Technology behind the ioSafe Solo
The crunch of the ioSafe Solo lies in the inside of the unit where its patented insulating technology is being used. Its a remarkable feat achieved and the technology behind the device is quite impressive. As the illustrations show the whole interior is surrounded by some form of heat insulating material which looks like Styrofoam which is actually gypsum. A quick wiki search on gypsum reveals that it is primarily used as a finish for walls and ceilings; known in construction slang as Drywall. There are two halves of this insulating material in which the ever important hard drive is sandwitched in between. Apparently the reason for using gypsum is due to one of its properties where the water crystals in gypsum expand when heated insulating the drive and keeping the heat away during a fire. It's a cheap but ingenious way in protecting the drive during a fire. One of the main challenges of course is to maintain adequate ventilation during normal operation to prevent the drive from over heating. This has been achieved through what ioSafe call "FlowSafe vents" where small channels created in one of the gypsum covers ensure airflow into the hard drive through the cooling fan. During a fire these vents simply melt insulating the drive within.
I really love the thinking behind making the ioSafe Solo; they have managed to provide simple solutions to complicated tasks. ioSafe's HydroSafe technology keeps the drive protected in the event of floods or any type of event that would submerge the ioSafe Solo. The ioSafe Solo can be under water (Fresh or Salt water) for upto 3 days at an depth of upto 10ft. The hard drive is enclosed in a special water -proof bag which keeps the hard drive dry while it is submerged. In these instances the airflow vents can be open or closed.
As we mentioned before the exterio of the ioSafe Solo enclosure will not survive (Including all electronics inside) while the hard drive within the enclosure wil be safe. Of course you'll need another way in which to recover your data, most likely through another hard drive enclosure. Within the warranty period, ioSafe will provide you with a new ioSafe Solo.
