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Yale's liquid metal material can shed light on magnetic fields
We most likely won't reach the center of the Earth in this lifetime, but scientists might be able to recreate it with the help of Yale's new liquid metal material. Researchers from the university have created a substance made of various particles suspended in indium and gallium (eGaIn) alloy. It flows just like the liquid metal that surrounds our planet's solid inner core, and it also generates magnetic fields when it does. Since its ability to generate magnetic fields is five times stronger than pure liquid metals', scientists can use it in the lab to study the cores of planets and stars.
This smartphone is extra-secure and stronger than steel
How do you stand out if you're a fledgling smartphone maker that can't compete on specs alone? If you're Turing Robotic Industries, you pour your energy into clever design -- both inside and out. The newly unveiled Turing Phone puts an emphasis on security, with its own server-free encrypted communication between owners and a fingerprint reader that encourages you to lock down your device. There's also an Apple-like magnetic charging system, so you won't send your phone flying. However, the real star of the show is the frame. It's built from "liquidmorphium," a metal alloy that's reportedly stronger than steel or titanium. While there's also aluminum, ceramic and plastic on the body, that exotic structure should reduce the chances that you'll wreck your handset through a nasty drop.
Liquid metal printing puts flexible circuits on 'anything'
Thanks to top universities and some companies, soft robots and stretchy electronics are already a reality. Now a group of researchers from Purdue claim they've found the right manufacturing process to produce those types of devices en masse. Their method entails printing out circuits using an inkjet printer loaded with liquid metal alloy. "This process... allows us to print flexible and stretchable conductors onto anything, including elastic materials and fabrics," said Rebecca Kramer, one of the researchers. After all, if the circuits are made from liquid metal, they can be stretched, folded, squeezed, and so on and so forth, without breaking.
Liquid metal machines 'eat' in order to move
Robots typically rely on batteries to get power, but they may soon have to do little more than nibble on another material to start moving. Chinese researchers have developed simple liquid metal machines (not shown here) that zip around if they "eat" aluminum and other substances that produce electrochemical reactions. It's not possible to directly control their movement, but they closely mimic whatever space they're in -- you can propel them through channels, for instance.
The Daily Roundup for 07.17.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Apple patent hints at possibility of Liquidmetal iPhone and iPad
For all its tough chemical properties and unusual capacity for intricate molding, Liquidmetal is apparently too uneconomical for anything much bigger than Apple's SIM ejector tool or, perhaps, the chess pieces rendered above (for illustrative purposes only!). Attempts to use so-called "metallic glass" to mass-produce larger objects, like the bodies of phones or tablets, have been hampered by difficulties in creating large sheets of controllable thickness, because stretching and other traditional techniques just cause the stuff to break. However, a patent recently awarded to Crucible Intellectual Property (the shell company representing the exclusive licensing tie-up between Apple and Liquidmetal Technologies) suggests some progress has been made towards removing this barrier. Now, we can't claim dwarven levels of expertise on the subject, but we're inclined to agree with the interpretation of the folks at Electronista, who spotted that the patent describes a range of factory methods (generally involving lots of melting and conveyor belts) for creating sheets of metallic glass of controllable thickness between 0.1mm and 25mm and in widths of up to three meters. The paperwork explicitly mentions the use of these sheets in making iPhones, iPads, watches or indeed "any electronic device known the art." In the shorter term, if you happen to really, really want a Liquidmetal chess set, you can register your enthusiasm at the More Coverage link below. [Rendered image by Cassidy Stevick, Liquidmetal Technologies]
Liquid metal for 3D printing could lead to bendy electronics, T-1000
3D printing is awesome, yet it still has a lot of untapped potential -- you can use it to create terrifying spiderbots and even tiny drones, but you can't make electronic components out of pools of plastic. Thankfully, a team of North Carolina State University researchers have discovered a mixture of liquid metal that can retain shapes, which could eventually be used for 3D printing. Liquid metals naturally have the tendency to merge, but alloys composed of gallium and indium combined form a skin around the material. This allows researchers to create structures by piling drops on top of each other using a syringe, as well as to create specific shapes by using templates. The team is looking for a way to use the mixture with existing 3D printing technologies, but it might take some before it's widely used as it currently costs 100 times more than plastic. We hope they address both issues in the near future, so we can conjure up futuristic tech like bendy electronics, or maybe even build a body to go with that artificial skin.
