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Technology

iPad Dropped From 19 Miles Up — the ‘Edges of Space’ — And Survives!

Jan. 6, 2012 1:44pm Liz Klimas

This isn’t the first time The Blaze has reported on the G-Form case for iPads and the tests its manufacturer puts the expensive gear through to prove its product’s function. Last year, the iPad in a G-Form case went for a 1,300-foot skydive and was tossed out of a 113 mph car — it went unscathed in both instances.

G-Form’s newest test puts these former crash-course missions to shame. Watch as it is dropped from the “edges of what we’ll call space:”

As the spokesperson in the video says, they expect the iPad to reach 100,000 feet. Earth’s atmosphere ends roughly around 100 kilometers — 62 miles. So, the iPad didn’t quite make it to space, only traveling up about 19 miles. Even still, it lands back to earth in working condition.

[H/T Gizmodo]

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Comments (69)

mark85
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:39pm
It’s no different than dropping it from a 2 or 3 story building. Anyone ever hear of terminal velocity? Another terrific story by Beck, the snake oil salesman.
http://www.skepticspost.com/poison-politics.html

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- Deepdiver58
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:09pm
  @MARK85
  I see you are still buying the oil, otherwise, why would you be here? Oh, yes… I know why you’re here: you’re just here to slam Beck. I you want fluff and crap, try the HUFFPO or Daily KOSS.
  As for the story… it is nothing more than a human interst story. You can get the same type of sensationalism from the HSN channel or watch an Infomercial. “Set it and Forget it”.
  
  Report this comment
- tharpdevenport
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:39pm
  That’s not quite right. I couldn’t find ap recise chart, but from what I can tell based on what I did find, the temprature 19 miles up should be anywhere from 10 to -20 (probably colder during the winter time.
  I’m sure spending several minutes falling through such temperatures (once it hits terminal velocity) affects the substance the iPad is made from, making it more brittle and prone to damage not capable from a three-story building. There’s no heating — it would have to move as fast as a super sonic jet before real heating kicks in.
  Thus the chance of shattering could be real, as well as freezing the circuitry.
  
  And there’s some key critical thinking just plain missing from your post.
  1: Beck did not make this video. You have issues with the sitance versus a two/three story building, contact G-Form.
  2. Beck did not make the news article.
  3. Beck does not run The Blaze and does not chose the news stories, though he can tell them to put something up. Otherwise The Blaze staff chooses it.
  4. Putting aside the weather info I gave above, if both a 19 mile and two to three story building achieve the same speed, then what do you care how it’s done?
  
  No snake oild here, but also no intelligence on your part.
  
  Report this comment
- SDM-Shepherd
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:22pm
  Which height would you rather be dropped from? 2 stories or 19 miles?
  
  Report this comment
- str8blues
  Posted on January 7, 2012 at 12:10am
  You link to a blog by some anomous writer of loony opinions and extremely long articles.
  Really? You’ve got to be drunk or deranged.
  
  Report this comment
- GollygeeMrwilson
  Posted on January 8, 2012 at 2:04pm
  Whoa, someone farted in here.
  
  Report this comment
THXll38
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 5:35pm
But will it blend?

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- TXPilot
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 6:37pm
  Well, Ron Paul will be happy to know this, just in case he accidentally drops his tablet out the window of his spaceship.
  
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ressex
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 5:34pm
What were we talking about???

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SenorStrange
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:54pm
I don’t believe it until I see Mythbusters confirm it.

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- TXPilot
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:04pm
  @SENORSTRANGE……I’m sure the Mythbuster guys will get right on this, just as soon as they are finished testing the theory that a canon can destroy a middle-class house that is situated slightly beyond their shooting range……lol!!….those guys are great, even when they have a huge “oh cr@p” moment.
  
  Report this comment
- TomFerrari
  Posted on January 7, 2012 at 7:37am
  I’m w/ you, TX!
  
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WesG
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:36pm
The camera is the real cool part about that test. They didn’t show if the case was damaged or not. Go to Go Pro or look it up on youtube. People are doing some badass things with these cameras and they aren’t that expensive

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burnteye86
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:20pm
Now drop Polosi

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- meeknotweak
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:29pm
  Now that is funny except leave teh gforce case out of her mouth.
  
  Report this comment
- effenmontero
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 5:02pm
  . . oh, snap ! Now that’s funny !
  
  Report this comment
- ressex
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 6:31pm
  Just drop Pelosi AND Reed… that would be a good start…
  
  Report this comment
- okdavidson
  Posted on January 7, 2012 at 3:01pm
  hahaha i was reading all the other posts and was bored with them, had a great lol moment from yours! thanks!! and i agree, shed be a great experimental drop!
  
  Report this comment
Wyatt's Torch
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:59pm
That’s great if you have an iPad, but will it do the same for my etch-a-sketch?

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- ressex
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:51pm
  LMAO…!!!! Word!
  
  Report this comment
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:57pm
.
They can drop an iPad from the edge of space and it still works, Well ya’ll strap Obama to one let’s see if you can get some work out of him………………

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- john
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 6:43pm
  LOL. That made me laugh for a bit. I needed that – thanks.
  
