Via Tom's Guide:
This week, HTC is showing us that microarc oxidation process in action. The metal starts off as aircraft 6000 series aluminum, which is then hit with "10,000 volts of energy ... almost like lightning striking the phone." This causes a chemical reaction that creates the ceramic surface on the phone. HTC says the process makes the phone's housing three times stronger than stainless steel and even suggests users won't even need a case. See for yourself:
Utter coolness. If it has a good battery, it will be very hard to even consider looking at other mobile phones, but that's more a function of Koomey's Law....