Amid the sea of iPhone cases, camera mounts and iPad styluses that have flooded various crowd-funding sites in recent years, an interesting new project emerges. It’s name is Earl. Seattle, Wash.-based startup Sqigle is on a mission to build an Android tablet designed to keep users alive while the roam off the beaten path. It will feature a ruggedized exterior, an E Ink display, an integrated solar charger, 20-hour battery life, GPS and highly detailed topographic maps that will help users navigate various terrains while hiking, climbing and wandering. Squigle is seeking an ambitious $250,000 to fund the project, and it hopes to launch by August 2013. If the project meets its funding goal, the Earl will be available starting at $249 including 100k resolution topographic maps or $299 with both 100k and 24k resolution topographic maps. Earl can be preordered on the project’s site, which is linked below.