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Thighmaster
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:43pm
Chicken Little WAS right…

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South Philly Boy
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:40pm
It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Hot dog

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Kaoscontrol
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:36pm
Last time I went to space I dropped my iPad and it broke when it hit the ground. CRAP! I wish I had known about this case!!!

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:05pm
great now we send junk into space and Obama returns it.

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TheSitRep
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:03pm
I have the Otter box “Defender case” on my Atrix Android and it rocks.
The screen has never been touched by human hands.

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wordweaver
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:41pm
Very nice, but even a beginning physics student would mention that every falling object reaches a terminal velocity after a short time of falling due to air resistance. So, falling from the edge of outer space is not impressive from a distance standpoint, but maybe from the standpoint of the low temperatures it endured.

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- MeteoricLimbo
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:01pm
  It was the 100,000 ft that caught my attention…cold and thin up there.
  
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- NOBAMA201258
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:56pm
  Thank you Professor Whoopie!
  
  Report this comment
- nelbert
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 5:16pm
  Thank you. You get the A.
  While the iPad is obviously robust, air resistance would limit its terminal velocity. A rough estimate based on the iPad’s mass and cross sectional area would give a terminal velocity around 20 mph (admittedly, there are a number of variables at play, so this is a best guess scenario). Putting it another way, its final terminal velocity would likely be the same were it dropped from a 2nd story window. That’s still very impressive for a device like this, but such a height wouldn’t spawn an article about it.
  
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Elena2010
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:40pm
Need a bigger balloon :-) LOL

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Thighmaster
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:35pm
These kids have it too easy, back in My day it only rained cats and dogs….

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Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:33pm
But will it blend?

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- meeknotweak
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:35pm
  your Pseudonym cracks me up, I hope you are not labelling your nipples?
  Blend, of course ith will blend, just change the color for the terrain dummy.
  
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Your Reality
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:31pm
If the camera survived with no padding or protection… something’s up. I don’t believe it! Something had to have slowed the decent.

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- WesG
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:33pm
  The camera is a GO Pro. It is for extreme sports. I’m not sure why they edited that out. It was in the original. Really cool camera
  
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randy
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:27pm
Not impressed.
Too many video cuts of the ipad before seeing it in the dirt.
What kind of “drag” device did it have attached coming down?
As P.T. Barnum once said “There’s a sucker born every minute”

Seems most of vote for Obama

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- NOBAMA201258
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:58pm
  This way to the egress,folks
  
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MeteoricLimbo
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:20pm
Will it function in the vacuum of space?

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theamericanvision
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:56pm
It’s amazing! The case even protected the camera that’s NOT in the case!

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smartgirl
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:54pm
EXCUSE ME!!! We’re talking about an iPad case while the military is being eviscerated? What are you people thinking? Is it the editor from HuffPo who can’t even edit? And what about Marco Rubio’s letter to Obama. I’m going to stick with the Drudge Report.

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- GMP
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:18pm
  Ok, bye
  
  Report this comment
- MeteoricLimbo
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:21pm
  Did anyone sit on your head and make you read this Smart Girl?
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:25pm
  I’m so ashamed :-(
  
  Report this comment
- stinkybisquit
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:25pm
  Actually, it looks like she has a good background. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/liz-klimas/18/905/526 By the way, this was from the Technology section of the Blaze, which is probably why it was an article on technology, instead of politics.
  
  Report this comment
- Kaoscontrol
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:32pm
  But, after the military is eviscerated, allowing me and Marco Rubio to be locked up in the FEMA camps, and then Iran, Russia and China nuke us, I’ll take great comfort in knowing that my iPad is still safe and sound in it’s G-Form case.
  Peace of mind is priceless!
  
  Report this comment
- stinkybisquit
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:32pm
  Here are a few article on todays Drudge, which may be more politically relevant for you:
  http://www.news9.com/story/16453749/man-accused-of-exposing-himself-at-maternity-clothing-store-in-okc
  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/survival-app-aims-help-drivers-122004401.html
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2082799/Supersoldier-ants-gigantic-jaws.html
  
  Report this comment
- ozchambers
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:13pm
  EXCUSE ME! But you are wasting precious time writing a response to this story when your valuable time could be better invested in saving our military from being eviscerated and hand delivering Rubio’s letter. Worse yet, you’ve just caused me to reply to your comment when I could be saving our Republic! Now neither you or I have done anything and the nation’s going to hell in a handbasket. I HOPE YOU CAN LIVE WITH YOURSELF!
  
  Report this comment
BetterDays
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:54pm
My iPad cry’s out for one, and is in a sorry state, in fact I’m suppressed it still works after my having tossed it over my reaction to NeoCons and Progressives while reading the Blaze.

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- NOBAMA201258
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:44pm
  You mean surprised I hope or do you need to be suppressed?
  
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poverty.sucks
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:51pm
Does the G-Form case protect against moisture?

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forthepeople
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:49pm
I bought one right after this test !

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- Thighmaster
  Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:38pm
  Did you get the replacement plan insurance?
  
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