Apple Acquires Rights to Liquidmetal Technologies' Advanced Metal Alloys

[MacRumors]

The Baltimore Sun reports that Apple has signed an exclusive agreement with California-based company Liquidmetal Technologies for the firm's advanced "amorphous" metal alloys. The news comes as part of a filing made by Liquidmetal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in which the company reveals that Apple has obtained the right to use essentially all of its intellectual property in the consumer electronics field while Liquidmetal retains usage rights in other fields.

On August 5, 2010, Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Liquidmetal"), entered into a Master Transaction Agreement with Apple Inc., a California corporation ("Apple"), pursuant to which (i) Liquidmetal contributed substantially all of its intellectual property assets to a newly organized special-purpose, wholly-owned subsidiary (the "IP Company"), (ii) the IP Company granted to Apple a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in the field of consumer electronic products in exchange for a license fee, and (iii) the IP Company granted back to Liquidmetal a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in all other fields of use (together with all ancillary agreements, the "Master Transaction Agreement").

According to Liquidmetal's description of its technology, the company has developed new metal alloys exhibiting an "amorphous" molecular structure differing from the crystalline structures of traditional metals.

This amorphous atomic structure leads to a unique set of characteristic properties for the family of Liquidmetal alloys.

These characteristic properties are:

- High Yield Strength
- High Hardness
- Superior Strength/Weight Ratio
- Superior Elastic Limit
- High Corrosion Resistance
- High Wear-Resistance
- Unique Acoustical Properties

The company also points to the advantages of using Liquidmetal alloys in consumer electronics, citing its ability to deliver stronger and harder device casings while also offering thinner designs of excellent durability and corrosion resistance. The relatively low melting temperature and other characteristics of Liquidmetal alloys also permit them to be easily cast into a variety of forms while retaining their strength and durability.

It is unknown exactly what Apple plans to do with Liquidmetal's technology, but Apple's focus on industrial design with extensive use of metal in its device casings suggests a number of opportunities for the technology to make its way into the company's products.

Article Link: Apple Acquires Rights to Liquidmetal Technologies' Advanced Metal Alloys

 

[BeyondtheTech]

I believe this signals a move that future products will start with the T- designation to them as soon as they acquire Cyberdyne.

 

[akm3]

Was going to say 'in before the T-1000 reference', but alas I'm too late.

 

[DougB541]

Damnit you guys beat me too it haha.

 

[antster94]

Possibly associated with the rumor of a metal backed Verizon iPhone? If so then it's looking possible that new iPhone hardware could be coming to Verizon in January?

 

[sevimli]

iPhone-T is coming up!

 

[Tech-Minded]

Now I'm waiting to buy a laptop until they use this technology.

 

[akm3]

So, this stuff already exists in some consumer electronics applications. Perhaps Apple would use this in the next Air? That would be 'a lot' of it though...perhaps for the iPhone next?

 

[dmgoldman]

The relatively low melting temperature and other characteristics of Liquidmetal alloys also permit them to be easily cast into a variety of forms while retaining their strength and durability.

THIS JUST IN: Apple recalls melting MacBook Pros…

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Why am I the fourth person to think of the Terminator because of this article?

 

[Apple Corps]

Transparent Aluminum on the way

 

[cube]

Damn, I also thought "Terminator X".

 

[kernkraft]

"You could be mine"!!!

(reference to Terminator 2)

 

[bolen]

THIS JUST IN: Apple recalls melting MacBook Pros…

Relatively in this case is probably much more than the Macbook Pro can produce..

 

[rwilliams]

I believe this signals a move that future products will start with the T- designation to them as soon as they acquire Cyberdyne.

Dammit, I'm too late! Well played, sir.

 

[kugino]

didn't liquidmetal make drivers? it was supposed to be one of the longest driving clubs a decade ago...

 

[troop231]

 

[thirumalkumaran]

THIS JUST IN: Apple recalls melting MacBook Pros…

Dude,
Low temp means lower than the current melting temp of metals..
PLastics melt at a much lower tempurature...
this metal must melt at a higher temp than plastics and will be made a injected pressure cast unibody or a hot forged unibody.
Both of them would make them exponentially stronger than current setups..
(I'm an industrial engineer, and don't want to introduce too complex terms for confusion)

 

[powers74]

This sounds sweet!

 

[alexandr]

funny how no one picked up on Steve saying "i'll be back" at the end of the last keynote..

 

[kernkraft]

Caption competition

Steve Jobs was happy to put the iPhone 6 overheating issues behind himself; but in the heat, his signature turtlenecks had to go.

 

[lilo777]

So, Apple finally admits that using aluminum was a stupid idea. Other companies were using alloys for laptop cases for decades, now Apple decided to join them. Better late than never, I guess.

 

[richard371]

Do you know where I can find Sarah Connor?

 

[troop231]

Do you know where I can find Sarah Connor?

Post #17 lol

 

[alex.sebenski]

Fix for antanae?

Does it make a good antennae that doesn't attenuate when touched by a human being?

lol?