Advertisement: Protect your iPad with the invisibleSHIELD.
“The pin for ejecting the iPhone 3G SIM card is made from Liquidmetal, an extremely hard and light metal alloy, according to Atakan Peker, the alloy’s co-inventor, who spoke to CultofMac.com last week,” Kahney reports.
“CultofMac.com has independently confirmed that Apple used Liquidmetal. Apple sourced the part from Liquidmetal Technologies as a test of the company’s manufacturing capabilities,” Kahney reports. “Apple has a very strict policy that normally requires at least two separate sources for parts. The policy is insurance against supply problems like factories burning down. ut because Liquidmetal is state-of-the-art, there weren’t two sources of Liquidmetal parts. Liquidmetal Technologies didn’t even have two production lines. Apple decided to source a non-essential part: a SIM card ejector pin. The pin was also a good test of Liquidmetal’s unique properties — it must be strong and inflexible.”
Full article, with the winner of a new Magic Trackpad for the person who was the first to correctly name the product in which Apple already used Liquidmetal, here.
MacDailyNews Note: While scrambling to dig out our iPhone 3G boxes, so we could fondle the SIM ejection pin, we found that our iPhone 3GS SIM ejection pins also seem to be composed of the same very strong metal.
Why didn’t they use it for the iP4?
Found mine!!!!
I did see a few guesses for the iPhone 4’s pin, but not for the 3G’s pin.
Anyone know of a good way to protect my iPhone and iPad screens from scratches?
Nice. Found mine.
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I find it odd I didn’t get a sim eject pin with my iPhone 4. But I got it with the 3G and 3Gs
@notahippie
When did you start working for invisibleSHIELD? Your company already has a advert embedded in the article.
Lol, just used that the other day to reseat my iPhone 4 SIM card. Is very strong and light.
My only beef with the iPad is its weight. It’s understandable given tech today, but it would be neat if it could be lighter. Perhaps cases made of this material could make that a reality.
@ silverhawk
Welcome to sarcasm. I’m glad to learn that I’m not the only one annoyed by the in-line ad for invisibleSHIELD. But MDN has to pay the bills, so I tolerate it.
It’s rumored that Liquidmetal is reverse-engineered Alien Technology from the Roswell crash.
I hear the iPhone 4 antena is reverse engineered from the Roswell crash. I guess the aliens don’t have AT&T on their planet. Let’s find out who they use.
And so it began… and the term Peker-head was no longer an insult. It became high praise.
I didn’t get a SIM pin with my iPhone 4!!?? WTF?
As a readily available substitute for the SIM pin, our company utilizes a small tension-based papyrus clamp with its outer radius slightly expanded to allow the exposed terminator to be easily accessible, and thus allowing the remainder of the clamp to provide the necessary tactile feedback for the accurate insertion of the terminator into the iPhone’s SIM release access port.
My paperclip must be made of the same metal, since it works just fine as a SIM ejection pin.
My iPhone 4 had a SIM eject pin.. maybe because I got a factory unlocked device… not sure…
Will it blend!
That is the question!
@A.Turing – brilliant!
Seems like Liquidmetal is attracted to socks.
My pin and all my missing matching socks seem to be in the same place.
I don’t know Mulder, . . . sounds like a paper clip to me.