University of Michigan makes silicon from liquid metal, aims for low-cost chips
Forming silicon normally requires extreme temperatures of more than 2,000F, with the expensive energy to match. The University of Michigan has developed a technique involving liquid metal that could shed most of the heat -- and cost. By coating a liquid gallium electrode with silicon tetrachloride, researchers can generate pure silicon crystals through the gallium's electrons at a comparatively cool 180F. While the crystals are currently small, bigger examples are at least theoretically possible with new metals or other refinements. Any eventual commercial success could lead to much easier, and likely cheaper, manufacturing for processors and solar cells; given that silicon still forms the backbone of most technology, real-world use can't come quickly enough.
Apple and Liquidmetal hug it out, lengthen their pact until 2014
The deal between Apple and Liquidmetal was originally supposed to be a short-term fling. Technically, it expired in February this year, less than two years after the couple first met. There must have been a spark, as the two have just decided to extend their licensing deal through to February 2014. Of course, simply having a deal isn't the same as putting it to use, and there's no certainty that we'll see anything exotic materialize out of it: the last time Liquidmetal's extra-sturdy alloy was used in an Apple product, it wound up in a SIM card ejector tool. Still, Apple must have found something it wants to make in order to keep its union going forward, whether it's another tiny pack-in with an iPhone or (once costs allow) something a tad larger.
Acer Liquid mt review
Acer may not be a huge player in the North American smartphone market, but it has slowly been improving its game, and it's had some measure of success with its Liquid E -- which, for a little while at least, was one of the better budget-priced Android options around. That phone has now gotten a proper successor in the form of the Liquid mt (otherwise known as the Liquid Metal), which first rolled out in Europe last fall and recently made its North American debut on Rogers in Canada. We managed to get a brief look at the phone at Mobile World Congress last month, but we've now had some additional time to properly test the phone and see how it stacks up. Will it finally earn Acer a bit of respect? Read on for our full review. %Gallery-119778%
Apple patent frenzy: TV set-top box, Cinema Display, iChat, liquid metal
According to Patently Apple, this week Apple's been granted a storm of patents. The patents include: 1. An advanced set-top box that sounds like the superhero offspring of the current Apple TV and a TiVo set. What's new and exciting in this patent is a multiple search engine implementation that would allow programming data to come from multiple providers. The patent also describes a system of searching for "advanced metadata" for shows, which, if found, could include the types of special features that DVD aficionados have grown used to over the past decade. Being able to download, for instance, a director's commentary track for the movie you're watching on HBO would be pretty sweet. 2. A design patent for the Cinema Display. Other than the overall design of the display, there doesn't appear to be much else to this patent; this seems mostly aimed at ensuring that other companies don't copy Apple's design shamelessly. 3. An iChat patent related to audio processing in multi-participant video conferences. This covers the stereo effects seen in multi-participant video chat sessions, ensuring that audio signals are mixed according to the position of the participant's onscreen image. 4. Another iChat patent, this time covering the multi-participant video chat user interface itself. This patent appears to be very specific to iChat's UI rather than a generalized patent, so Skype likely has little to fear from this patent. 5. The final patent is the one I find most interesting, and the one which could have the most far-reaching implications. Apple and Liquidmetal Technologies entered into a Master Transaction Agreement in August of last year, and this patent relates to building a collector plate from a "solidifying amorphous alloy" -- i.e., liquid metal. Patently Apple notes this invention is related to fuel cells, which could mean Apple is looking at developing its own in-house method of deploying next-gen, miniaturized fuel cell technology in its portable products. Even if Apple is developing this technology, it'll likely be years before it deploys in shipping products... but once it does, MacBooks, iPhones, iPods and iPads will run for pretty much forever compared to the running time they get on current lithium ion batteries. The usual caveats apply: any patents granted for products Apple hasn't shipped yet may never actually find their way to the market (or your living room). In this case, though, let's all hope they do.
