My final prediction before the Apple’s announcement Wednesday is that it will not be called the iPhone 5, iPhone 4SS, or any other varient other than the new iPhone. Simply, it will be called, iPhone. Now before you label me insane and an idiot, just take a read of what I have to write about this name and why Apple is slowly changing the smartphone market once again like it did when it entered the phone industry.
If you read my article “Why The iPhone 5 Won’t Be the Last One to Look Like the iPhone 4″ (read it!), then you’ll understand the first part of this equation of bringing the PC era into the smartphone era. Slowing down the form factor change to a more reasonable time table as seen in the computer industry, Apple is not content with just changing the look of its phones every four years or so like it does with its current line of desktop and laptops. No, it desires a uniform convention for all of its products. Look closely and you’ll only find the iPhone with a model number. iMacs? Nope. MacBook Airs? Not there. MacBook Pros? Negative. Mac minis? Uh-uh. Well what about the Apple TV? Not on your life. What about all the iPods and its variants? Ixnay on the model-say. Oh wait, the iPad!! Aaah, now we’re getting closer but Apple axed the model name with the most current release; hence, the altered graphic here.
Folks, along with the iPad ditching the number 3 for it’s third release, I see Apple executing the same with the iPhone. Many were a bit perplexed - even stunned for some – that Apple was not going to call its newest tablet the iPad 3. Sure, everyone still calls the new iPad the iPad 3 (I’ve even overheard Apple Store employees in Sacramento refer to it as such,) but that will be long forgotten in a couple of years when the fifth-generation iPad is released. It will simply be the iPad with fifth-generation only stated for differentiation and only then by geeks.
“But the iPhone is different. It’s a phone,” may be the next rebuttal. Yes, it is a phone but who cares? This is Apple. Apple does what Apple wants not what the market enjoys. Again, just look back to the iPad as proof that it doesn’t have to follow what Samsung, ASUS, or Motorola does. This is Apple.
For those that think the Cupertino company that once had Computers in its name isn’t big on change in the way it does things, may I remember you that the iPhone for its first three generations released in late June or Early July. The iPhone 4 was bumped a few months later to September all while the press said no it wouldn’t do it early on because of the iPod announcements and such during the same season. Whelp, guess Apple did.
No, as my final forecast for the next iPhone, I am pretty certain it will be the new iPhone. Too many indications point to it with the leaks of the same body design being the strongest evidence along side the iPad just being the iPad today. Sure, I could be wrong and completely be reading way too much into the subtleties of the last six months, I won’t deny that; however, my gut and years of observing Apple says that the biggest surprise Wednesday will be the name, not the product.
There has been much talk about how the leaked next iPhone stretched screen isn’t good enough. Proportionally larger is what the public wants and demands based on what I’ve read in comments to my other posts and from what I hear in conversation with others. But this is Apple whom boasts about how it does not care what the customer wants but gives them what they need. This would be such a moment.
Android has done an interesting job of expanding the original 3.5 inch screen of the iPhone to points of wondering if you’re placing a small paperback on your ear rather than a phone like seen with the Galaxy Note and Dell’s ill-fated stab with the Streak. Motorola, HTC, and Samsung seem to have a following with its larger phones where the screen grew both in length and width gaining kudos mostly from those using GPS and video apps. Bigger is better, right? Well, not in Steve Jobs eyes. He had discounted the larger screen in previous iPhone events calling them clunky and difficult to use with a single hand which I agree with in my experience of such phones. But longer. Mmm, Steve never bad mouthed longer.
Many sites have shown off what possibilities of a longer screen would be like most notably the extra row of icons. Interestingly enough, however, the bulk have neglected to show off movies. You know, true HD moves that are in the 16:9 ratio. Apple moved to this very ratio with its Cinema Displays years ago and wedged them into some of its laptops. Moving the iPhone into the same Hollywood neighborhood makes sense. So much so, one has to even question if the iPad mini will be a 16:9 ratio device. But let’s not get off topic with the iPad mini rumor and stick to the iPhone 4SS (second S for stretched) we have all come to love to hate in the last few months.
