Comments on: Apple patent application reveals new machinery for creating Liquidmetal forms

By: SixnaHalfFeet

SixnaHalfFeet — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:17:12 +0000

I agree that Apple should start calling the iPhone 5S or 6 just “iPhone.” It would be in keeping with all of their other products. Plus it gets a little unwieldy when you have to start referring to your “iPhone 137S.”

By: SixnaHalfFeet

SixnaHalfFeet — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:11:13 +0000

Excellent point except for one thing, you are quibbling over a movie made by Hollywood for entertainment; sorry but not real. This Apple patent is real and exciting, I can’t wait to see what they do with it.

By: Dude

Dude — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:53:40 +0000

Amorphous metal is a glass. There are also polymer glasses. A glass is merely an amorphous solid substance which exhibits a glass transition upon cooling. Liquidmetal meets all of these criteria. http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v63/i17/p2342_s1

By: Dude

Dude — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:50:10 +0000

Apple sure is moving that cheese by not having any of their people on the actual patent. =)

By: quiviran

quiviran — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:38:57 +0000

The Samsung approach will not change, except, instead of copying machined aluminum with plastic, they will copy a metallic glass matrix composite with plastic. It will still be cheap plastic crap.

OBTW, all the predictions of a low cost plastic-backed iPhone are just made up. Apple uses a machined aluminum unibody structure in every product that people carry around.

By: DeRS

DeRS — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:08:29 +0000

Though there is nothing transparent in Liquidmetal.

By: DeRS

DeRS — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:07:09 +0000

What a misuse of word “glass”. This Liquidmetal alloy is amorphous metal, not glass.

Glass is amorphous, but other than that, Liquidmetal has nothing to do with it. So there is no point in use of word “glass” instead of correct word “amorphous” directly, outright.

By: disposableidentity

disposableidentity — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:34:53 +0000

I always wondered why they had to use transparent aluminum. Did they have to be able to see the whales in order to transport them?

By: Crabapple

Crabapple — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:50:24 +0000

It is not just the electronics we are looking at here, it is the equipment that makes the equipment!!! In order to copy the product they intend to make, you must first be able to make it,
if you make the equipment to make the product, you have caused an infringement long before making the product! This is a very astute use of patent laws as it invalidates the argument of “I did not willfully infringe the product!”
Just a thought on a thought En!

By: s

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:15:20 +0000

But, but, Honor, we did not think the patent was valid.

By: iSundanceTaos

iSundanceTaos — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 07:08:18 +0000

“Transparent Aluminum” is referring to the type of material mentioned in a “Star Trek – The Voyage Home” movie required to transport 2 humpback whales in a Klingon ship back to 24th century.

By: Legend

Legend — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:29:34 +0000

This is what I am talking about. This is how Apple moves the cheese. Everyone else just follows the best they can. Apple wants to make the best product they can. Everyone else just wants to make a buck.

By: mutatio

mutatio — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:03:05 +0000

I’m gonna take a guess and say that this might be applied to any number of unibody applications. I imagine any sort of molding process that might yield a similarly durable chassis would be much more resource efficient than the crazy water lathes they’re using now on the aluminum.

By: thethirdshoe

thethirdshoe — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:00:49 +0000

“Computer?” Oh, how quaint. Pretty fast on the keyboard, considering he was missing a finger.

By: enzos

enzos — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 04:51:55 +0000

A new ‘cast-able’ medium for Ive and the design team to play around with. This could be exciting for the long run.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:46:24 +0000

Welllll…. of course historically the “S” series feature mostly internal changes from their predecessors, the S canonically indicating “Speed”.
(I disagree with the whole notion and feel they should’ve taken the opportunity in this latest model to drop the numbers altogether just like the rest of their product lineup, but that’s another story.)
“iPhone 6″, sure that could well feature a new housing or somesuch.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:42:55 +0000

Noooocleeeaaarrrr… WESSELS!
I love that the part of the scene with the cop was ad-libbed!

By: greggthurman

greggthurman — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:38:42 +0000

Maps is fine. The whiners don’t remember what Mapquest was like when first introduced, or Google Maps, or…

Most problems stem from the raw data from the supplier. It takes time to find the problems, and those finding them do not report so that others (competitors) can benefit.

By: Whatever

Whatever — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:30:29 +0000

Clearly you don’t get the reference to Transparent Aluminum and you actually use the work “daft” – Nuff said.

By: Rorschach

Rorschach — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:17:33 +0000

“Transparent Aluminium?”
Are you completely daft? LiquidMetal is very hard indeed, any type of aluminium is soft and easily damaged by comparison. The frame/antenna of the iPhone is crying out for liquidmetal, instead of aluminium, which is very easily marked.

By: Pocketrash

Pocketrash — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:11:39 +0000

Me too. You knew that those deals would come into play at sometime but it’s taken a bit longer than I thought. Could still be a few products away but usually apple takes its time to get it right. (I said “usually” so please, no Maps comments)

By: Pocketrash

Pocketrash — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:06:46 +0000

And exclusive rights on Liquidmetal!

By: CPS

CPS — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:35:36 +0000

Been waiting for a LQMT pop. Lets make this one a good one, daddy needs a new pair of shoes.

By: Eldernorm

Eldernorm — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:34:18 +0000

Lets see Samdung copy this, as Apple has full ownership for electronics.
Just a thought. /a

By: silverhawk1

silverhawk1 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:57:51 +0000

Come on iPhone 5S.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:33:50 +0000

I just love this news. Appple, get your innovation out the door!

By: Photoflight1

Photoflight1 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:24:38 +0000

Aye Laddie

By: Grigori

Grigori — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:21:19 +0000

I wish we could hear more stories like this about Apple, as opposed to the dreary business and legal blather we usually get.

By: Grigori

Grigori — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:19:29 +0000

Has Apple hired Scotty?

By: Now, Now...

Now, Now... — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:09:47 +0000

The latest Apple product, a jet powered back pack ie Rocketman, and Apple is calling it,

the iAAAAAAHHHHHHHH…

By: darknite

darknite — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:09:11 +0000

Where do you keep the nuclear wessels?

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:57:10 +0000

(Picks up mouse to speak into it, as a microphone) “computer…”

By: Whatever

Whatever — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:51:09 +0000

Transparent Aluminum

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:37:59 +0000

Something is brewing at Apple.