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    This Could Be Big

    Invisibly Waterproof Your iPhone

    Last week, while covering an unrelated event in Park City, Utah, we stumbled upon a demonstration by a couple of guys from the company Liquipel, who we'd been hearing about for a few days and had been attempting to book for "This Could Be Big" since first seeing their video of an apparently waterproofed iPhone.

    The video, and the subsequent coverage of it on the Internet, had boosted Liquipel's visibility through the roof, but skeptic we remained... until the guys started dunking their specially treated iPhone into a tank of water, in front of our very eyes. Incredulous, we poked, we prodded, and examined the surface of the phone, and everything remained in working order despite repeated exposure to water. Their explanations were somewhat vague, but the results seemed to be there. Of course, the kicker was when they brought out a specially treated piece of tissue paper that demonstrated the same resistance to water as their Liquipel-treated iPhone.

    Convinced that there was legitimacy to the original video, and armed with a Liquipel-treated tissue and the video we shot in Utah, we returned to New York and showed Bill, who agreed that this would make a worthy topic for our newest episode of "This Could Be Big." So we got in touch with Danny McPhail and Kevin Bacon, co-founders and co-presidents of Liquipel, and asked them to give us the inside scoop on how they were able to accomplish something that could forever change the way we mix electronics and water (not that smart people ever did before, but you get the gist). The beauty of this process is that it's not just limited to iPhones, but anything that can fit into their patented Liquipel machine. The possibilities truly seem endless.

    And if you're wondering where you can catch Bill test-driving, and apparently getting the best of, that lime green iPad case... it was at CES 2012, and the video is here.

     
    • Jimmy C  •  Kabul, Afghanistan  •  3 mths ago
      My favorite part of that story is the guys name is Kevin Bacon.
    • Junie  •  Newark, New Jersey  •  3 mths ago
      can you make a call on your phone while scuba diving. I need that capability
      • John 3 mths ago
        are you capable of talking underwater?
      • Still Waitin' 3 mths ago
        Just a guess but I don't think cell phone towers will work underwater. Douche.
      • Joe 3 mths ago
        I think that just might be a joke, douche.
    • Crash  •  3 mths ago
      This will suck for phone manufactures. Protect you're phone, keep it longer, no sales for new phones. Hope it works.
      • Author 3 mths ago
        Nope, each year all they have to do is continue to add another number to the end of the name of the phone and people will continue to run out and get it just to stay current.
      • Seth 3 mths ago
        We have so many patents gobbled up by energy companies where energy can be derived very cheaply. But that would kill these energy companies.

        Likewise few patents will be bought out by people who don't want this product to use its full potential...
      • Joe 3 mths ago
        Everyone will still get a new phone every 2 years just because they can. This wont stop that.
    • 2012 End Of a Nightmare  •  3 mths ago
      I can see the infomercials now - "Women! Liquipel your hair! No more worries about nasty hair after a day in the pool or at the beach- why worry when you can Liquipel!"
      • A Yahoo! User 3 mths ago
        But wait! There's more!
      • 2012 End Of a Nightmare 3 mths ago
        HAHA! YES! Call right now and we'll throw in not 1, but 2 extra bottles!
      • Maggie 3 mths ago
        Where do I sign up? :D
    • IfYouSeeKay  •  3 mths ago
      It will probably void Apple's warrantee. Everything else does.
    • Joedirt  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      What do you do if you need a battery replacement?
      • Sign of the times 3 mths ago
        You replace it...duh.
      • Erin 3 mths ago
        You can't replace the battery in an iphone anyway. Thanks, Steve Jobs!
      • Maggie 3 mths ago
        @ Joe - Erin is correct, you can't replace your own battery in the iPhone, you have to send it to iPhone technical support and they do it for you. If you DO replace it by yourself, your warranty will expire.
    • rafael  •  Ocoee, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      this would be amazing for military uniforms and socks as well as there boots and underwear to keep them warm after jumping in rivers to cross terrain....america kicks arse
      • yahoo user 3 mths ago
        Actually you need the opposite. The best material is the kind that breathes. You dont want gallons of sweat stuck in your uniform.
      • Henry 3 mths ago
        Hey Yahoo User... According to the claims made on the video [if you watched and listened], say that it is breathable. This being the case, I'd say that Rafael has a pretty good idea.
    • Cameron S  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  3 mths ago
      Admittedly, in a less than stellar moment, I sent my Ipod Touch through a full was cycle (in my pant pocket). It was half way through a dryer cycle that I heard the noise coming from the dryer. Oh my god, I didn't! I did. after using a can of air to clean out the power/scyn port I powered up the Touch, it flashed once and the screen went blank. I plugged it into the charger and it powered up. The screen had water drop all over. On my way out of town I dropped the Touch into a bag of rice where it remained for three weeks while I was out of town. Upon returning, I plugged the Touch in, powered it up. It has worked flawlessly (over a year). Maybe, I was lucky. I think Apple just makes great products!
    • Tracy N  •  Columbia, South Carolina  •  3 mths ago
      YAY! I can finally use my phone on the toilet and not worry! LOL! I am just kidding of course but really people use their phones too much and in places they should not.
    • Rodney  •  Lynwood, California  •  3 mths ago
      Now all they have to do now is come up with a battery that lasts more than an hour.
    • Rkkkrox  •  3 mths ago
      KEVIN BACON!
    • incognito  •  3 mths ago
      I read this in an Archie comics once. Dilton created a special spray that kept water off and tried it on Betty and Veronica who went on to create a buzz by walking through town in the rain and keeping bone dry. Unfortunately, the next morning, they realized a negative side effect to the product when they couldn't take a shower.
    • ARCHER  •  3 mths ago
      If I do this to my car, Will I never have to wash it again?
    • DlyciousMusic  •  Milwaukee, Wisconsin  •  3 mths ago
      This liquid is a sealant, so how does it not seal the ear jack, microphone, & SD card area.
      And it would make removing the battery case more difficult/impossible.
    • Chupamelpo  •  Paris, France  •  3 mths ago
      "urinal fumble" ok, so it's liquid resistant. But is is PO-OP resistant? Please test it with PO-OP then try to make calls.
    • Steve  •  Greenville, South Carolina  •  3 mths ago
      whats the cost of such a process and how long are you going to be without your phone
    • Rahul Ramki  •  3 mths ago
      maybe we could apply it to paper and create water proof paper.
      I could finish my homework in the shower!!
    • Jeannie  •  Southfield, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      What does it cost??
    • ROBERT  •  Dallas, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      So how does this keep water from migrating in through the headphone jack?
    • Artemis  •  3 mths ago
      So what I really want to know is when these guys will start using that stuff to make condoms

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