ipods and washing machines

IT stuff is getting smaller all the time, which is generally a good thing, but of course that means that gadgets will end up in the washing machine increasingly often. Engineers have used this as an obvious failure scenario for ages, and the problem has been a stimulus for innovations such as fabric based electronics. However, I was still genuinely and pleasantly surprised when my daughter's iPod was thoroughly washed this week and survived, apparently none the worse for the ordeal. Well done Apple! Modern kit should be designed to cope with events like this, but it is still a refeshing change to see gadgets that can actually cope with a 1600 rpm spin after a 90 mins wash when so much emphasis seems to be on making things cheap and disposable. I for one can't wait till we can take such robustness for granted, but I don't think I will have to wait too long.