Protecting Your Tablet From a Fall From Space

First time accepted submitter xwwt writes "G-Form has a nice video of an iPad launched into the stratosphere via weather balloon and protected using its new protective gear 'Extreme Edge' to see how well the gear worked in the iPad free fall to Earth. The gear is being introduced at this year's CES where our own timothy will be attending and reviewing new products. The cool part of this whole video is really that the iPad survives the free fall from space, remaining fully functional."

Comments

and the camera they took it with?

[BabaChazz]

Appeared on Fark a couple days ago, with the comment that the (unprotected) camera they used to document the flight and fall also survived. So...

Why so high?

[rHBa]

Wouldn't it reach terminal velocity from a few hundred meters?

Re:Why so high?

[MetalliQaZ]

Publicity.

Fall? Hell, What About The Cold?

[cmholm]

Per the Apple iPad 2 spec: Nonoperating temperature: -4 to 113 F (-20 to 45 C)

We didn't get a *real* good look at the display post-flight, but it seems the system was still usable after a cold soak down around at -23 F. Ok, so it wasn't that far out of spec, the system probably enjoy some solar heating, and it was a *dry* cold.

Why is everyone here so underwhelmed?

[Pausanias]

I can't quite explain why, but this is the most amazing thing I've since on slashdot in quite some time. Something about that little lonely iPad going all the way up there... my colleagues were just gathered around my computer and everyone exclaimed aloud.

Re:Irrelevant stunt

[GameboyRMH]

The remains of the balloon are enough of a parachute, and the placement of the camera and mount can help it fall level as well.