Acer Liquid Metal gets official in the UK with Android 2.2 and Breeze UI
After seeing quite a few leaks, Acer just made its Liquid Metal handset official. The 3.6-inch slate runs Android 2.2 Froyo atop an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor. Inside all that molten metal you'll find 802.11n WiFi, support for 14.4Mbps HSDPA, DLNA/UPnP streaming support, Dolby Surround technology, and an image stabilized 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash capable of recording video at 720p (30fps). Acer's new handset also features a new Breeze UI and SocialJogger app that aggregates Twitter and Facebook feeds. Look for it to land in brown in the UK starting mid November for £299. A silver version should arrive in early December. Still no word on that AT&T compatible jobbie that passed through the FCC. One more image and the full press release after the break.
Apple exploring new scratch-proof coating
If a new patent application from Apple is any indication, the company is getting obsessive about making sure that future products are highly scratch-resistant. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published Apple's application this week titled "Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products," outlining methods for depositing a very thin layer (just over 15 microns thick) of nitride to stainless steel to provide scratch and impact resistance. Nitride coatings are unique in that they allow the natural feel and look of the stainless steel to show through, while creating a tough scratch-proof surface. In the patent filing, Apple notes that stainless steel is a highly desirable material for consumer electronics since it is non-magnetic and doesn't hinder Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular signals as much as other metals. However, as some iPhone 4 owners have noticed, the material is relatively easy to scratch. Apple also entered into an agreement with Liquidmetal Technologies earlier in 2010 to explore using the company's amorphous metal technology in future scratch-proof Apple products. Liquidmetal materials are twice as strong as titanium, but as easy as plastic to process. [via AppleInsider]
What will the iPhone 5 be made of?
The iPhone 4 has had its share of design-related issues. First, the external stainless steel wraparound antenna caused reception hiccups that resulted in the famous "antennagate" Apple event. Now that a much larger number of the phones are in the wild, there was a brief to-do about the relative likelihood of the iPhone 4's glass back scratching or breaking when the device is slipped into a slider case. Gdgt's Ryan Block later noted that Apple is preemptively working this issue from the engineering side, but that didn't stop the Macalope from chastising his eagerness to declare a new -gate scandal involving the phone's reliability. What could Apple possibly do with future iPhones to prevent similar hardware issues -- widely prevalent or once-in-a-blue-mood as they may be -- from cropping up once the devices are out of the corral? Blogger Raymond Wong at SyFy's Dvice site gave this question some thought in a post this morning, and he makes some suggestions about what materials the next and succeeding generations of iPhone might be made of. First, he thinks there could be a move back to plastic, since the material was used in the first three generations of iPhones, is transparent to cell phone signals, and is much more resilient to impacts. Next, he thinks that aluminum is "off the table for good," considering that it is opaque to cell phone signals and can be scratched, but he thinks there is a good chance that the materials made by Liquidmetal Technologies could be used. They remain scratch-free much longer than aluminum or steel, and could be used in an external antenna like that on the iPhone 4. Wong thinks that titanium and carbon fiber are also out of the question due to cost. Carbon fiber is extremely light, but can crack under shock, while titanium is strong and light, but tremendously expensive. What do you think the next generation of iPhones will be made of? At TUAW, we're still waiting for the new models made from unicorn tears and rainbows, but we'd like to hear your ideas in the comments.
Acer Liquid Metal S120 spotted running Android 2.2 on AT&T bands in FCC
Rumors of a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 Liquid Metal handset from Acer have been heating up in recent months. Now the aluminum handset said to be housing an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230-1 processor just cleared the FCC sporting GSM/EDGE 850/1900 and WCDMA Band II and V making it the perfect candidate for an AT&T launch. The listing also confirms Android 2.2 Froyo, GPS, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g/n WiFi on the tested model S120 DVT2 (that's Design Verification Test 2) prototype. With an October launch set for the UK, well, it won't be long before we see this babe in North America. A bit of documentary evidence after the break.
