Panasonic's new Toughbook brings the rugged life to tablets

Tablets nowadays are delicate beasts, all gloss and glass and mostly unsuited for the rugged life. Which is why Panasonic is porting its enterprise-friendly Toughbook brand of durable devices to the tablet world. Calling the device "secure, durable, and functional" Panasonic aims to solve some of the biggest problems that tablet users face on a daily basis

For instance, by upping the 10.1-inch screen's brightness and scrapping its gloss, Panasonic is making it easier to use the tablet outside. That's a godsend for users in the construction industry, who are almost always outside.

And because the tablet is aimed at what Panasonic calls "mission critical government personnel" the device also features a number of hardware-level security tweaks. Clearly, this tablet is after the military's own heart.

Other features include stylus support, 3G/4G/GPS radios, and, of course, Android. Strangely, Panasonic hasn't said which version of the OS the tablet will run. Likewise, there is no word on the tablet's availability or price or final name.