appleJAC Macintosh Users

ioSafe Rugged Portable: Super Tough Hard Drive

a review by Tom Piper

Backup - backup - backup . . . that is the message we strive to help people remember. Your precious data needs a good hard drive big enough and reliable enough to adequately protect it under normal wear-and-tear conditions. But, what if you conditions are extreme, with excessive moisture, shock, dust, heat, chemicals and other adverse conditions? This is when you need an extreme enclosure to insulate and secure your treasures.

The ioSafe Rugged Portable + DRS (Data Recovery Service is a Go-Anywhere Ultra Rugged Hard Drive by description and in actual practice. The specifications for this robustly sturdy and resilient case are very impressive consistent with MIL-STD-810G Methods:

• Full Metal Jacket Technology – CNC-machined enclosure from a solid billet of aluminum (Al) or titanium (Ti) alloy with a finish that matches Apple’s anodized aluminum exactly . . . crush resistant to up to 5000 lbs (Ti) and 2500 lbs (Al), yet weighs as little as a pound (Aluminum).
• Full Suspension Drive Technology – Full suspension in all six axes of motion . . . optimized for data loss protection from drop and shock of 20’ drops (SSD version) and 10’ drops (500 GB HDD version, 1TB HDD requires optional drive skin).
• HydroSafe Technology – Waterproof, yet heat-conducting barrier to protect against data loss up to 10’ for 3 days in fresh water or salt water (Al version) or 30’ for 3 days (Ti version) per IP68 . . . protects data even when USB plug is in (no requirement for a connector cap to retain data protection).
• ChemSafe Technology – Full immersion in diesel fuel, oils, hydraulic fluids, aircraft fuels, 12” depth for 1 hour with no data loss.
• EnviroSafe Technology – Continuous exposure to UV, blowing sand, blowing dust, rain, salt fog, icing or freezing rain, 24 hours with no data loss.
• AltiSafe Technology – High altitude operation  . . . 15K ft. (Al) and 30K ft. (SSD and Ti) rated altitudes. 
• Theft Resistant Kensington Lock –compatible slot solid metal construction – theft protection.

The unit I reviewed is a 500GB 5400rpm with USB 3.0/2.0 and a pair of FireWire 800 ports (a 1TB hard drive and 120GB - 600GB solid state drives (SSD) are also available). I ran it through my own set of tests for liquid submersion, climate control, dirty environment, rough-and-tumble use and crush resistance (see my car sitting on this drive). Nothing seems to phase this hard drive . . . it is every bit as durable as advertised. I tried it with three partitions for the most recent three Mac OS X 10.6,7,8 (Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion), and it never missed a beat!

Yet, if that isn’t enough, if the worst should happen, they provide a DATA RECOVERY SERVICE that includes one-time data recovery if needed for any reason and up to $5000 for third party forensic recovery if required. These folks have thought of just about everything, which is why it is so highly rated.If you would like to learn more about the ultimate in hard drive protection, visit http://iosafe.com/products-rugged-portable-overview.

The 500GB model is available for $249.99, the 1TB model for $299.99, available in silver or black, with an extra 3 or 5 year warranty available for an additional $50 or $100. SSD units start at $499.99 for 120GB aluminum case, $999.99 for 300GB, and $1,999.99 for 600GB (add $1,000.99 for Titanium case), with an extra 3 or 5 year warrant for an additional $200 or $400 (this extends the Data Recovery Service at the same time). ioSafe also has a broad range of other disaster-proof hardware from which to choose.

If you want the “platinum standard” in extreme portable protection for your data treasures, this is the best solution on the market. 

If that is not enough, ioSafe has generously offered a great special for user group members:

30% off Rugged Portable Hard Drives

The Rugged Portable hard drive from ioSafe is the choice of Mac users who value their data. Built to military specifications and designed to withstand the most extreme environments on the planet, it will keep your data safe. The Rugged Portable is crush-protected to 5000 pounds, drop-protected to 20 feet, immersion-protected to 30 feet for 3 days, and protected from sand, hydraulic and diesel fluids, blowing dust and more. It is available in FireWire 800 or USB 3.0 with a no-hassle warranty and 1-year Data Recovery Service.

Apple user group members receive 30% off any Rugged Portable hard drive.

Coupon Code: (see your Ambassador for this)

Get your protection:  http://www.iosafe.com/products-rugged-portable-buy

This US-only offer is valid through July 31, 2012.

iPad Class 02/28/12

Every Apple Ever Made in 30 Seconds

This commemorative video was made by Rob Beschizza to quickly and
comprehensively show ever Apple product made over the last 36 years.

