CES 2012: HzO protects gadgets from watery deaths

Nothing catches your attention more than seeing a Samsung tablet and iPod Nano completely submerged in water.

Then demonstrators pull them out of their tank and turn them on.

How is this possible? A new technology called WaterBlock from HzO that keeps the insides of a device dry, even after it takes a plunge.

WaterBlock is a thin film nano-coating that covers the circuitry inside a smartphone, tablet or other device.

It's applied during the manufacturing process, and according to HzO, it makes the device waterproof from the inside without affecting performance.

To sample WaterBlock in action, an HzO representative turns on a Samsung smartphone and pops off the back cover. He then sets it down in a tank filled with water.

It's strange watching bubbles creep out from the phone as water seeps in, yet the phone is still on and functioning normally.

WaterBlock could make its way to smartphones and other gadgets as early as summer.