Company: CRU Data Security Group, LLCPrice: $389Rating:Hot: Redefines the word “rugged” for external
drives; two-year data insurance included;
can be used in really hazardous and hostile
environments; looks greatNot:ioSafe 1TB
Solo Hawk
Rugged External SSD
for Hazardous Environments
Review by Erik VlietinckWe all know that harsh environments are risky for storage
media, and many vendors certify their portable drives for sub-
mersion in 30cm deep water for 15 minutes. But if you work in
more hostile environments, you need something like an ioSafe
Solo Hawk 1TB external SSD from the CRU Data Security Group.
This is a drive that comes with an insurance policy!
The Solo Hawk has a crush-resistant (up to 2,500 lbs) alumi-
num shell. It uses HydroSafe technology to waterproof its SSD
in submersions for up to 30' for 72 hours, and withstands full
immersion in diesel fuel, oils, hydraulic fluids, and more. If you
occasionally photograph in the Sahara or the Antarctic, the Solo
Hawk can handle that too, as it has been designed for continu-
ous exposure to UV, blowing sand, blowing dust, rain, salt fog,
ice, and freezing rain. Finally, it comes with two years of the
ioSafe Data Recovery Service (five years optional) by simply reg-
istering the Hawk online.
To test it, I tightened a 33' rope around the Solo Hawk and
flung it off one of the Port of Antwerp’s docks. I could see the
Hawk quickly disappear in the oily sludge. After half an hour
in the freezing cold, I’d had enough, and retrieved the drive.
When I plugged the Solo Hawk into my Mac, it mounted as if
nothing had happened!
Over the next couple of days, I did some other fun stuff, and
was amazed at how unbreakable the Solo Hawk seems to be.
It isn’t slow either, with a healthy write speed of 512MB/s and
read speed of 560MB/s. nREVIEWS › ›> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ FEBRUARY 2020[ 110 ]