Two Dublin entrepreneurs have created Gadget Saver, a resealable pouch that resuscitates gadgets that have been dropped in water.
The multilayer polypropylene resealable pouch comes in two sizes – one for small gadgets, such as smartphones and small cameras, and another for bigger items, such as tablets, e-readers and sat navs.
It creates an airtight dehumidification chamber which removes moisture and liquids from drowned gadgets. Its antistatic layer discharges static electricity as the device dries out to prevent component damage. It takes more than eight hours to remove all the moisture from a waterlogged device.
Frank Dunne and Paul Schulman created Gadget Saver after 15 months of development. Schulman worked in mobile communications and regularly saw consumers bring water-damaged gadgets to repair shops which couldn’t be fixed. Warranties often don’t cover water damage, leaving the consumer’s device broken forever.
This sparked the idea for Gadget Saver. Schulman set up the idea with Dunne in the Business Innovation Programme at the Ryan Academy. The start-up is supported and advised by the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Enterprise Board, the Southside Partnership and The Larkin Centre under the Back to Work Scheme.
“Launching a new product and a new business during a recession doesn’t daunt us,” said Dunne.
“Gadget Saver utilises technology that simply and cheaply saves consumers the cost of replacing damaged gadgets, as well as prolonging the life of the device. Gadget Saver is an ideal product for these tough times,” he said.
The Gadget Saver is available online, with the smaller version costing €9.99 and the bigger version costing €12.99.
