Your iPad is built for the couch. Earl is built for the wildnerness. The Earl Backcountry Survival Tablet is a surprise arrival on the tablet scene, a do-it-all survival gadget with maps, two-way communication, weather and solar charging systems all built-in. Earl is an Android-powered tablet with a 6-inch, flexible E-ink touchscreen display that is designed for the adventurer. It features just about everything a wilderness camper and his/her co-campers need to explore mother nature and stay safe far from civilization. Using its Android operating system, it provides detailed maps, GPS reference points, a satellite-powered compass, a two-way communications system, a screen-based emergency lantern, a radio receiver and more in a compact, touch-enabled device. It’s an extreme camper’s toolkit in a small package, precisely what the doctor explorer ordered when packing light.
When batteries or power outlets are not available, Earl’s rear-mounted solar panel can charge the device from the light of day. Its E-ink display sips power, ensuring that the device can last long on each charge and power-up on its own under the sun. It may not have a HULU app or play Angry Birds, but that’s the whole point of heading to the wilderness in the first place. With Earl, you can gladly bring along a bit of powerful tablet technology to enrich your experience, not escape it.
Earl is currently undergoing crowd funding on its own website at MeetEarl.com. Earl will be priced at an affordable $250 each when produced, which will come after the crowd funding is complete. We’ll be honest, we didn’t see this one coming, and it has instantly taken over as the most exciting tablet news of 2013 thus far. It may not be for everyone, but those with an adventurous spirit have just commenced drooling. We need to wipe up our keyboard…
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Earl Backcountry Survival Tablet | Gallery
I love the idea list:
Navigation (GPS are common and standard. Nothing “new” or “special” there.)
Weather (any device does that.)
Radio (Duh. SImple $5 item to add.)
Not sure why “dirty/waterproof” and “survivalist” counts as 2 items.
Belt clip. (Great $1 ideal.)
Great ideas… but with major problems that will cause it to NEVER sell in enough
numbers to actually stay on the market very long:
Tiny 6″ screen. (My cell phone has a screen that size.)
Grossly over priced. ($250 for this very limited device is about $100 too much.)
Runs Android… then why strip out all the great features that Android has????
2 color screen. (When full color screens are extremely low cost.)
But,
I absolutely LOVE the solar idea. And all the water/dirt proofing ideas.
Why not just take a $99 full color Andoird tablet, and just add $50 worth of those good ideas? The thing would sell like crazy at $149.
In response to Beautiful_Apple_Cathy’s impressively pessimistic and uneducated comments above…
“I love the idea list:”
“Navigation (GPS are common and standard. Nothing “new” or “special” there.)”
-Wrong. True GPS is not common or standard by any measure. You are confusing this highly accurate geospatial technology with the simple calculations your cell phone uses to approximate your location and provide turn-by-turn directions to your next caramel frappucino.
“Weather (any device does that.)”
-Seriously Apple_Cathy? When you “click” the weather app on your phone, do you honestly think that it is measuring those conditions with its own onboard sensors? The Earl is equipped with its own barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, and even an anemometer for wind speed.
“Radio (Duh. SImple $5 item to add.)”
-Again, Apple_Cathy, this is not an app that you can download. It is actually a radio…
“Great ideas… but with major problems that will cause it to NEVER sell in enough numbers to actually stay on the market very long:”
-So you’re an expert in global marketing and product viability? You sound like an overly-opinionated housewife. Do everyone a favor and stick to waffles and crafts.
“Tiny 6″ screen. (My cell phone has a screen that size.)”
-This device is for survival and I’m not talking about the reality TV show.
“Grossly over priced. ($250 for this very limited device is about $100 too much.)”
-Do you know anything about engineering? Well, I know its weird but, it costs money… I have seen enclosures that cost more than $150/ea and don’t have this sort of NEMA rating.
“Why not just take a $99 full color Andoird tablet, and just add $50 worth of those good ideas? The thing would sell like crazy at $149.”
-No comment.
In Conclusion:
It is my opinion that “earl” is truly an engineering marvel. Its creators have managed to pack a truly impressive amount of high-tech gear into a very small, portable and seemingly rugged device. If it holds true to their claims, this looks like an affordable, yet critical, must-have for any serious outdoor enthusiast.
However, and as Apple_Cathy has so kindly demonstrated, you probably won’t be needing an “earl” to find your way to the nearest Starbucks for a daily dose of caramel frapp…