waterproofing
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New water-resistant coating protects your phone, the planet (video)
Water, the life-long foe of all things electrical. Protecting our digital finery from its evil infiltration is a task many have undertaken, and the latest battalion to join the foray is Daikin Industries. The chemical company is developing a water-resistant coating that could save many devices from a watery grave. We've seen similar ideas before, but Daikin's promises to have good eco-credentials thanks to its low toxicity. Formed by dissolving a fluoropolymer in fluorinated solvent, the coating takes just a minute to dry and is extremely thin -- between 0.1 and 1 microns. The coating isn't designed for full waterproofing, but rather to raise the base level resistance to liquid attacks. Most interestingly of all, it can also be applied to porous and meshed surfaces, such as mouthpiece grills. It's hoped to be commercially available from December this year, so you'll have to try to avoid any little accidents until then.
HzO's WaterBlock technology could make it to Apple products
While our very own Victor Agreda, Jr. checked out the Liquipel waterproofing technology at CES last week, others were checking out competitor HzO's WaterBlock technology. The Utah company told the Pocket-lint blog that they've been talking to both Samsung and Apple about applying the nanoscale waterproofing technology to upcoming phones. A spokesman for the company told the blog that they're "in the process of signing up a major smartphone partner" and a headphone manufacturer. Headphones manufactured with the process would be impervious to sweat or rain damage, and could be used while swimming or taking a shower. Having this technology applied to a next-generation iPhone would make waterproof cases like those from Lifeproof obsolete, although you'd probably still want to keep your baby safe from drops. For those who want existing devices to be protected from the ravages of liquids, it appears that ZAGG is planning on distributing the technology and hopefully providing aftermarket application of the invisible vapor coating. Check out the video below for an explanation of how HzO's nanotechnology works.
Nanotech polyester fabric never gets wet, brings back the leisure suit in a big way
Researchers at the University of Zurich have combined the stylish, debonair appeal of polyester with the cutting edge science of nanotechnology to create a material that just cannot get wet. When coated with millions of 40nm-wide silicone nanofilaments, the hydrophobic polyester is protected by a layer of air that prevents water from making contact with the fibers beneath. Since water never makes it to the material, it can be submerged for two months and still remain dry to the touch. According to scientists, nano-polyester could be used to make swimwear with low water resistance and self-cleaning clothes. And who knows? It just might herald the return of wide lapels, bell bottoms or even (and we admit, this one's a long shot) Tony Orlando & Dawn. Our fingers are crossed!
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]
