Finally, waterproof gadgets no longer look like Playskool toys. It all started last year when a Santa Ana, California, company called Liquipel announced that for $60 it would dunk your smartphone or tablet in an invisible, waterproofing chemical soup. The stuff works unbelievably well鈥攁nd makes you wonder why most electronics aren鈥檛 waterproof straight out of the box. Sony鈥檚 is.
The 10.1-inch device comes coated in a聽proprietary nanotechnology that keeps it running while submerged up to three feet below the water鈥檚 surface. It鈥檚 also among the best tablets on the market. The聽sound from its stereo speakers is crisp and loud, and the Xperia is both slimmer and lighter than the iPad. Plus, its screen features the same technology found in Sony鈥檚 flatscreen TVs, which display 16 million colors. The result: images look cinematic, even in the hot tub. $499 for 16GB.