Investigating deeper, we have witnessed that Apple has proven content is king with iTunes and the App Store. Jobs was fierce in his pursuit to bring all of the major studios to then iTunes Music Store and broden Apple’s appeal. It has done so very well, and now that its hobby, in the form of a black hockey puck, is doing impressively wonderful, it makes absolute sense for Apple to press on with true HD presentation. Watching a movie or TV show or even a YouTube video for that matter without black bars but rather with a filled screen is what perfects the package. When the laptops and home displays were “stretched”, very little notice was made of this and life went on. In fact, the change was so benign that it has been forgotten by the majority of the tech press and thus why the parallel to the iPhone is missed.
Apple loves all things perfect. It ignores market requests for this reason and instead gives the world a no exceptions product. This doesn’t excuse Apple for making the next iPhone taller if the leaks are true or am I stating I like it. Apple through its fiber as knitted by Steve Jobs does things very differently than the rest of the tech world and this is merely another example of that. This iPhone most likely was the last phone Jobs had direct influence on and stretching it to improve the video experience from his point of view would make absolute sense. If all the early analysts predictions are correct that this will be the best selling iPhone ever, then this may be Steve Jobs’ swan song.
Leaks, leaks, and more leaks abound to what the next-generation iPhone will look and basically it looks like last years iPhone and the iPhone before that. Yes, essentially, the iPhone “5″ looks just like the iPhone 4 released in 2010 with a few minor changes. That will make it three full years with the same body design before another opportunity for a new look to appear in Apple Stores across the world. But the question is, will there be a completely redesigned phone by then at all?
Remember when Steve Jobs famously spoke of the end of the PC era in the last years of his life and yet? Well, we see many of the PC practices finding its way into the iPhone. I’ve already touched on how the last operating system, iOS 5, and this years pending iOS 6 has had little change in a my “Android Phones Blast Past iPhone But Still Lag in OS Updates” post other than catching up with the competition which is a tell-tale sign for what’s to come in the future. Apple historically loves to innovate with amazing new products such the Apple I and II, Macintosh, iPod, and iTunes, but then it leaves them to languish and ignores the great leap of advancement that the competition applies to its own copy of Apple’s original. Why do you think Apple went after Samsung so forcefully? Apple needs to protect it’s original concept since it gives the general consumer no other reason to ignore the competition.
Let’s look deeper at Apple’s adoption of PC, or Mac in its case, era cycles. When it released the Apple II, no one was up in arms when the II+ was released and looked identical to the original. Likewise when the IIe hit the streets nearly seven years after the first II, again, no outcry how the case still looked the same. The Macintosh that appeared on Super Bowl Sunday in 1984 looked the same as the Macintosh SE/30 six years later. The rest of the Classic Macintosh line continued along this way.
Remember when the iMac hit Macworld’s stage with Steve Jobs keynote in 1998? Now that was a change for the Macintosh. Heck, even it’s name was changed. But again, it wasn’t until January of 2002 did we see a fully newly dressed iMac and it would be another two-and-half years before the iMac G5 in its white shell and flatscreen coolness premiered.
I could recount the same slow process of change for the Mac Pro (which still has yet to even be updated with a single Thunderbolt port let alone get a true remake) that is so long in tooth that many believe it will simply just be discontinued. The Mac mini has also changed little since its introduction in 2005. Same story can be made for the laptop line as well.
