scratches
Latest
Watch this iPhone screen protector heal scratches within a second
The folks who came up with the self-healing iPhone case is now back with something a lot more impressive. Innerexile's earlier technology could repair light scratches within about half a minute (given the right temperature, that is), but the latest version can do the same within just a second! Seriously, you'd have to study very hard to witness that brief magical moment, which proved to be tricky in our brass brush test video after the break. So what's the secret sauce behind this new coating? Well, it's dotted with microcapsules that contain an adhesive-like liquid, and when damaged, the liquid will fill the void so quickly that you probably won't even realize you've just scratched your case or screen protector.
Toray unveils new self-repairing film for devices, fixes scratches in under 10 seconds
Toray's advanced film department has finished its new self-cure coating and is set to start using it as a decorative layer on a series of as-yet unannounced notebooks. Fortunately, the company is already chasing down more pervasive uses on smartphones and touch-panels. The science involves a wet coating method that adds a special recovering layer to PET film. Alongside that mutant healing factor, the layer responsible also throws in some elastic and cushioning properties. During Toray's demonstration (what, no video?) scratches made with a metal brush apparently repaired themselves, resulting in the rehabilitated glossy surface you see above. According to the Japanese manufacturer, the ability to heal improves at lower temperatures, but room temperature is apparently enough to make scratches disappear in 10 seconds or less -- more than fast enough to differentiate Toray's offering from existing solutions. The film can repair itself around 20,000 times in succession, although if pierced beyond the layer, it's -- unsurprisingly -- unable to recover any damage done. The screen is also softer than the typical protective surfaces found to devices. Maybe Toray and Gorilla Glass should get together. GorillToray?
Yes, you can certainly scratch the iPhone 4 (updated with more photos)
Well, this is not encouraging. The photo you're seeing above is our leader Joshua's iPhone 4 review unit, snapped by Ryan Block just moments ago. Ryan pointed out that there are some nasty scratches on the back of the phone. While we don't have any better photos of it at the moment, Josh told us that they're hard to see unless in bright light, but they look pretty notable to us for a five day-old unit made of Gorilla Glass. We'll get some better photos for you as soon as humanly possible. Update: We should note that while iFixit has said that the new iPhone's front panel is made of Gorilla Glass (and they tend to be right about these things), the material on the back of the phone has not been positively identified, though it is also a hardened glass. Update 2: We've added three higher quality photos after the break, and seen the scratch with our own eyes. It's what we would call "incredibly minor," not visible at all dead on, but in bright light at an angle... well see for yourself if the photos.
iPod nano scratch lawsuit checks are in the mail
According to Engadget, people are finally starting to receive settlement checks for the iPod nano class action lawsuit that was filed shortly after the first-gen nano's release in 2005. Only days after the first nano debuted, people started noticing that the iPod nano's screen was about as easy to scratch as a block of butter. Apple quickly tried to claim that nano screen scratching wasn't a widespread issue, but the lawyers smelled blood and swarmed in; less than three weeks after the class action suit began in the US, the iPod nano suit went international. Apple agreed to pay a $22.5 million dollar settlement in early 2009. The settlement terms indicated that people would receive refunds in the amount of $15 to $25, depending on whether the iPod nano had a protective slip case included with it or not. However, Engadget's story shows an unidentified submitter receiving a check for $37.50. The settlement terms indicate that the $22.5 million is split up amongst those who participated in the class action lawsuit, regardless of how many applied, and that the ultimate settlement can't exceed 150% of the per-claimant settlement. In the Engadget reader's case, he would have received $25, but since there apparently weren't all that many actual claimants in the case, he received the maximum settlement possible of $37.50. This is an interesting study of the class action system at work. First, although the suit was filed in late 2005, it took over three years before it was finally resolved. Apple agreed to pay out $22.5 million in consumer refunds in early 2009 -- refunds which are only now arriving in claimants' mailboxes -- and another $4 million in attorney fees. Those $37.50 check claimants are receiving a pittance compared to what Steve Berman, lead attorney in the class action case, likely received in his mailbox. Far more important than the money being thrown around is a practical side-effect of the case: Apple's portables are much less prone to scratches than the first-gen iPod nano. Perhaps, learning its lesson from the nano brouhaha, Apple changed its mind at the last second and decided to use glass instead of plastic for the iPhone's screen -- a decision that greatly improved the durability of the screen and very likely spared the company from yet another lawsuit.
