I've decided to start modding another computer and had an idea that could incorperate some magic foil... however, after a trillion google searches I've been able to uncover absolutely nothing related to the actual product, only the fact that it has been used on some cars. its seen at the top of the page here: http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2005/05/10/cebit_2005_part_4/3.html I asked about it in the CeBit thread, but I didn't get a response. Maby someone in here knows. It seems like this magic foil stuff doesn't exist outside of the cebit article.
I think they used something like that in the Maybach (car). I think it might have something to do with electrochromic (or electrochromatic) glass. Think of the the reaction lenses you get for glasses (photochromic), which re-act to light. The Maybach used windows that were electrochromic so you can adjust how much light they let through by somehow chnaging the electricity passing through it.
ive seen this stuff on afew fancy holiday homes for large bathroom windows, so its deffinatly out there, somewhere
On an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, an inventor developed a similar technology with fabric. The material bent light when an electric charge was applied, but caused severe tissue damage in the process so the project was abandoned. His assistant made a bodysuit out of the stuff and went on an invisible crime-spree, but eventually went kind of crazy from the effects of the suit. If you find this stuff, don't wrap your body in it, or Batman will take you down.
This isn't exactly like that batman fabric, if he makes clothes out of this stuff, it's gonna be more like "the emperors new clothes"
It's essentially 2 plates of glass with a liquid crystal sheet sandwiched between them. Apply an electrical charge and it goes opaque. "Magic foil" was just a flashy CeBit name but its more common name is liquid crystal glass. You'll be able to find a lot more results that way. Hope this helps, -TX297 Edit: Closer inspection [Read: Google] says that the charge makes it transparent due to the liquid crystals lining up (Source)
thanks for the info looking closer, it appears that site links to a manufacturer (Saint Gobain?), however, even their tiny sample is riddiculusly expensive - http://www.sggprivalite.com/en/echanti/echanti_fr.html Judging by their display it seemed to me like this magic foil company was geared more towards the common consumer. I'll keep looking in the mean time I guess.
contact whoever took those pics of the magic foil, then see if they can get you a better quality version of the picture so you can read the bottom of the display where their website is (spent about a hour last nite trying with no avail)
Seen this applied to glass panes around the front door. The effect is great when someone rings the doorbeel, and you hit the switch.... It is crazy expensive, though. What i could get out of these people, it was over 100,000 euros for the 18 square metres they had. ( Do your math, boy ;-) )