Do you see a pattern here? It’s not in the manufacturing blood of the PC industry to make an entirely new fresh design every year – even for Apple. The iPhone was an entry into a completely new industry for the Cupertino computer company. It was forced to play the rapid design cycle of the phone industry in order to stay noticed. Now that Apple has established itself as the essential phone to have, it no longer feels to the need to radically change its image every two years. Indeed, it now is comfortable with transitioning the PC era to the smartphone era. Yes, I mean keeping the same “tired” look for years to come with only minor facial changes with most of the oomph coming from the engine bay like the auto industry has done for nearly a century. This is why the iPhone 4S was exactly the like the 4 sans the antenna band fix. This is why the iPhone 5 will be just like the 4S but just stretched out and some modifications to a port here and there. This is why the iPhone 6 will be just like its predecessor with changes to the CPU, memory, radio, battery, and other internal pieces. It most likely will not be until the iPhone 7 will we find any dramatics applied to the iPhones exterior.
Okay, so there’s the reason for Apple’s thinking, that is if I’m right about all this. Let’s just say I am for the sake of argument… and making me look good. Is there anything wrong with this approach? Well, no… I guess. Think about it. I’ve already pointed out that we’ve been more than happy with our desktops and laptops changing little year to year so why would we care about what goes in our pocket? Seriously, how much can you differ a rectangle? I can remember all the Nokia case replacements I had for my 3650 and 8260 that ranged from translucent to various shades of the rainbow to even built-in LEDs that would flash when the phone rang. But the case was still the same case in shape. While I could venture to my local mall and view the hundreds of variations of cases at one of the pads in the middle of the walk way between Rogers Jewelers and the Gap, I still had the same phone. Sure, I strived to change it in some way, but it is no more different than slapping a case on the iPhone today.
Let’s look at the reverse notion. During the turn of the century, we did indeed find companies such as Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Motorola, and Samsung looking to differentiate one model from the next year after year. It encouraged consumers to ditch their current phone for an entire new one putting money into the coffers of the company with the best design. Apple certainly responded to this pony race in the beginning with fashioned elegance. Today, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, and new comers like HTC continue to change the landscape often while frustrating iPhone users with the same old tired look of the iPhone 4 base. Chances are, these companies will continue pushing the design to new dimensions no matter what Apple ends up doing and that may pry money away from Apple. Maybe.
So, Apple looks to have taking the baton from the PC era and ran with the “keep it (the) same stupid” for design and work on the interads. Now as to iOS 5 and iOS 6 playing catch-up to Android, that’s a different story (see that link above), but Apple is in fact swimming upstream like a salmon ready to spawn when it comes to sticking with what “works”. And while I find it humorous to have one of the most incredible designers in the world on your payroll such as Jony Ives, I guess even he can’t come up with something cutting-edge every 24 moths. The question is, will this backfire or will it become the new standard in phone hardware design?
Steve Jobs was famous with folklore of terminating employees for leaking details or nuggets of forthcoming products and yelling at suppliers for slip-ups. He even would sick the San Mateo and San Francisco Police departments after those with Apple property. Apparently, a year later, those days are long gone.
Many wondered what changes would occur when Steve no longer ran the company and Apple’s ability to keep things under wraps seems to be the glaring delta. It all started with the iPhone 4S and the camera. If you remember, Sony’s own CEO Howard Stringer told the press first hand that the next iPhone would use high-end Sony optics. Earlier this year, the iPhone 5 rumors began with LTE confirmation from sources at Verizon and Sprint. Sure, this was a given, but just the same, it’s hard to imagine both carriers making comments so high up the food chain let alone even one of them in the era of Steve Jobs. In between iPad mini and Apple TV television chatter, word came that the screen was growing for the next-generation iPhone. If the word of a reliable source wasn’t good enough, well then, how about a picture? Sure enough, leaks slowly trickled in of a larger 4.0 inch screen. What made this tidbit interesting was that the screen didn’t grow proportionally like those on the easy to read Androids but it grew taller instead.
Soon after the screen images began appearing all over the web, more parts revealed themselves such as the nano-SIM card, ear-phone jack moved to the bottom of the iPhone, a new 9-pin connector, NFC (which now most feel it is not Near Field Communications), and bits-and-pieces of other items. The rear Unibody design also soon joined the front-face pictures reminding us of the two-tone rear of the first-generation iPhone. Even the announcement date of September 12th was dribbled out in late July which Apple confirmed that leak yesterday. The release of September 21st seems to be a sure bet at this point with so many exposés coming to life.