Acer's Liquid Metal spotted in the wild, chilling with two mystery friends
The last we heard about Acer's Liquid Metal smartphone, an Android 2.2 unit with a 3.6-inch display and a lovely aluminum exterior, it was getting ready for a UK launch at the end of October. There's just a little over a week left to meet that date, and all we have to show are some decidedly unofficial photos from Droid Sans. The first pic, above, shows off a very smudged up looking Liquid Metal (or what is said to be a Liquid Metal at least), but after that are photos of two mystery devices. The first of those (pictured below) has the same... distinctively lengthy form factor of the GW990, while the other device is a tablet that we've not laid eyes on before. It looks to be running Android 2.2 (or later) and is said to be "big enough to shift the iPad." We're not sure exactly how to parse that bit of auto-translation, but maybe it's a coded reference to JT Wang's prediction of doom for the iPad's market share.
Acer Liquid Metal handset confirmed for end of October in UK, has Froyo filling inside
Acer's UK press team has been atypically loquacious today in disclosing the expected launch window and Android version for its upcoming Liquid Metal handset. We've confirmed ourselves that the end of October is the period now circled on Her Majesty's calendar, though we suspect the rest of Europe, if not the entire world, will be getting to grips with the Froyo-packing smartphone at about that time as well. The unconfirmed specs (gotta keep a little mystery, right?) include the same 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 as inside the T-Mobile G2, a 3.6-inch display with 800 x 480 resolution, Bluetooth 3.0 onboard, and the handsome backplate you see above, which seems to have been made out of brushed aluminum. So how do you feel, is there room for yet another contender on your smartphone wishlist?
Acer Liquid Metal wraps Android 2.2 in aluminum
Well, this one's come a bit out of left field (or Russia, actually), but it looks like Acer may be set to release yet another Android device. Apparently dubbed the Liquid Metal, this one is said to pack Android 2.2 beneath Acer's own skin, along with a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230-1 processor, Bluetooth 3.0, and a camera of unspecified megapixels with a flash -- all wrapped in what appears to be an aluminum casing. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but it looks like the phone exists in both black and silver versions at the moment -- head on past the break for another shot.
Apple purportedly utilizing Liquidmetal alloy in SIM ejector tool
Well, would you look at that. Just days after Apple made official its purchase of Liquidmetal's IP, now the world is finding out how the two love birds are working together. Or, should we say, have been working together. According to Atakan Peker, the alloy's co-inventor, the SIM ejector tool that ships with older iPhone units is made of Liquidmetal's materials. To quote: "That's my metal. I recognized it immediately. Take it from an expert, that's Liquidmetal." Cult of Mac has also confirmed independently that the tool is relying on the newfound acquisition (and Wired assumes the same is true on the iPad 3G), and from a supply chain standpoint, this oddity definitely makes sense. Apple's no fan of relying on a sole supplier for anything, and given that Liquidmetal is one of a kind, it's testing the waters on a relatively non-essential part of the puzzle. There's still no word on how Apple plans to integrate the metal into future products, but given that the pair have apparently already been in cahoots, you can bet they'll be able to skip right over the pleasantries and get down to what's important.
Apple snags Liquidmetal IP, may just revive the eMac with an amorphous metal chassis
Ah, who are we kidding -- we're guessing a true, bona fide headless iMac would hit the market before the eMac ever makes a triumphant return, but it's surely a novel thought, no? In a recent 8-K filing with the SEC, Apple made public that it had essentially acquired "substantially all of [Liquidmetal's] intellectual property assets," not to mention a "perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in the field of consumer electronic products in exchange for a license fee." In other words, Apple just bought up the rights to integrate Liquidmetal's amorphous metal alloys into its product line, which would allow the company to create metallic wares without sweating the typical structural or strength limitations found in conventional metals. There's no mention of dollars exchanged here, nor any details on what exactly Apple plans to do with its newfound IP (shown after the break), but we're guessing the procurement team didn't sign the dotted line for kicks and giggles.
