The Details

Hopefully our recent string of battery reviews has convinced you to expand your rechargeable battery collection. NiMH cells are non-toxic and last for hundreds of recharge cycles, keeping them out of the landfill for longer. That’s both cost effective and eco-friendly. Once your battery arsenal grows large enough, you will want to invest in a battery organizer to reduce clutter.

Don’t be the person who tosses them helter-skelter in a junk drawer. One day you will be running late to catch a plane and will need to grab a fresh few to power the camera or a flashlight. When that happens, you will want to know exactly where your batteries are.

Enter Kovot’s battery organizer, complete with a removable tester. This sturdy and functional container holds AAA, AA, C, D, 9 Volt, CR and AG13 Buttons Cells. It has a 72 battery capacity, and each battery snaps into place with a satisfying click.

The case is a sleek black rectangle, perfect for sliding in drawers or laying out on a workbench. It has the otpion to be mounted on the wall and is made out of relatively strong plastic, although there is no outer layer of plastic to seal the batteries tightly inside.

While the Kovot comes with a battery tester, many Amazon reviewers noted that it had weak soldering and thus was not the most reliable tester on the market. Overall, this case is good as an organizer but consumers might want to look elsewhere for a reliable battery tester.

The post The Best Battery Organizer appeared first on Reactual.

Tellason jeans are made in San Francisco, were they were first product during the Goldrush. Tellason jeans are constructed selvedge denim form Cone’ White Oak mill in Greensboro, North Carolina. Selvedge denim is made on traditional shuttle looms. Selvedge denim is tightly woven, making the denim stronger and more durable. Selvedge also has a stronger outseam that will resist fraying more than a stitched out seam. Originally, Cone Mills supplied denim for Levi’s beginning in 1910, becoming the exclusive supplier for 501 jeans in 1922.

Tellason has a nice video introducing the company’s vision:

Raleigh Denim

Raleigh Denim jeans are made in Raleigh, North Carolina. In fact, 98% of materials used to construct the jeans comes from North Carolina suppliers, including the denim which comes from Cone Mills‘s White Oak factory. You can see the details of their construction here.

3Sixteen

3Sixteen jeans are made in New York City using raw selvedge denim from the Kuroki Mills in Japan. The mill is renowned for their raw denim (which is not washed during production). Raw denim is generally dark and uniform, so that you can fade the jeans yourself. It is also a “slubby” denim, meaning it is intentionally spun to create an irregular texture.

3Sixteen also has premium denim line called “3sixteen+” that uses uncalandered unsigned (i.e. even more raw) Okinawa denim.

Rogue Territory

Rogue Territory jeans are handmade in Los Angeles, California, using denim from Kaihara Mills in Japan. The mill is renowned for their sanforised (pre-shrunk) selvedge denim it has produced since 1951. The mill uses ring yarn spinning and vintage production by narrow width shuttle machines. Like most upscale denim manufacturers, Kaihara uses the “rope dyeing” method to color their jeans. The technique involves twisting the threads of yard into a rope-like shape, then dipping the rope into a bath of indigo.

Mister Freedom Jeans

The brainchild of a Frenchman living in Los Angeles by the name of Christophe Loiron, Mister Freedom jeans are handmade with great attention to detail, using un-sanforized (not pre-shrunk) indigo blue 12 oz. denim.

Other jeans made in the U.S.: Agave Denim, Rising Sun, Roy Denim, Certified Jeans (work jeans), Diamond Gusset (work jeans), Round House (dungarees), Texas Jeans, Pointer Brand, 7 For All Mankind, RRL (Ralph Lauren), Ernest Sewn, William Rast, Rag & Bone, Taylor Stitch, True Religion, J. Brand and Todd Shelton.

You can read more about the history of denim in the books Global Denim and Fugitive Denim.

Thanks to D. Groundsel for his denim intell.

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Based in Seattle, Filson has been producing very durable work clothing since 1911. Their clothing is constructed with some of the most sturdy materials available. All their products are still made in the U.S. and guaranteed for life.

Their Wool Whipcord jacket, featured here is made with 17 oz wool Whipcord, which is a strong worsted wool with a hard diagonal surface for long wear. Tightly knitted, this wool performs well in cold weather, and it’s comfortable indoor too. If you hang the jacket overnight, the wrinkles will disappear.

The post Buy It For Life: Whipcord Work Jacket By Filson appeared first on Reactual.