It appears that things have changed in Cupertino and the once Operations Manager Tim Cook doesn’t lay down the law of secrecy quite like his predecessor did. Sure, in years past, we’ve seen the iPhone 4 due to a drunk employee’s error at a bar, but look what wrath that brought Gizmodo. Other than that incident, rumors have always been regarded as that, rumors. Little stock has ever been placed into them and nearly every time, they are indeed wrong. It appears this time, it will all be spot on. I can only imagine that Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave and trying to claw his way out to eat Tim Cooks brain like a scene from Day of the Living Dead. Where Jobs labored insanely severe, Cook seems to have been taking no interest in keeping the next ho-hum iPhone under lock and key.
Maybe, just maybe, this all has been part of Cook’s plan and in fact these leaks are from Apple itself. Remember last years tear-drop iPhone casing we saw every where prior to the iPhone 4S which of course was completely unchanged on the exterior outside of the metal band? Other changes distributed on the Internet were likewise never to materialize. It’s very possible that this scenario could be what happens; however, this time, there just seems to be too many parts, too many sites with its own proof, and too many confirmations from reliable sources for this all to be an Apple planted hoax. But, I’ll still tip my hat to the notion that it is possible.
This time however, there seems there will be little surprise at next weeks announcement since this next iPhone looks little more than a Nexus catch-up more than an innovative device of the original iPhone. Heck, the design is now going to be three years old! It will be interesting to see how well Apple’s PR Machine can pat it’s own back on stage and make it sound like it really is new and cool. In less than a weeks time, we will see just how many of the iPhone leaks panned out and thus lead more credence to all the iPad mini rumors we keep hearing of as the age of the Steve Jobs Ultra-Secrecy Policy is no more at Apple.
I always dig cool things that I can do from my iPhone and iPad. From turning off the lights in my home hundreds miles away to logging onto to my Mac remotely from my iPad, my iDevices gives me a lot of flexibility. Now one can add weather station to the neat tricks that your iOS device can do! Be prepared to pay for the this adventure that can give you a seven-day forecast as we well as report your C02 levels as it comes in at a pricey $180. But hey, if you want to impress your friends and you have some extra cash, why not go for it? Or at least read the press release. 
PARIS – August 27 2012 – Netatmo, a company dedicated to designing products that monitor the weather and environment, unveils its Urban Weather Station, a new device specifically designed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch that allows users to monitor indoor and outdoor environmental elements including temperature, humidity, air pressure, CO2 levels and more.
The Netatmo Weather Station quantifies personal environments like the home and office, and wirelessly transmits data through Wi-Fi to the Netatmo App, which features an intuitive, easy-to-read interface.
“Air quality and weather conditions are a daily concern for city residents around the globe,” said Fred Potter, CEO, Netatmo. “By integrating Air Quality sensors into an easy-to-use Personal Weather Station, specifically designed for iPhone, iPad & iPod touch, we’re able to help users improve their indoor wellness and adapt their outdoor activities – creating a better way of life for everyone.”
With this Wi-Fi connected Personal Weather Station, Netatmo also aims to create the largest Weather and Air Quality monitoring network ever established.
A key innovation in the station is its ability to evaluate indoor air confinement by measuring CO2 concentration. When C02 reaches an excessive level, the user is alerted directly on his or her iPad, iPhone or iPod touch and can take action like ventilating his or her home.
The Air Quality conditions reported by the Netatmo App also allow users to assess the best times for outdoor physical activity, when to commute versus drive to work and more – all instances where Air Quality is of the utmost importance.
In addition to receiving real-time notifications on Air Quality and Weather conditions, users have access to a lifetime online account, free of any subscriptions, where all station measurements and data are stored. Over time, users can access data history and review it using the Netatmo App.