Sorry your iPod nano got so scratched five years ago, here's your $37.50
Hey, remember five years ago when the first-gen iPod nano came out and everyone in the world (literally) was sad because it scratched so easily? And then Walt Mossberg was sad, too? And then, inevitably, there was a class-action lawsuit filed, even though the lead plaintiff was like, "no, really guys, I'm cool?" No? Well shake off those cobwebs and get ready to party in a moderate way, because your check for $37.50 is in the mail. Yep, that's all individual consumers get in the settlement, which first started processing claims in December -- we're guessing the plaintiff's attorneys managed to score themselves a little more than that, because they worked so hard defending our interests. But hey -- one thirteenth of an iPad ain't so bad, right? And you wonder why we rarely cover class-action lawsuits. [Thanks, Phil]
Original iPod nano owners benefit from scratch settlement
The first generation of iPod nano models may have been small and sleek, but they also apparently had an image problem -- mainly, that it rapidly grew difficult to see the screen after the nicks and scratches began to accumulate on the face of the player. As far back as 2005, users expressed their displeasure over the nano's likelihood for damage, including cracks in the screen in some cases.Thanks to a now-settled class action lawsuit, nano owners who experienced the scratchies can apply for a refund of $15 (if the iPod shipped with a slip case, as later ones did) or $25 (for no-case shipments). You can get all the details from the settlement website. Refunds may take up to a year (!) to arrive.[via AppleInsider]
DS Daily: How's it looking?
We're pretty obsessive about our DS care, as you would imagine. We're sure all of you are as well to some extent. But, sometimes, you forget to put it in its case, or it falls, or you lend it to someone else (nooooo!) In some cases, life just adds normal wear to your device.How is your DS holding up cosmetically? Does it still shine like the Dickens? Do people still react to its presence with a hushed awe? Has it acquired any scratches in its lifespan, either on the outer surfaces or the screens? Right before we got the new Lite, the outer layer of the sticker on the back of our DS Phat spontaneously came off, taking some of the print off with it. Thus the unfortunate effect seen above. In terms of case and screen scratches, it's practically brand new, but that simple cosmetic effect seems to have aged the unit so much.
Apple to give new iPod nano an aluminum makeover?
With some iPod revisions just around the corner -- at least according to the more optimistic rumor mongers among us -- there are new whispers of Apple pulling another design revision reminiscent of their iPod mini to nano transition. This time, though, they're taking it in reverse, and are supposedly outfitting their miniature player in aluminum to combat those scratches and durability problems that the nano was so given to. The aluminum is supposed to even come in various colors just like the mini did (pictured above), but the player is said to retain the same form factor as the nano, along with bumping the storage capacity to 8GB. These rumors are based on AppleInsider "sources," so we really have no way to verify their accuracy, but it seems pretty reasonable that Apple will do something about their players to combat those scratches and the accompanying lawsuits.
BlueBox intros miJam iPod toys
If it wasn't yet clear to you that the age of the DIY mashup is upon us, a new set of toys from a company called BlueBox -- which let even iPod-toting tweens "enhance" their tunes by dropping beats and sound effects -- should remove any lingering doubts. The three members of the new miJam series, which all attach to standard headpone jacks - a guitar, mixing board, and electronic drumsticks -- bear little resemblance to their non-toy counterparts, as all of the effects are triggered by buttons instead of real drumming or thrashing. Even the mixer sounds like it would be a letdown for budding DJ's, delivering canned scratches that will in no way prepare them for the beat-matching they'll being doing in a few years on their Numarks. Still, kids are pretty easily entertained, so the flashing lights and loud noises should probably hold their interest for a few minutes longer than your average gimmicky accessory. Like so many other pre-release products we bring you, we have no idea when these are coming out nor how much they'll sell for.
