Golden Shellback waterproofing defies water, reality

We're usually pretty jaded when people tell us that we "won't believe" what we're seeing in a video sent to tips -- right, right, a cellphone demon, nice one -- but it sure seems like the Golden Shellback waterproof coating is the real deal. Developed at the Northeast Maritime Institute and hopefully headed to production sometime soon, the process involves applying the coating to your precious toys inside a vacuum, after which they're basically impervious to all liquids -- in one test, a coated device spent over 450 hours powered on and functional underwater. There are some downsides: you can't remove the coating, so any repairs will involve "abrasive methods," which sounds like quite a commitment. That said, we'll take a little abrasion in our lives if it means we never have to worry about spilling on our keyboards ever again. Video after the break.

[Via gCaptain]

[Bassir @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:24PM]

Jesus Christ, this is awesome.

[Jake E. @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:40PM]

Now people won't have to worry about dropping their iPhone's in the toilet.

[retro77 @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:51PM]

No, Jesus walked on water...this thing clearly sank to the bottom....

[Camperton @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:40PM]

If it falls in the toilet it's useless to me no matter how water proof it is.

That said, this is ultra cool though... should be standard on all electronics.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:29AM]

I will send this company my whole PC. When I get it back, I will drop it in the swimming pool and overclock it...

[giuliop @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:40AM]

"No, Jesus walked on water...this thing clearly sank to the bottom...."

He wasn't waterproof, though.

[OneLove @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:01PM]

can i apply it to my penis?

[Oskin @ Jul 24th 2008 5:33PM]

@I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY

This must be the greatest idea i've heard in a long time hahaha! Now THAT is a water cooling system!

[hicks @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:25PM]

If its not electrically conductive, how does the headphone wire get juice?

[theNONjay @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

they might have coated the wire too...

[HUNG @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:35PM]

he meant how can said jack work with said port if the port is coated with this nonconducting gel

[theNONjay @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:38PM]

ah, sorry, misread, should've thought about it...

[HUNG @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:42PM]

a mistake i will make a day from now :}

[BigD145 @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:54PM]

I'm still wondering what this does to heat dispensation out of water.

[hicks @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:24AM]

well i don't see whats so different between this and an ultra thick conformal coating (other than the fact that its post production)

[ScottishDan @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:03AM]

@hicks
My guess is they simply don't coat the connectors, after all it's not designed for running devices underwater, but simply to stop em frying when exposed to water (and who's going to listen to their iPhone underwater anyway)

[Derek @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:05AM]

Furthermore, if the iPod Touch screen relies on electro-conductivity (as opposed to "old-style" pressure screens), does this mean the screen won't work? They showed the iPod Touch in various states, but never actually used the screen (only the actual button).

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:07AM]

Forget the headphones, HOW DOES THE CAPACITIVE IPHONE TOUCHSCREEN WORK?

[Cash @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:06AM]

How is the headphone working at all when the headphone plug is on the TOP of the iphone/ipod touch, not the BOTTOM?!

Surprised no one else caught this yet.

[Snooze @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:47AM]

What's even more odd, how can he use the ipod touch underwater? I thought the whole multitouch thing was based on electricity between yer fingers and the screen? Though I might be wrong...

[Shawn @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:13AM]

@cash, you've obviously never seen an ipod touch before have you? The headphone jack and ipod connector are both at the BOTTOM!!

Suprised no one else rebuked this comment yet.

[daaper @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:34AM]

is there a way to get the videos and music running without using the screen (pardon my ignorance)? If not, then it would appear the capacitive screen works just fine...

[watt @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:53AM]

Read the faq. He says he masks the contacts my leaving a plug in so they don't get coated.

[Benson @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:51PM]

For all wondering how the capacitive screen will work: It will work by capacitance, same as always, not by shunting current through your fingers... did you honestly think that's how it worked?!

Under full immersion, it might or might not work, but it should be fine with the surface wet, anyway.

[HUNG @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:28PM]

W00t w00t!! think of the endless possibilities in marine biology!!

[El Taco @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:17PM]

what could you do? Waterproof a dolphin?

[HUNG @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:28PM]

-_-''

nuuu, equipment that would have been limited to the confines of a submarine.

[Matt @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:29PM]

And Taco with the comment of the century!

[Stiv @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:40PM]

@Taco

You should not only get Highest Ranked for your comment on this article, you should also get, like, five more Highest Rankeds for other articles, even ones you don't comment on.