On a much larger, more impactful scale, Netatmo allows users to contribute to its Urban Weather Program, creating a wider network for weather data monitoring and pooling to help meteorologists, environmental activists, scientists and people living in urban environments gain a better understanding of the city climate landscape.
The data collected from the Netatmo Community could possibly turn into a crucial resource for climate research, helping us all get a stronger connection to the world in which we live.
Other functions of the Urban Weather Station include a detailed seven-day forecast and a light indicator for reading CO2 levels. The Urban Weather Station can even detect sound to make sure average noise levels in the home remain at a healthy balance, a helpful feature for parents looking to protect their family from noise pollution.
The Netatmo Urban Weather Station comes with one indoor and one outdoor module to monitor each living environment.
The shell for both modules, constructed from a single piece of durable aluminum, features a smooth, clean design. The indoor and outdoor modules are powered by the included USB wall Adapter and 4 AAA batteries, respectively, and come packaged with a wall mount kit for outdoor installation.
Netatmo’s Urban Weather Station is now available for $179 at www.netatmo.com. The Netatmo App is available for free on the App Store.
To download press kit materials, please visit www.netatmo.com.
For more information on Netatmo and the Urban Weather Station, contact PR representative Jenny Bahun at (305) 374-4404 x 124 or jennybahun@maxborgesagency.com.
ABOUT NETATMO
Netatmo manufactures the world’s first personal weather station for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
Netatmo was established in 2011 by Frederic Potter and Jean-Pierre Dumolard, both highly successful and experienced entrepreneurs in the technology space with companies such as WITHINGS or CIRPACK. Netatmo strives to bring consumers a better way of life through using connected devices technology for environment monitoring while maintaining a commitment to elegant design. Visit www.netatmo.com for more information.
I still marval over the frenzy Apple can generate over its iPhone even in light of the latest rumors that show pieces of a next-generation release that barely catches up with Android hardware that has been available for months…and even over a year in some cases. When Apple showed off iOS 5 last year at WWDC, it’s top ten list of improvements included four Android features, most notably the Notification Center. This year, iOS 6 showed off many Android attributes again and yet the media treated it like Apple re-invented the iPhone all over. Please.
The truth is, the next iPhone will be of little matter and those running the two phones from previous revs will have something that looks almost identical to the new one and all three will run the same operating system. Sure, the new one will support a key feature or two the older hardware will not have within the confines of its slate glass body, but still, they all will play in iOS 6 land.
Google released its follow up to Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) called Jellybean recently and those devices that have it look filled with envelope-pushing technology. (Sorry iPhone users, you’ll have to wait for iOS 7 to get most of them.) The Nexus S is the model of which Google loves to show off its newest creation and it really does shine on the Samsung-made hardware. But interestingly enough, Samsung’s own recently release Galaxy S III runs the older 4.0 instead of 4.1. It’s puzzling since it’s not even a major release as to why the Galaxy is not in the same universe as its sister model. This seems to be one major problem of Android that Apple has no issues with. Why?
Android is much like Microsoft Windows. It’s an operating system freely given away (unlike Windows) to hardware vendors to slap it into its phone. Just like Windows, there are guidelines made for the hardware; however, manufacturers are free to offer a variety of features to differentiate themselves from the competition. This creates variations that requires engineers to make adoptions to the operating system, Android, to function on its device. This difference is known as “forking” in the industry. Because of this, Android updates generally fall behind in release once Google hands it over to the manufacturers. Sometimes, the new OS has made some changes that require heavy lifting to make it function on older hardware, even as old as a few months. So, it’s just easier to create a new device than spend more time getting an old one to run the new update.
Take a look at the Android landscape and you’ll find much of the hardware is not running Android 4.1. Heck, a lot isn’t even running 4.0. There are still Honeycomb devices in the wild and even older versions of Android elsewhere. But take a look at any iPhone made in the last three years – a lifetime in technology – and the vast majority are running iOS 5. Forking has prevented Android users in staying current let alone cutting edge. As seen with the Samsung Galaxy S III, just because you purchase a relatively new Android phone doesn’t mean you’ll be abe to run the newest operating system on it. This is one of the greatest drawbacks of Android and one reason I have stuck it out with the iPhone.