We’ve combed through reviews on websites such as SC Magazine, SecureMac.com, Computerworld, CNET, Techworld, Lifehacker, Ars Technica, The Mac Lawyer, and AnandTech in order to come up with the top rated encryption solutions:

PGP Whole Disk Encryption ($140)

Top Review Sources:

• SC Magazine: 5.0/5.0 “Best Buy”
• SecureMac.com: 5.0/5.0 “After…installing the product you are a few clicks away from being fully encrypted. The decryption process is just as easy.”
• Computerworld: “PGP Whole Disk Protection is a very good choice for protecting the data on a hard drive”

Symantec’s PGP Whole Disk Encryption is a robust full-disk encryption program targeted at business users. The initial encryption process can be lengthy—large drives with lots of files can take several hours to secure. The good news is that you’ll be able to continue your work as PGP Whole Disk Encryption performs its duties in the background. It is also nice that setting up the initial encryption takes just a few steps that are logically and simply presented. PGP Whole Disk Encryption is capable of using a handful of ciphers, including AES, CAST, TripleDES, IDEA, and TwoFish. After the initial encryption process is complete, PGP Whole Disk Encryption operates transparently, encrypting and decrypting files on the fly. Performance impact is negligible, and the only clear indication that the program is working is the authentication screen at startup. Extras include the ability to create encrypted self-extracting files and a file shredding tool for permanent deletion. PGP Whole Disk Encryption can create encrypted virtual drives on unencrypted volumes, plus it will encrypt removable media.

PGP Whole Disk Encryption can be purchased on the official website.

TrueCrypt (Free)

Top Review Sources:

• CNET: 4.5/5.0 “Loaded with powerful features”
• Techworld: “TrueCrypt…offers a plethora of configuration settings, default options and operational choices”
• Lifehacker: “Our favorite solution for keeping your private files safe, sound, and hidden”

TrueCrypt is feature-packed and free. The program provides full disk encryption via an easy-to-use interface. You’ll be able to choose from three ciphers: AES, Serpent, and Twofish. Initial drive encryption can take many hours, but your Mac remains useable during that time. System performance will be affected during this process, but after it is done, TrueCrypt works seamlessly in the background. The only time you’ll be prompted by TrueCrypt is at the password screen at startup. Not only can you use TrueCrypt to lock down your entire hard drive, you can use it to secure removable drives and create encrypted virtual drives as well. TrueCrypt’s help files are comprehensive and well-written; patient beginners will have few problems learning how to get the most out of the program.

Download TrueCrypt for free on the publisher’s site.

FileVault 2 (Free)

Pros:

• Seamless integration into OS X
• Can store your recovery key with Apple

Cons:

• OS X 10.7 Lion required

Top Review Sources:

• Ars Technica: “Disk encryption that actually works”
• The Mac Lawyer: “Essentially a complete win-win for business users”
• AnandTech: “The new FileVault is a pretty great deal for individuals”

Starting with version 10.3 Panther, OS X has included an encryption tool called FileVault. FileVault is able to encrypt the home directory, but is unable to perform a full disk encryption. With version 10.7 Lion, FileVault 2 debuts. A big improvement of FileVault 2 is the ability to encrypt an entire disk. Like the original FileVault, FileVault 2 is tightly integrated into OS X, making it easy to use. During the setup process, FileVault 2 provides a recovery key—a string of characters essential to unlocking your drive if you forget the passcode. You have the option of sharing the recovery key with Apple; if you can’t remember your passcode or recovery key, your last line of defense is to call Apple and answer security questions that you create during the FileVault 2 setup process. After setup, FileVault 2 will restart your computer and begin the drive encryption process. System performance will be diminished, but you’ll be able to work on your computer if you need to. Once the initial encryption is complete, FileVault 2 will encrypt and decrypt files as you work and your system speed should not be significantly impacted. FileVault 2 employs XTS-AES 128-bit encryption.

The post The Best Drive Encryption Solutions For Macs appeared first on Reactual.

