smudge
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German researchers create smudge repellent coating from candle soot
While they're working on the lack of feedback, and need for exposed skin problems for touch screens, that other gripe -- dirty smudges -- could soon be wiped-out permanently. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz obviously had enough of sleeve-cleaning their devices and created a coating that could usher in a smudge-free world. The discovery comes after the team applied candle soot to glass and then coated it in silica to keep it in place. The glass is then heated to a bratwurst-baking 600 ºC for calcination, which makes the soot transparent -- somewhat handy for screens. To test, different oils and solvents were applied, but the glass' superamphiphobic properties soon fended them off. A resilient coating sounds a little more straight-forward than what Apple recently applied to patent, but until either of these see the light of day, you'd better keep that Brasso close by.
Nu-Screen HD polishes your screen, doesn't moisturize your lips
If you've ever been concerned about fingerprint smudges compromising your smartphone's password, this might just be a viable solution. Nu-Screen, a company little known around these parts, has launched the Nu-Screen HD polish stick which promises to leave a "slippery smooth, non-greasy surface" on your screen. How certain are we that smearing this mystery substance on your device will prevent smudges? Well, let's just say we'd rather pat some baby powder onto our hands. But hey, if you're willing to give this a go, hit up the source link to purchase the $26 jank stick -- just make sure not to confuse this with your cherry ChapStick.
Shocker: Touchscreen smudge may give away your Android password pattern
Fast food connoisseurs should pay special attention here -- according to a recent paper by the University of Pennsylvania, Android users are inadvertently leaving their nine-dot lock patterns in the open, courtesy of their fingers' oily smear on the screen. Specifically, the study on potential "smudge attacks" found that partial or complete patterns could be easily retrieved -- even with added noise on the display or after incidental clothing contact -- by using various lighting and camera orientation settings for the smear analysis. Should we be surprised? No. But should our phones be getting Froyo sooner for the extra PIN and QWERTY password options? Hell yeah.
'Wipe Shirt' disregards mother, encourages you to wipe gadgets on your sleeve
The simplicity of a white dress shirt crafted of pure cotton meets the gadget-cleansing power of microfiber in this "Wipe Shirt" from husband-and-wife design team FIFT. Because you've gotta wear something with that solar tie and swine-flu resistant suit, and you might as well fight smartphone cheek syndrome (and all other manner of glossy gadget smudging) while you're at it. Yours for ¥13,650 (or about $150) in either the microfiber cuff or shirttail variant, only from Japan.
iPhone 3G S: first impressions on buying, smudges and what's in the box
It's here, it's here! Check out the gallery below for what's in the box. Same as usual: headphones (the earbuds with volume control), sync cable, manuals (one called "Finger Tips" -- cute), the phone and a metal tool for popping the SIM out. The Finger Tips manual is updated to show off the new features in the 3G S. Oh, and there's no dock in this box. It is much smaller nowadays, and probably saves a ton on packaging. Update: whoops, forgot to mention that you do get a wall plug (2-prong, very tiny) for charging. My in-store experience was great. Once I got into an Apple Store within less than 30 minutes I had activated the phone and had my first MobileMe sync done. The creative specialist I was talking to was eager to show me anything else I wanted, but there was a big line and I know what's what. Something I thought was interesting: the very first thing he did once I removed the plastic on the phone itself was to touch and sorta swipe at the screen. "No smudges!" he said with a smile on his face. When the 3G S was first announced we speculated about the oleoresistant surface, and it looks like that's a feature Apple wants to quietly promote. I also tested the smudge-resistance on my admittedly greasy face and fingers (I once killed a Mighty Mouse within a month, if that's any indication). Sadly there's no official metric for resisting smudges, but on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being "smudges if you look at it" and 1 being "rub it on a pizza and it still squeaks" I would rate the new iPhone at a 5. The 1st-gen, which I had been using, I would rate at a 9. So there is an improvement. See the gallery for a little bit of testing. How has your 3G S experience gone so far? Update #2: yes, this is the first iPhone I purchased. My previous iPhone was an aftermarket 1st-gen iPhone. So all of this is new to me, thanks for pointing that out. %Gallery-66350%
LG.Philips readying smudge-free computer displays
LG.Philips seems to never get bored with finding ways to better the displays our dear eyes scan so, so much, and we'll be straight up, it's hard not to get excited over its latest development. Apparently, the outfit has conjured up a method for ensuring that LCD panels resist smudges, and if that wasn't enough to pique your interest, the technology should also enable the screen to shun dirt, dust, fingerprints and permanent ink. Essentially, the new panel "employs a principle similar to that used on non-stick frying pans," but it isn't handing out any more secrets beyond that. Think you can handle even more good news? Mass production of said panels is slated for the first half of next year, so let the countdown to smudge-free mobile computing begin, eh?[Image courtesy of Tuff-As-Nuts]
Phone Fingers fight smudges, protect against STDs*
If you're tired of your smudged and dirty iPhone screen - and seriously, who isn't? -- and you just can't be bothered to clean it anymore -- and seriously, who has time? -- Phone Fingers are guaranteed to get you laughed at help. Phone Fingers are made from the finest black latex, come in 4 sizes (small to extra-large) and will only cost you $9.90 for 25 pack. While we worry that people would willingly trade their dignity for a smudge-free existence, we'd still love a pic if you catch somebody wearing a set. Follow the read link for a video of them in action.*Screen-transmitted diseases