Google will tighten its code more and more and thus allow for easier upgrade paths for Android phones; however, as long as the alien software allows for heavy forking, you most likely will be stuck with your version of the operating system until your next hardware upgrade. It seems ironic for an operating system that Apple has been playing catch-up to for the last two, maybe even three, years that owners of the avant-garde Android will be passed up by the snail in just one short year.
I was just thinking the other day how cool it would be to shove my Plex video to my AppleTV that is connected to my projector and the audio to a Bluetooth receiver connected to my Denon AVR-5803 system for optimal sound. But alas, I couldn’t since the Denon is too old for Bluetooth (even though BT existed upon is release) and there was no accessories to be found to stick into the Denon’s Line In RCA input. Until today.
New Potato Technologies has welcomed the brilliance of Bluetooth and brought to us the TuneLink Home using the same great technology it has applied to its auto product. Coupled with the iPhone or Android app, you will be able to do much more than just shove audio to your receiver but also get a universal remote that does not require a dongle or IR blaster. Score! For these two sweet features alone, you could pay nearly $200 but New Potato is bringing it home for half that cost. I’m thinking of scoring this myself. Take a look at the release below.
New Potato Announces TuneLink® Home, Simplicity for Your Connected Lifestyle
WILMINGTON, NC–(Marketwire – Aug 14, 2012) – New Potato Technologies, an innovator and developer of app-enabled accessories for mobile devices, introduces TuneLink Home for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices.
TuneLink Home provides a wireless link between the user’s device and home entertainment system providing both hi-fidelity streaming audio and universal infrared remote control functions. TuneLink connects audio via analog or digital output to the entertainment system and includes a powerful infrared blaster that broadcasts commands from your device to your media equipment.
TuneLink Home allows users to experience their music or audio from ANY APP in their home without the hassles of wired connections or the complexities of other solutions. Just like TuneLink Auto before it, TuneLink Home includes a best-of-class Bluetooth transceiver that operates over ranges of more than 120 feet to deliver crystal clear audio to your entertainment system along with unique auto connecting and sharing features not found in other products.
TuneLink Home device is also a powerful programmable universal remote control and includes a comprehensive and growing database of over 80,000 pre-programmed remote control codes, the ability to learn new codes, and allows the user to create custom macros, personalize their remote skins, layouts, and functions. Equipped with a wide angle infrared LED array and an IR extender port, user commands reach their intended control target.
The TuneLink Home device is controlled by a free application that can be downloaded today from the iTunes App Store and soon from Google Play. It is a snap to setup, and is the only simple-to-use connected accessory that provides BOTH crystal clear streaming audio link and full featured dongle-free, battery-free, and truly powerful universal remote.
“Finally, the mobile device in your grasp is both your player and your remote, so stream your tunes and take control!” says Bill Leland, Chief Marketing Strategist of New Potato.
“Our mobile companions have become the center of our universe and we rely on them to provide our communications as well as our entertainment. These amazing devices hold all of our stuff and as users we want really seamless ways to access them within our connected lifestyles. TuneLink Home provides a simplified solution for connecting to and controlling your home entertainment system from your mobile device,” says Stuart Ross, CEO of New Potato.
TuneLink Home works with all A2DP Bluetooth capable iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android phone and tablet models. For more information on TuneLink Home, please visitwww.newpotatotech.com. The TuneLink accessory is available now at www.newpotatotech.comand in select retail locations for $99.99.
Charlottesville, Virginia, 21st August 2012 – Memory and storage specialist Integral has launched Crypto SSD, its first range of solid-state drives (SSDs) to feature military-level, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit hardware encryption. As well as the secure, convenient and low-cost protection of sensitive data, the new drives offer all the benefits of solid-state storage. These include low-power operation, silent running, rapid boot time and, as there are no moving parts, higher reliability and enhanced resistance to shock and vibration.