I tip my hat to your outstanding comment. You, sir, are Highest Ranked with Stiv today!

[tha-don @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:42PM]

now aquaman can finally get a cellphone!


sorry, been watchin entourage reruns recently.....

[yode @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:12AM]

MEDELLIN (sp?)

[egloskerry @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:13AM]

One of the best comments of the internet there.

[swingin' dick hero @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:53AM]

I'll waterproof my cat and kick it out in the rain. Yeah.

[Chou @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:30PM]

Friggin wow! I wanna do my synthesizers in this stuff just so I can play shows in the rain! Amazing!

[richard @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

wow its patrick norton from screen savers and they are demoing the ion tech used to make it waterproof
http://www.physorg.com/news118513291.html

[theNONjay @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:30PM]

Wow! if this actually works out, it could change the limits of electronics....now they DON'T have to be dry to run....

[Clinton @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:11PM]

Sure they have to be dry...
It's just that golden shellback, according to their claims, does a good job at keeping them that way.

[Seth Porter @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:18PM]

I won't be impressed until they make all water non-conductive... pssh scientists.

[Grey Acumen @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:51AM]

actually, completely pure water (just H2O) acts as an insulator, not a conductor.

[Oskin @ Jul 24th 2008 5:40PM]

@Grey Acuman

Really? I didnt know that! I might look stupid but... What does make water conductive? The minerals?

[Corsair @ Jul 25th 2008 6:40AM]

The dissociated ions in the water; the H+ and OH- ions. In ultra pure water this dissociation is at a minimum, usually in the parts per billion scale of things. In our labs we use MilliQ water for this reason, as conductivity is negligible (but note, not zero).

[Rafer @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

Colorware needs to buy this company up and quick

[iEye @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

I use to throw out keyboards once they got dirty... Then I decided just to wash them in the shower with dish soap... I save $9.99 every time. So spilling anything on keyboards is nothing to worry about.
Ad I am sure that those keyboards from China are much more diry brand new than when I am through washing them......

-So how does this coating explain how the jack and dock connectors do not let water in?

[KarlW @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:36PM]

I don't want to turn this in to an Apple war, but their inset keyboards are pretty good for keeping out the grime.

The thin keys do take getting used to, though. If you can type on them alright, you might consider it as an alternative to dosing your board.

[Seth Porter @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:20PM]

You have to sync your itouch before you seal it up. good luck adding more videos and songs.

[Jeff Snugglebutton @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:32PM]

pure BS. how the heck could it repel water on keys unless it completely seals out pretty much every microscopic hole. If it did this the keys wouldn't function since they would be stuck with this crap in them. Secondly. 95% of the exterior of cellphones and what not are waterproof or resistant. It's the damn holes and gaps that lead into battery connections and such where water gets into. In most cases those can't be filled, if they could the manufacture would have done so. Examples inclued microphone and earholes, battery cover slide areas, and key pockets as well as usb and microSD ports.

[Phour ZwanZig @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:58PM]

Your correct, accept, I dont think you read the print. This coats the inards and outside in a coating thats non-conductive. Meaning it WILL WORK WHEN WATER GETS IN IT..

Plz read b4 you post..



As far as removal.. I think that would apply to flat surfaces.. Meaning a component board covered with this will be impossible to repair.. Im looking at this like what some ppl do to their Bartops.. They will put stuff in/on the bartop and cover it all in resin(clear) so that the items are trap'd in what looks like glass and protected from the elements..

[Phour ZwanZig @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:00PM]

Your correct, accept, I dont think you read the print. This coats the inards and outside in a coating thats non-conductive. Meaning it WILL WORK WHEN WATER GETS IN IT..

Plz read b4 you post..



As far as removal.. I think that would apply to flat surfaces.. Meaning a component board covered with this will be impossible to repair.. Im looking at this like what some ppl do to their Bartops.. They will put stuff in/on the bartop and cover it all in resin(clear) so that the items are trap'd in what looks like glass and protected from the elements..

[Good_Bytes @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:17PM]

They probably used pure H2O (water) which doesn't conduct electricity. Minerals (salt) mixed with water is what conduct electricity.

I vote for BS.

[Carl Vitullo @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:58PM]

i think you mean "except"?
learn 2 english


anyway, i agree, the more i think about it, the more i think this is bunk.
i mean, if you coated the circuit boards, that would probably do something, but then there are the charging terminals that have to be exposed, and then the headphone jack, computer port, etc. you can't leave those open, but you can't seal them up if you want it to work.