“Apple Inc. (AAPL) loves to think of lucrative new uses for other people’s bright ideas,” David Zeiler writes for Money Morning. “So it’s no surprise that Apple has been toying with yet another breakthrough technology. It’s called Liquidmetal.”
“The technology belongs to the aptly named Liquidmetal Technologies Inc. (LQMT), a company formed more than two decades ago to commercialize the new material,” Zeiler writes. “In contrast to the promise of its technology, Liquidmetal is tiny. With no factory of its own, Liquidmetal enlists partners to manufacture customized parts for customers. It has fewer than 20 employees and its market cap recently slipped below $50 million. The stock has been trading below $0.50 lately and tends to be volatile.”
Zeiler writes, “And yet as the owner of the intellectual property, Liquidmetal appears to be sitting on a gold mine. Still, Liquidmetal’s attempts to commercialize its product met with mixed success until Apple came along… ‘It is hard to predict what will come, when you leave such a technology to the imagination and creativity of Apple product development and innovation,’ Dr. Atakan Peker, a former vice president of research at Liquidmetal, told Cult of Mac. ‘I won’t be surprised with some very interesting [Liquidmetal-using] products in the future.'”
Much more in the full article here.
Related articles:
RUMOR: New MacBooks to be built with Liquidmetal; MacBook Pro and Air lines to merge – April 26, 2012
RUMOR: Apple’s new MacBook Pro, Air to be made of Liquidmetal – April 24, 2012
A Liquidmetal iPhone 5: What’s in it for You – April 23, 2012
Apple’s next-gen iPhone may be baptized in Liquidmetal – April 20, 2012
Ceramics, Liquidmetal and Magic Glass, what could Apple’s iPhone 5 tempt us with next? – April 20, 2012
Apple’s iPhone 5 made of metallic glass reportedly arrives this October – April 20, 2012
Apple’s next-gen iPhone: Thinner, lighter, faster – and poured? – April 19, 2012
How Liquidmetal could give the next iPhone its special swagger – April 19, 2012
Apple’s next-gen iPhone main body to shift from Gorilla Glass to Liquidmetal, say industry sources – April 18, 2012
Liquidmetal Technologies filing outlines its multimillion dollar agreement with Apple – March 31, 2012
Apple granted its first Liquidmetal patent – January 5, 2011
Apple patent application describes scratch-resistant stainless steel – October 29, 2010
Join the dots on six future Apple technologies – September 22, 2010
Apple already using Liquidmetal in their… – August 17, 2010
Inventor says Liquidmetal may be used for new iPhone antenna – August 13, 2010
Apple already uses Liquidmetal; Guess which product and win a Magic Trackpad – August 13, 2010
How will Apple use their exclusive Liquidmetal alloy? – August 12, 2010
Apple’s exclusive Liquidmetal pact could see future Apple products encased in metallic glass – August 11, 2010
Apple inks deal for exclusive rights to custom, super-durable metal alloy – August 09, 2010
T-1000 🙂
Yessss… Mac to iMac to MacBook Pro to iPad to iPod to iPhone… and back again.
Maybe not. but what a thought!
At that point, it could morph around you and act like an armored second skin with a built in HUD
You could play some angry birds while fighting crime 🙂
The weight of iPads, MBAs, MBs and even iMacs could be significantly lowered. (iPhone is out of question because it can not use that much metal to make real difference in weight.)
However, the price for this LiquidMetal allow is too high. So as well as nothing happened with it within the last two years after Apple got exclusive license for its use in electronic devices, nothing might happen in another few years, too. For now, only SIM card slot opener is made of this alloy.
I’m ready to update my MacBook Pro. C’mon Apple release some new product already.
Liquidmetal pops up in other places, the Omega Planet Ocean wristwatch uses it in conjunction with ceramic.
Just bought some shares of LQMT. We shall see !
Will Apple integrate liquid metal to all their products?
Liquid Metal Inc since its formation in, 1992 has been working behind the scenes perfecting the alloys, Apple would not have spent 20 million two years ago if they didn’t have a design, in mind to use this tech in a big way, I would bet that the naysayer’s will be wrong again.
“Apple made a deal with the company in 2010 to secure exclusive worldwide rights to use the alloy in consumer electronics products”
To secure this right, Apple must have been able to promise it would be used widely and in fairly large amounts. However what Apple uses it for is essentially moot, as the true value is in the imaginations it triggers in consumers. Steve Jobs was perhaps the best ever at recognizing what grabs the fancy of consumers and “Liquid Metal” conjures futuristic images galore. Apple has done well to get exclusive right to the use of this futuristic miracle metal that will be included in every Apple product until the concept fades. The claim of a “touch screen” has become mainstream, HD is getting tired, so is tablet … “Liquid Metal” is the next ad campaign slogan.