Protecting sensitive data through encryption is becoming a mandatory requirement for a wide range of organizations as a consequence of both Federal and State legislation requiring the securing of data, particularly medical and financial records. Apart from the significant penalties imposed, the cost of making those affected by such data losses whole again are often many orders of magnitude greater than the penalties themselves. Crypto SSD is a ‘fit and forget’ solution with a low total cost of ownership (TCO) that will allow banks, law firms, educational establishments, healthcare professionals and a variety of other business and governmental bodies (federal, state and local) to meet their data protection obligations.
Developed in the Europe and available in capacities from 32GB to 256GB, the new FIPS 197-validated Crypto SSDs extend Integral’s Crypto brand from its successful range of encrypted USB drives. The high-speed SSDs can be fitted to laptops and desktop PCs in a matter of minutes. As well as quick configuration, Crypto SSD uses full disk encryption (FDE) to offer a higher level of security than software-only encryption. Furthermore, unlike software solutions, all encryption takes place on the drive placing no additional overhead on the processor and, with no requirement for on-going license fees, deliver lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
With Crypto SSD, all of the data on the drive, including the operating system, is 256-bit AES encrypted at system shutdown. The security system is BIOS-independent and a user can only access the disk and initiate Windows® boot-up by entering the correct high-strength 8-16 character alphanumeric password. In the event of a brute force password attack all encrypted data is automatically erased after a pre-set number of failed password attempts. The data and encryption key are securely destroyed and the Crypto SSD is reset. In addition, once encryption has been set, it is not possible to clone the Crypto drive.
Offering a multi-lingual interface that significantly simplifies global deployments, the SSDLock program supplied with Crypto SSD provides an easy-to-use, intuitive interface for system configuration. Using the SSDLock program, the number of failed password attempts that are allowed can be between 6 and 20. Crypto SSD has the option to create both a user password and a master over-ride password. This allows an administrator to unlock the Crypto SSD in the event that the user forgets their password.
Unlike other drives where the disk identifier is factory set by the manufacturer, Crypto SSD, via the SSDLock program, also gives administrators the flexibility to allocate each disk a unique or company-wide identifier. This significantly simplifies the implementation and management of endpoint security solutions in which only certain computers and devices may be allowed on the network, or where administrators want to limit and control certain users’ access to company data and applications.
Barry Webb, Integral’s US President comments: “The reliable protection of data has long been a risk management issue. The cost of having sensitive data fall into the wrongs hands has to be balanced against the cost of implementation and management of the necessary protections to keep the data secure. At Integral, we believe the “fit and forget” of Crypto SSD provides a highly cost effective solution to drive data security. The penalties, together with the recovery cost for even minor data breaches are significant and long lasting, both in terms of actual cost and reputation. These costs vastly out-weigh the implementation and management expense of Crypto SSD. The days of being able to lock a computer away in a drawer in an attempt to secure sensitive data is no longer an adequate defense against liability.”
Crypto SSD provides a simple solution to the problem of unencrypted data with almost no change in user interaction whilst providing the added benefits of a SSD such as greater resistance to physical shock, improved performance and increased battery life.
Developed to be both tamper-proof and rugged, Crypto SSDs feature a design in which all drive electronics are sealed in epoxy resin and then shielded by a metal outer case.
Crypto SSD drives are compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows 7 and are available from stock at Amazon.com and directly from Integral Memory USA. Current prices are $223.34 (32GB), $296.70 (64GB), $403.55 (128GB) and $529.49 (256GB). A two-year warranty is standard for all models.
