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Nanocoating Waterproofs Any Gadget

Posted by samzenpus on from the ever-dry-socks dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Water has always been the bane of electronics, however American company Liquipel just announced that they have developed a way to completely waterproof any device against the elements. Using a revolutionary process, Liquipel applies a hydrophobic nanocoating to phones, computers, and other devices that completely waterproofs them and protects them against accidental exposure to liquids."

19 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Announcing Waterproof 3D HDTVs! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What? Your TV is only 3D HDTV? It's not WATER PROOF?! Why not? Are you poor? Why haven't you bought one? How else do you plan to entertain under water?

    1. Re:Announcing Waterproof 3D HDTVs! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I read this to my girlfriend because I thought it was funny. Her response? "It would be kind of cool to watch TV underwater. I want one in the shower. Do you know how boring it is to shave your legs?"

    2. Re:Announcing Waterproof 3D HDTVs! by TheLink · · Score: 5, Funny

      Maybe if you helped her shave her legs it would be more interesting. At least the first few times ;).

      --
    3. Re:Announcing Waterproof 3D HDTVs! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

      Maybe if you helped her shave her legs it would be more interesting.

      Then she can do his back.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:Announcing Waterproof 3D HDTVs! by Belial6 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes, in the "There Was Blood EVERYWHERE!!!" kind of way.

    5. Re:Announcing Waterproof 3D HDTVs! by Kagetsuki · · Score: 5, Informative

      My Android phone is waterproof (IS11CA) and I actually use it to watch video/listen to audio in the shower/bath pretty much every day. They do actaully sell TVs for use in shower by the way.

    6. Re:Announcing Waterproof 3D HDTVs! by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let me guess, she doesn't poop either.

  2. What I want to know is... by rsilvergun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    why is my $15 Walgreens watch waterproof to a depth of 20 meters, but if I sneeze on my $400 Android / iPhone it's ruined and I voided the warranty?

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:What I want to know is... by QuasiSteve · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think you'd have to do a little more than sneeze on it - but I am well aware of stories in the past where e.g. sporters who sweated a little (much) got told by the service center that the humidity indicators in their iPod (or similar) indicated the device got wet and thus the warranty was void.

      But just to address your specific example - your $15 Walgreens watch probably has little to no openings and whatever interface controls are there are very easy to make waterproof. Compare to the many slots and compartments on a typical smartphone which often are required to be easily user-accessible. You wouldn't want to have to unscrew the back of your smartphone every time you'd just want to recharge it (if it ran for 2 years on a few button cells like your watch, then that wouldn't be much of an issue).

      But, more importantly, your $15 Walgreens watch is $15. If they actually got a claim from somebody with valid proof that they only dove to 19.95m and not over 20.00m, sending out a new $15 Walgreens watch is a heck of a lot cheaper than going over that paperwork and trying to tell you that you must be mistaken.
      For $400+ devices, on the other hand, it's a lot cheaper to open it up, point at the humidity tags, and say "sucks to be you".

    2. Re:What I want to know is... by thePig · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In that case, the best and cheapest option is to nano-coat the humidity tag.
      No problems with replacement then ...

      --
      rajmohan_h@yahoo.com
  3. Nanocoatings Are Going Mainstream by againsttheodds · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It is no doubt that nanocoatings are going mainstream what with the latest solar paint that can harness the sun http://www.infobarrel.com/Solar_Nanopaint_-_Paint_With_Quantum_Dot_Solar_Cells and coatings for jets and other aircraft to provide excellent aerodynamic properties. Then you have nanocoatings for engines and http://againsttheodds.hubpages.com/hub/Nanodiamond-Lubricants-And-Lubrication-Particles and countless other applications on the horizon. It is an exciting time and there is still plenty of room at the bottom.

  4. Hydrophobic nanocoatings... by Captain+Sarcastic · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... are just the thing for rabid technophiles!

    --
    Strike while the irony is hot! -- The Freethinker
  5. Re:shower tv by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, the ipod touch/iphone works really well in a plastic bag as well. The touch sensor seems to have no problem being behind the extra plastic, which is nice in heavy rain.

  6. Oh Gawd, not this rubbish again! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Prior to studying Computer Science in University, I went to college and studied Electronics Engineering. I worked for an industrial electronic design and manufacturing company for 3 years between one and the other. Most products went into the oilfield. Scada, wellhead controllers, remote sensing equipment, etc. When manufacturing circuit boards 50 at a time, they would put them into a commercial *DISHWASHER* to get all the water soluble solder flux off and wash the board clean. Because chips follow the original Texas Instruments Mach32 procurement process (as outlined by the US Air Force in the 1960's and 1970's), they are hermetically sealed, must past gross leak, and fine leak tests, thermal shock, high altitude testing, centrifuge tests, and other tests, water won't 'leak' into the chips and wreck them. When power is applied, damage can happen. When there is no current, electronics are inert. To keep things 'dry' under power, silicone spray can keep the rest of the electronics from creating short circuits (due to conduction through water, etc.). This was also important in highly corrosive environments (hello petrochemical plant). They also used Hall-effect keyboards and switches to eliminate any chance of an electric arc in hazardous environments (when a seal fails in a methane/ethane/propane plant and you need to press a button to shut off a pump to stop the leak, and pressing the switch blows up the plant you have failed). As stated previously, you can enjoy this new 'wonder technology', or you can get a can of silicone spray. Have fun!

  7. Re:shower tv by modecx · · Score: 5, Informative

    Funny you mention it, I recently saw a plastic-baggie type product designed especially for this purpose: allows full submersion of electronics, and works with capacitive touch screens despite being made of a fairly thick plastic. LokSak

    While I suppose the standard zip-loc would work for the purpose, but this looked much more confidence inspiring.

    --
    Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
  8. Boats... by Coldeagle · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It would be interesting to see what would happen if the coating was applied to a boat. Would the boat be fouling proof? Also, would it go even faster because it's coated in a hydrophobic substance? Hmmmm...The geek in me wants to get a toy boat, test its performance, then have them coat it then test it again and see if the performance improves by a measurable amount.

  9. Re:speak for yourselves.... by Glonoinha · · Score: 5, Funny

    Get back to us when you kill an IBM Model M keyboard. It's like the Tonka Truck of keyboards. You hit someone with a Model M, they're going down.

    --
    Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
  10. Re:My Phone Drinks Too Much by HopefulIntern · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would be equally worried about spilling any Bud Light into my mouth...

  11. Re:speak for yourselves.... by delinear · · Score: 5, Funny

    The only real way to kill a Model M is to throw it into the fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged.