"Cloaking" device could kill cellular static

So-called "cloaking" materials have been making headlines for a few years now -- the idea being that these special materials can bend light around them so that the object coated with them becomes invisible to the eye or other detection systems. Applications envisioned range from stealth planes invisible to radar to Harry Potter-like cloaks designed for pranksters and peeping Toms.

Now a new -- and more practical -- application is being envisioned for cloaking materials: To help your cell phone reception and improve the quality of your calls.

The idea is simple: Cover obstacles between cell phone towers and cell phone users with cloak-like material to make the obstacles "disappear," at least as far as the phone is concerned. The goal is not to make objects appear invisible to the naked eye, but rather to let the electromagnetic waves used in mobile communication environments wrap around the obstacle rather than being absorbed or scattered on impact.

For example, in a case where one antenna is blocking visibility to or interfering with another antenna, strategically placed cloaking materials could make it possible for both to work simultaneously. One can also imagine buildings painted with a coat of electro-cloak, thus improving calls in static-filled downtown environments.

No longer merely theoretical, cloaking materials do exist, but only on a very small and limited scale. Considering the heavy interest in this research, however, it's probably only a matter of time before larger and more commercial applications are developed.