Toshiba demonstrates Android tablet in aquarium

Toshiba demonstrates an Android tablet placed in a full aquarium at CES. The tablet itself does not contain a battery, but gets its power wirelessly from a construction that is placed on the outside of the glass.

The submerged tablet is the Toshiba AT100, which came out earlier this year. According to a Toshiba employee, the demonstration is not intended to show the water resistance of the tablet, but is about the power supply. The tablet does not have its own battery. A device is placed on the outside of the glass that transfers energy via magnetic coils, via the water, to the tablet.

Such techniques are currently already being used to enable wireless charging of smartphones. A telephone with an adapted battery and back cover is placed on a surface that is provided with magnetic coils. The battery is then charged via the magnetic field. It is not known whether, when and how Toshiba intends to integrate the technology into its products.