A company called "Two Technologies" has announced a ruggedized handheld computer claimed to offer 40 hours of battery life. Running Windows CE 5.0 on a 624MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, the "Hydrus" includes a five megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a customizable 55-key keyboard.

According to Two Technologies, the Hydrus has a double-walled case, constructed of Xenoy, a polyester/polycarbonate blend that is impact- and chemical-resistant and is often used to manufacture fuel tanks. As used here, it allows the device to withstand more than 26 1.2-meter drops from any angle, and to meet IP 6x standards for resistance to water and dust intrusion, the company claims.

Two Technologies also touts a more down-to-earth aspect of the case: the Hydrus is said to be readily orderable in a customer's choice of colors and logos. In addition, the device's 55 alphanumeric keys are available with customized, application-specific legends in a matter of "days, not weeks," the company says. In addition to separate keys for numbers, letters, and a variety of other functions, the Hydrus has a "patent-pending" joystick design that is said to minimize accidental presses of adjoining keys, even when a user is wearing gloves.

Additionally cited for the Hydrus is unusually long battery life. Two Technologies says the device comes with dual lithium-ion batteries, apparently offering a combined capacity of 5000mAH. The unit is claimed to offer more than 40 hours of battery operation, and to recharge in just three hours.

The Hydrus uses Marvell's PXA270 processor, clocked at its 624Hz maximum. The device also comes with 256MB of RAM and from 2GB to 32Gb of factory-installed internal flash storage. It does not, however, include an SD or microSD memory expansion slot.

The handheld includes a 5MB camera, with LED illumination and autofocus. The camera is also used as an imager for the unit's 2D barcode scanning capabilities, which include Code 128, Code 39, Code 2 of 5, EAN-13, PDF417, and UPC, according to Two Technologies.

Finally, the Hydrus sports a "sunlight-readable" QVGA touchscreen display, WiFi, Bluetooth, an RS232 port, and a mini-USB port that operates in either host or client modes.

Features and specifications listed by Two Technologies for the Hydrus include:

* Processor -- Marvell PXA270 clocked at 624MHz
* Memory -- 256MB of RAM and 2GB of flash (up to 32GB of flash optionally available
* Display -- 2.9 x 2.2-inch display with 320 x 240 resolution, sunlight-readable (size not specified)
* Keys -- 55 keys with separate alphabetic and numeric keys, joystick
* Camera -- Five megapixel camera with autofocus and LED illumination
* Barcode scanning -- 2D, including Code 128, Code 39, Code 2 of 5, EAN-13, PDF417, and UPC
* Networking:
o WLAN -- 802.11b/g via Summit Data Systems radio, CCX (Cisco Compatible Expensions) V.4 certified
o PAN -- Bluetooth 1.2
* Other I/O:
o 1 x RS232
o 1 x mini USB (host/client)
* Battery type/life -- dual lithium-ion batteries with 5000mAh capacity; more than 40 hours of continuous operation
* Operating temperature -- -20 to 50 deg. C
* Dimensions -- 10.85 x 3.05 x 2.75 inches
* Weight -- 37.8 ounces with batteries, 30.2 ounces without

Two Technologies recommends Microsoft's Visual Studio 2005 as an application development environment for the Windows CE 2.0-based Hydrus. An available Hyrdus Developers Kit includes manuals, code examples, and utilities for device-specific features and functions, the company says.