After researching expert and user opinions on sites such as CNET, Tom’s Hardware, Techworld, PC Magazine, ITPRO, V3.co.uk, Computerworld, and 4sysops, we’ve compiled a list of the top rated drive encryption software for PCs:

TrueCrypt (Free)

Pros:

• Free
• Low performance impact
• Works across platforms

Cons:

• Learning curve can be steep

Top Review Sources:

• CNET: 4.5/5.0 “The ultimate freeware encryption program”
• Tom’s Hardware: “We recommend downloading and trying TrueCrypt even if you are not looking for a security solution”
• Techworld: “TrueCrypt is a real winner and comes at a price that can’t be beat”

TrueCrypt is a major name in drive encryption software. Once installed, this free software allows the user to encrypt his or her entire drive, a process that initially can take several hours (the computer remains useable during the process). The user can select from three different encryption algorithms (AES, Serpent, and Twofish) or a combination of the three. Once fully encrypted, TrueCrypt continues to automatically protect new information in real time; a single master passcode is all that you need to boot your computer and go about your normal activities. TrueCrypt’s automatic encryption feature is likely to have little noticeable impact on system performance unless you have an older system or are using multi-level encryption—an extra security measure unnecessary for most users. In the event you need to remove TrueCrypt, the decryption process is clean and hassle-free.

TrueCrypt provides the option of partial drive and external drive (including USB flash) encryption. Additionally, TrueCrypt works across platforms, which is great for those who also use Macintosh or Linux. The learning curve for beginners can be steep; the user interface isn’t fully intuitive and there are dangers in using the software without adequate knowledge. However, TrueCrypt’s online documentation is excellent and provides adequate instruction for those willing to invest the time.

TrueCrypt is available for download on the manufacturer’s website.

ZoneAlarm DataLock ($37)

Pros:

• Solid protection from an established brand
• 24/7 password recovery hotline
• Simple encryption process

Top Review Sources:

• PC Magazine: 4.5/5.0 “Its makers have considered just about every possible eventuality to ensure that you don’t lock yourself out of the encrypted data”
• ITPRO: 5.0/6.0 “Using DataLock is about as simple as it comes”
• V3.co.uk: 4.0/5.0 “Good value for money”

ZoneAlarm is a familiar and reliable name in internet security. The company’s DataLock software offers full-disk protection by means of 256-bit AES encryption and a password prompt at startup. A stand-out feature of ZoneAlarm DataLock is the 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week hotline for password recovery. While forgetting your master passcode should be avoided at all costs when using any software encryption program, it is good to know that DataLock provides a convenient means of unlocking your system should you need it. As part of the quick and straightforward setup process, you will create security questions and answers that you’ll have to know in order to recover your password via DataLock’s hotline.

Initial encryption can take hours for hard drives packed with information, but your computer remains useable and subsequent encryption is performed on-the-fly with negligible performance impact. The clean user interface will be familiar to anyone used to using other ZoneAlarm products. Encryption with DataLock is largely set-it-and-forget-it. Note that DataLock is for laptops only; if the software does not find a battery connected to your computer, it will not install.

ZoneAlarm DataLock can be purchased through Amazon.

Microsoft BitLocker (Free)

Pros:

• Free
• Transparent operation
• Seamless incorporation with Windows

Cons:

• Only available for certain editions of Windows
• Not as feature-rich as other disk encryption utilities

Top Review Sources:

• Computerworld: “Encryption is difficult to implement properly…and Microsoft deserves kudos for making it possible to do this in such a tightly integrated way in Windows”
• 4sysops: “It greatly simplifies the encryption of a system drive”
• PC Magazine: “BitLocker reaches its full potential on computers that include…a Trusted Platform Module (TPM)”

Microsoft’s BitLocker is a free drive encryption utility available for the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and 7, as well as Windows Server 2008 and Server 2008 R2. Though BitLocker is free, users running versions of Windows other than those listed above are not able to install it. For those using compatible versions of Windows, BitLocker is a strong-performing disk encryption utility. It employs 128-bit AES encryption and several modes of authentication, including entering a PIN at startup, using a passcode saved on a USB flash drive, or utilizing your computer’s Trusted Platform Module (TPM). TPM is an emerging, hardware-based technology that uses a special microchip to verify system integrity before bootup. The TPM stores a key used to unlock the system; if an attacker removes your hard drive, he or she will be unable to read its contents because the drive has been separated from the TPM. Likewise, if the Windows startup process is altered, the TPM will prevent the operating system from loading.

Once activated, BitLocker encrypts new files on-the-fly with very little performance impact. While all disk encryption software takes a slight edge off a computer’s overall speed, BitLocker is one of the least cumbersome. On Windows 7 machines, you also have access to BitLocker To Go, a utility that allows you to encrypt removable media.

The post The Top Rated Drive Encryption Software For PCs appeared first on Reactual.