Apple just bought the rights to all the patents from a company called Liquidmetal Technologies. Looking at their video demonstration, I don’t know what the hell they are going to do with it, but it must be something wickedly mind-blowing:
The Apple deal was disclosed in an August 5 SEC filing, giving the Cupertino company a perpetual, worldwide, fully paid, exclusive licence for all their technology:
On August 5, 2010, Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Liquidmetal”), entered into a Master Transaction Agreement with Apple Inc., a California corporation (“Apple”), pursuant to which (i) Liquidmetal contributed substantially all of its intellectual property assets to a newly organized special-purpose, wholly-owned subsidiary (the “IP Company”), (ii) the IP Company granted to Apple a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive licence to commercialize such intellectual property in the field of consumer electronic products in exchange for a licence fee, and (iii) the IP Company granted back to Liquidmetal a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive licence to commercialize such intellectual property in all other fields of use (together with all ancillary agreements, the “Master Transaction Agreement”).
Why did Apple purchase exclusive rights to this seemingly wondrous metal technology? Reading about its properties and uses, it’s clear that Jobs and company think they have found a Philosopher’s stone. According to LiquidMetal Technologies, their alloys join the strength and anti-corrosive nature of metals like titanium and stainless steel, with the benefits of plastics and composites, such as extreme flexibility and easy casting:
• 2.5 times the strength of commonly used titanium alloy with less weight
• 1.5 times the hardness of stainless steel with less weight
• 2-3 times more resistant to permanent deformation than conventional metals
• Non-corrosive
• Stain and rust proof
• Allows thinner walls in casings, with greater strength
• Allows for large surfaces maintaining thin skins without deformation
• Scratch resistant
They claim that these qualities come from the use of an amorphous atomic structure – which no structural metal has – and a chemical composition that can be fine-tuned depending on the manufacturing objectives. Their materials are already being used in all kinds of industries, from defence to medical to sports to space – like NASA’s Genesis spacecraft. [SEC Filing via Baltimore Sun via 9-to-5]
James Carson
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 9:14 AMcos of its elastic properties, theyll mix it with the iphone glass so it doesnt break!! :D
Jester
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 10:32 AMBetter than that, the phone will simply bounce back into your hand when dropped!
Bobby
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 10:41 AMor phone might suffer internal battery leakage due to the impact, though from outside it looks alright still.
Cpt. Pajama Shark
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 12:16 PMActually, from the looks of it, the phone might actually bounce right back over your head.
I’d like to see someone drop a phone that uses this stuff, on a steep hill. weeeeeeeee bounce bounce wwwwweeee bounce “Help, somebody stop my phone!” bounce bouce “oh god, is it every going to stop?” bounce bounce weeeeee! ” oh lord noooo, it’s heading for the tram tracks!” bounce bounce weee, “phew” …. bounce bounce pting *ricochet of car* “arrrgggghhhhhh”
Pete
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 12:26 PMFLUBBER!!!!
golfclub
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 2:05 PMgolf club, mmmmmmmm
George Gooden
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 6:54 PMCould be a Liquidmetal Unibody Macbook Pro.
Brendan
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 11:20 PMIt is obvious by the video demo above. Kinetic energy power generation. Where the user wouldn’t have to power/charge the device, as so much as they would just by walking around the device would be generating/charging its own power just from everyday motion alas reducing or eliminating the need for power altogether. Perhaps the only time power/charging would be required would be is when the device has been stationary for long periods of time? Who knows, but if I was a betting man, that is what I would reckon.