For a Mac computer, download EveryAppleMade, or

For an iPhone or iPad, http://www.redmondpie.com/check-out-every-apple-and-next-product-ever-made-in-this-30-second-clip-video/ (scroll down one page).

Runnur Body Strap: Stylishly Functional Carrier

a review by Jason Piper

The Runnur mini backpack is easily the best essentials travel bag anyone can carry. It has the ability to carry your ID, 4 credit card sized items, two pens, your phone, MP3 player or camera, sunglasses, a regular sized 20oz bottle, and a misc pouch for snacks or headphones. 

The front side of the Runnur contains the first five items (possibly the most expensive and/or frequently accessed items) and are kept right at your mid-torso. The other less-accessed items are behind you, and the bottle pouch sits right on your hip keeping everything balanced. This great “bandoleer” comes in several colors including canvas, black (with red or black stitching), silver, or plum. The unit I picked for testing is canvas.

I picked this up from an exhibitor named Andrew on the show floor of Macworld/iWorld, and from that point forward I never took it off. I immediately packed it with all the goodies I had on me including business cards of vendors, business cards to hand out, a 20oz bottle, my iPhone (with extended battery case), ID, debit card, cash, and receipts. As the vendor originally mentioned, the addition of a bottle in the bottom pouch really helps keep everything in place. The weight was evenly distributed and a leather-like material resting on my shoulder kept the Runnur from sliding, even when moving around, bumping into people, or walking through the show floor of Moscone West.

During the flight back to Missouri, I was concerned about the TSA, and how they would treat the Runnur. They considered it the one "personal item", which means you can still have your backpack, briefcase, or other carryon without issue. I found this to make the flight very painless, and was able to store my backpack and keep the items I wanted within reach. A simple D-Ring at shoulder strap meant I could pick it up and get to all items very easily. The Runnur attracts as fair amount of attention since nothing like this product (except bullet bandoleers) has made it to the general public. People are shocked by how heavily you can pack the Runnur, yet once you put it on, you don't notice it at all.

I can’t say that the Runnur has any technical downsides, Andrew (the designer) and the entire Runnur team have carefully planned out a spectacular product keeping in mind the location, frequency of use, and size of each pocket. The product is well-crafted and definitely seems like it will stand up to the test of use and time.

My Dad also got a silver version which he demonstrated at our user group meeting. Although he probably won’t wear it with a business suit, it will certainly go on trips for convenient and secure transport of personal items he used to put in his many-pocketed Scottevest. It is definitely a step up.

In conclusion, I recommend this product to everyone. Whether you are traveling, going to the zoo, hiking in the back woods, riding a motorcycle, or just tackling everyday life, there is no reason to not have a Runnur over your shoulder keeping you in line. At only $39, it is a practical and reasonable buy. Learn more about this and related products from Red Street Ventures at http://www.gorunnur.com.

 

Recap of CES/iWorld Reports

If you would like to see the pictures shown at the Feb. 7, 2012, appleJAC MUG meeting, just visit Tom Piper's Photo Gallery at http://gallery.me.com/macquest#100163.

To view the comparison of CES stats to those of Macworld | iWorld, just download CES:iWorldsummary.

For the video of the short CES clip, click on CESoverview.

Additional presentations available upon request to applejac@mac.com.

President's Place

by Julie Smith

Welcome to February and the appleJAC Mac Users Group. We look forward to having a meeting this year since last year we missed out due to the blizzard of 2011. 

It should be an interesting year ahead for Apple itself with new leadership at the company. I look forward to new products from the innovative electronics maker.

This, too, should prove to be an exciting year for our local group as we continue to grow. We look to you, our members, for ideas and certainly your participation. If you have a topic about which you would like to know more or if you are knowledgeable on an item or software and would like to make a brief presentation, please let us know. 

This club is sort of like school in that, the more you put in, the more you’ll get out of it. To that end, in an effort to keep current with trends and the newest in equipment, gadgets and Apps, our next meeting will feature information on the latest from CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and Macworld | iWorld (formerly Macworld Expo) highlights Tom and Jason Piper. They attended iWorld in late January, so they’ll have first hand perspective, and have put together presentations on both shows. George will talk about taking notes electronically, and how they can help you have a more productive schedule.

As always, Tom will have several goodies he brought back from the iWorld Expo on hand to show. He also brought back books from Wiley Publishing and other things to give away.

Join us Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at Lewis & Clark Middle School, 325 Lewis & Clark Drive in Jefferson City, for a look into what’s new for the year, electronically speaking.

Thanks for your time, and we look forward to seeing you Tuesday night. Bring a friend or family member as a guest.