iBand Cases For The iPhone Made With Shock-Absorbent Flubber

Tech21 were on Dragons' Den the other day. If I remember rightly Peter Jones invested. d30 is not their invention, but they've got the licence for it for mobile device cases.

tgigreeny

This looks like an awesome material capable of significant protection... but after almost buying one of these for my blessed iPhone I have a couple of concerns about it... first. it doesn't cover the back of the device... I don't see why not, i understand it's primarily for protection from fall but why not stretch some of that silicone looking material across the back to protect it from scratches... second... it would appear the iBand covers the vibrate switch, a switch that I use frequently. It would annoy the hell out of me to have to take the corner off every time I want to use the switch. Other than that these guys have a hot piece of tech.

Travis Lent

Was it just me or did you get that sinking feeling when he dropped it off the balcony and you heard that cracking/slap sound?

If someone did that to my iPhone it would be followed with a serious beat down, broken or not!

ddaq89

I don't think this company is responsible for developing this material as the article originally states: I believe it was developed by a company called d30 Labs.

jhcovert

This was on (the excellent) Dragon's Den. Sort of like American Inventor (but good).
[www.bbc.co.uk]

fosman

@johnmc: thank you, i hate when my friends say itouch.

Igor Araujo

May have to get their iphone case when it is released.

@weinerschnitzelboy: I was thinking the same thing. It would give it more flubber to absorb the shock too.

crsrc

@Logan5: Is someone planning to hit your cock with a mallet anytime soon?

@Brett Benedict: Not really...from my speculation, it absorbs the energy and uses it to get hard (teehee), whereas concrete/steel would simply transfer all of the energy to the next available link [iPhone].

they should have the rubber thing surround the ipod like a normal case

@lausley: it's totally mailable. If it wasn't they would have to put it in stores!

Kev50027

@rt1oo: Basically, but some cases won't work with older or newer models. The rubber ones will fit mostly any, though.

Brett Benedict

@T-Will: He is stupid? You're the one with a ripped case and has to deal with maintenance.

Brett Benedict

I don't understand, if the thing gets super hard on impact, wouldn't it be equivalent to making a case out of concrete? I'm no physicist, but it seems like it wouldn't trap much of the energy (that is what happens, right?).

Brett Benedict

@johnmc: What? That's an odd name. I'da called it a Chazzwazzer.

Brett Benedict

I guess the less than solid version is basically a non-Newtonian fluid. Jump to 40 seconds (sorry, it's ellen, but a good example)

Ayeco

No, no, no! It's not called an iTouch, it's an iPod Touch.

Did you mean "mailable or malleable?

lausley

I'll take one.

Think they originally used this for protective ski wear, so that racers could go thru gates quicker.

slaine17

This is so cool! I'm getting one as soon as I can!

John T McClanaghan

@OGHowie: they are D30 is getting into pretty much all the protection markets. I recently started riding a motorcycle so this was of great interest to me. I love riding but terrified of what may happen in a crash.
check 'em out [www.d3o.com]

NM, I see available on UK Apple Store, any date on US availability? This rules! WOW

WOW, me likey. I want one ASAP. Where do I "call now to order"

They should make condoms out of that stuff.

Logan5

@T-Will: then why did he have to peel away the case to turn off his phone? maybe it claims to have access but as with many of the hard rubber cases, they just don't work.

crsrc

@beekerstudios: you are inane and stupid: I usually wash my rubber "Incase" case out every so often. The only problem with that is removing and reinsterting my iPhone eventually caused the top of my case to begin to rip (after about a year or so).

T-Will

@crsrc: It does have side button access:

[www.tech21.uk.com]

T-Will

@Cyberization: In the YouTube video I linked below, that's basically what they are trying out.

no side button access=useless

crsrc

@350z-racer: Crap, too late to edit the spell thing out of my original post.

@beekerstudios: That's the one disadvantage I would see. However it's still amazing.

As for me I have a white Speck Candyshell case (soft case inside, but a hard exterior) and it's pretty cool, but nothing like this.

@Cyberization: That actually sounds like a good idea... I think they should make one and start testing it ASAP!

tdk08

I think they use this for some motorcycle jackets.

I'd like an armor suit made out of this, please.

Cyberization

No thanks, I don't need a $30 pocket lint trap.

Hard cases that offer protection of any sort seem to be the best IMHO. I had a rubbery one, and I liked that it protected it from impacts, but the lint was just too much.

@BK Beezy: arent they all basically the same shape?

@BK Beezy: Time for an upgrade me thinks... =D

@Mike: Just do your edit. No need to press the edit button, do your edit, then notify everyone that you spelled a word wrong or forgot to insert a comma or forgot to put that quotation mark. I doubt many people care, IMHO. No offense though, but that's why you can only press the edit button for so long... :)

You can order it here......in singapore. [www.expansys.com.sg]

But do they ship to the US?

Carbonfly

They should weight one end more so it will always lead with the end of the case during a fall (i.e., like toric contact lenses).

Other uses:
[www.youtube.com]

I finally find the perfect case and I have an iPhone 2G. FML.

I definitely want a giant box of this stuff.

EDIT: Spelt "definitely," wrong