Liquipel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liquipel
Type Private
Area served Worldwide
Products Liquipel, Mobile phone accessories
Services Super-hydrophobic protection and corrosion resistance for personal items and electronics
Slogan(s) Watersafe™ Technology
Website www.liquipel.com
Type of site Store, Online Support, Blog

Liquipel is a nanotechnology solutions provider that works with manufacturers and directly with the public to provide super-hydrophobic protection and corrosion resistance to a variety of products, including smartphones, ear buds and headphones, tablets and other mobile electronics.[1]

The company was established in 2009 as Gadget Evolutions by Kevin Bacon and Daniel “Danny” McPhail. It was launched as Liquipel at the 2012 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Nev. In 2013, the company was reformed as a limited liability corporation (LLC).

The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., and has affiliated, licensed operations in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia South Korea, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Technology

Devices are placed in a machine that creates a vacuum and then injects super-hydrophobic particles onto the outside and inside of the devices. Plasma then binds the formulation onto the devices’ surfaces and circuits, creating a microscopic gap of air between the object and liquid. The entire process, from start to finish, takes approximately 30 minutes.[2]

The technology can be applied to a variety of items made from a range of materials. Occurring at low pressure, the coating penetrates complex 3D objects, protecting them internally and externally in the single process. The company claims that because the coating is 1,000 times thinner than a human hair, it does not affect the look or feel of products, including the components of electronic devices or the breathability of lifestyle materials.

Despite these claims a test by Australian consumer advocacy group Choice found that "Liquipelled" iPhones performed no better than unprotected iPhones when exposed to water, making the service "a false reassurance and a complete waste of money". Choice named the service as one of its "Shonky Award" winners for 2012.[3][4] The NSW Government Office of Fair Trading subsequently issued a substantiation notice under Australian Consumer Law requiring Liquipel to justify its claims.[5] In response to the Choice report Liquipel stated that the coating never claimed to be 100 percent waterproof and that it was only "designed to protect a device from accidental contact with water",[6] although Liquipel's own marketing videos show iPhones being fully immersed - a test Choice unsuccessfully attempted to replicate.[7]

Awards

Since its debut at CES in 2012, Liquipel has won several awards. In April 2012, it was awarded a Silver Edison Award in the Material Science category for Enhanced Functionality.[8] The Edison Awards is an independent organization named after Thomas Edison and annually recognizes achievements in a variety of disciplines involving new products, services and innovations.

The next month, May, Liquipel was included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s yearly 100 Brilliant Companies list, described as a “look at the brightest ideas, the hottest industries and the most insightful innovators”, in the Inventions category.[9]

In June 2012, it was named among the winners of FierceWireless’ Fierce 15,[10] an annual competition held by a website and newsletter of the same name that monitor and report on the international wireless and mobile technology industry.

In November 2012, Popular Science Magazine named Liquipel its Grand Award Winner in the Gadgets category in its 25th annual Best of What’s New Issue.[11] Other companies competing in the same category included Samsung, Nokia and Sony.

References

  1. ↑ "CES 2012: Liquipel claims to get the drop on water". Los Angeles Times. 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2013-01-07. 
  2. ↑ Shankland, Stephen (2012-02-26). "Have no fear later this year if your phone drops in the drink". CNET. Retrieved 2013-01-07. 
  3. ↑ "Liquipel treatment for mobile devices review". Choice. Retrieved 2013-12-22. 
  4. ↑ "Liquipel - Shonkys 2012". Choice. Retrieved 2013-12-22. 
  5. ↑ "Fair Trading acts on Shonky Awards". NSW Government Office of Fair Trading. Retrieved 2013-12-22. 
  6. ↑ "Shonky winners in hot water with watchdog". Sydney Morning Herald. 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2013-12-22. 
  7. ↑ "Apple iPhone 4S Water Test With Liquipel Review - NO CASE". Liquipel. Retrieved 2013-12-22. 
  8. ↑ "2012 Edison Award Winners". Edison Awards. Retrieved 2013-08-01. 
  9. ↑ Pullen, John Patrick (2012-05-22). "Orbotix: Where Mobile Apps and the Toy Industry Collide". Entrepreneur Magazine. Retrieved 2013-08-01. 
  10. ↑ "Liquipel - water resistant phones - wireless startups - Fierce 15 2012". FierceWireless. FierceWireless. Retrieved 2013-08-01. 
  11. ↑ "Grand Award Winner: Liquipel". Popular Science Magazine. 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2013-08-01. 
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