For more details on Integral Crypto SSD technology click here
San Diego, Calif. – (August 21, 2012) – ECOXGEAR by Grace Digital Inc, a leader in rugged, outdoor and waterproof products for the adventurous lifestyle, is pleased to announce the ECOXPOWER pedal powered headlight and smart phone charger for bicycles. Equipped with a universal mount, ECOXPOWER attaches to most standard and oversized hubs and comes with a handlebar mounted, water-resistant and touch-screen compatible smart phone/GPS case. The ECOXPOWER is available today for $99.99 at www.ECOXGEAR.com and retailers nationwide.
ECOXPOWER features an ultra-bright LED front headlight and red rear taillight that mounts to your bike’s front wheel hub. The included USB adapter cable runs up the front fork and into the handlebar mounted, water-resistant smart phone case. As the front wheel of your bike turns, the ECOXPOWER’s clutch engages between the tire’s spokes, fueling a generator that powers the lighting system, the integrated lithium ion rechargeable battery and the power jack for you smart phone. The smart phone case is touch-screen friendly and accommodates all major GPS devices and smart phone models including iPhone and Android. ECOXPOWER also comes equipped with an on/off remote switch that can be mounted to the handlebars, allowing for full control over the headlight and taillight while on a ride.
“Typical bike lights have a short life expectancy, most of which are only 10-15 hours or even as low as five if on high brightness,” says CEO of ECOXGEAR, Greg Fadul. “Bicyclist either have to routinely buy batteries, remove the light for recharging, or replace their lights completely. ECOXPOWER is self-powered and with the built-in rechargeable battery, extra costs and inconveniences are non-existent. And if you’re using your smart phone for GPS or music on a long ride, you never have to worry about running out of juice.”
ECOXPOWER features include:
• Pedal powered ultra-bright LED front headlight & red rear taillight
• Includes water-resistant touch-screen friendly, easily removable handlebar case with pedal powered USB adapter cable
• Handlebar mounted on/off remote light switch
• Universal hub mounting bracket fits most standard and oversized wheel hubs
• Built-in rechargeable battery keeps your cell phone charged and road bright
Product Page: http://www.ecoxgear.com/ecoxpower/
Price: $99.99
Availability: www.ecoxgear.com
San Diego, Calif. – (August 16, 2012) – Grace Digital’s newest creation, the Matchstick Speaker Dock for Kindle Fire, has been approved for Amazon’s “made for Kindle™” program. The Matchstick becomes Grace Digital’s first speaker dock to be added as an official member. Now shipping, the Matchstick is available on Amazon.com.
Grace Digital’s “made for Kindle” Matchstick is engineered specifically for Amazon’s Kindle Fire. The Matchstick accommodates the unique USB port, headphone jack and power button, all located on the bottom of the tablet. While most universal 3.5mm speaker docks don’t charge devices while in use, the Matchstick speaker dock for Kindle Fire not only charges while on AC power, but the optional (sold separately) lithium-ion battery-pack allows for maximum portability. Precisely sized for the Kindle Fire, the rotating cradle securely holds the 7–inch tablet, while accommodating horizontal and vertical viewing angles.
“After reviewing the quality and interoperability of the Grace Matchstick, we are very pleased that Amazon has selected Grace Digital to be a provider of ‘made for Kindle’ audio solutions”, says Greg Fadul, CEO of Grace Digital Audio. “Early customer feedback is awesome and the Matchstick currently has more than a 4 star rating, which is key to product success on Amazon. We look forward to growing our ‘made for Kindle’ product line to support the current and up and coming Kindle solutions.”
Matchstick Speaker Dock for Kindle Fire features include:
• Rotating cradle sized exclusively for the 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet accommodates horizontal and vertical viewing angles
• Tailors to Amazon’s unique USB port, headphone jack and power button, all located on the bottom of the tablet
• Adds crystal clear stereo sound to video & audio including Netflix, Pandora Internet Radio and Amazon’s audio books
• Charges Kindle Fire while in use, powered by AC power or optional lithium-ion battery pack for ultimate portability (sold separately, available in August 2012)
The Matchstick for Kindle Fire is available now on Amazon.com.