How do I safely eject or unplug an iPad, iPhone, or iPod when iTunes is not running? When I connect one of my many iOS devices to a computer for synchronization purposes, I have iTunes running. In the iTunes left-hand area, I see an eject button to the right of the device's name. I always use "eject" after a successful sync, before unplugging the device cable.  I'm presuming this is meant to be similar to Windows' "USB Device Safe Removal" feature (though iOS devices don't appear to show up there?) .. or when I choose "Eject" from the context menu of a USB-connected disk on my Mac's desktop.

Yet, sometimes I'm connecting my iOS device to a computer without having iTunes running.  For instance, when using the device for USB-based "Personal Hotspot" connections, I don't need iTunes running.  My questions are:


Is there a need to safely indicate removal of an iOS device from a computer, prior to removing the device cable?
If yes, must I fire up iTunes simply to access the "eject" button, or is there another easily accessible mechanism available?


I use both PCs and Macs so answers covering the two are appreciated. Good answers will also provide definitive supporting references.  Thanks!
In the Finder in Mac OS X, press Command-Shift-G to Go to folder. Type /Volumes. This will take you to the “Volumes” folder. If your iDevice is mounted as a drive, it will appear here. You can select it and press Command-E to eject it. If it does not appear here, it is not mounted as a drive, and you can simply unplug it. Note that it may or may not appear on your Desktop or in a Finder sidebar depending on your settings, but it should always appear in the /Volumes folder.

On Windows, in the system tray, there is an icon you can click to “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media.” Right-click the icon, find the name of your iOS device, and click it to eject it. If it does not appear on this list, it is not mounted as a drive and you can simply unplug it.