately, they cost $250, which kind of puts them out of reach for most people (it would for me if I hadn’t been lucky enough to review them). But now Klipsch has expanded the Image line down to the sub-$100 level and I’ve been testing out the $80 S4s for a while. How do they stack up?

Upgrade or really upgrade?

First of all, it should be said that almost any headphones are a big step up from whatever came with your iPod, Zune, or what have you. So this isn’t a comparison to those; if you’re thinking about upgrading and aren’t sure if it’s worth it… it is.

There are loads of in-ears around $30-40. Klipsch’s S4s cost twice as much, what do they have that a random pair of Sonys don’t? It’s difficult to say, but I’m confident that these are more high quality than something you’d get in the impulse buy section of Best Buy.

To begin with, their fit is great. They come with several different silicone ear bits (including some kinky-looking double-flanged ones for you deep-eared types) so you can pick whatever seals the music in best. And they do seal well — better, in fact, than the far more expensive X5s. It took me a while to find the position and orientation of the things that worked best (the shape isn’t exactly intuitive), but once you get it once, you’re solid.

Mid-range: it’s what’s for dinner

The sound is good. It lacks the extraordinary clarity of the X5s, but then again those cost three times as much. They’re still quite sharp, but have a really beefy mid-bass range that makes them great for walking around — the buzz of cars and people around you gets eaten right up. Upper range drums and bass work sound fantastic.

The upper range is good, but doesn’t have the depth of the low range. It feels like they are squeezing a lot of detail out of the mids and lows, but unless the highs accent themselves, they don’t feel emphasized. My ears have been spoiled by the X5s, though, which have the best high end I’ve heard, so take all that with a grain of salt.

Okay, wish me luck, I’m going to test out their loud performance. Time for some Grails and Psychic Paramount. Okay, it sounds like the mids, highs, and lows of “Soft Temple” are in three separate channels, like they’re each their own peak with gaps in between. The high end seems to get softened quite a bit compared with the mids and lows. It’s still not overpowered, though; songs with an important high end still shine through just fine, although it seems the S4s aren’t designed to take advantage of that kind of music.

The carrying case is pretty weak, though. It feels cheap and it’s hard to fit the units into on the go; the headphones themselves seem pretty sturdy, so just get a nice little sack for them and save yourself some trouble.

Worth a bill?

My conclusion: these are headphones for walking around or traveling. They isolate the sound really well, and that combined with the emphasis on the mid and low end pretty much wipes out the outside world. If you’re looking for comfort, isolation, and a mid-heavy sound for walking around, these are a great choice. However, I can’t recommend them for fans of classical music, and if you’re planning on listening in a quiet room (where detail is all-important), I sincerely urge you to check out the expensive but fantastic X5s. I can’t say the S4s justify their $80 price tag completely, but they’re certainly better than your average in-ears.