10 of the best inventions of 2014

Every year Time Magazine compiles a list of the top inventions of the year. This year inventions such as hoverboards, 3-D printed items and the selfie stick made it onto the list.

The Hendo Hoverboard

Finally, after its debut in the movie Back to the Future Part II in 1989, a real hoverboard was invented! Hendo’s hoverboard still has a long way to go, but it can already float an inch above the ground over conductive material like copper or aluminium. Nevertheless, the technology that powers it could be revolutionary.

The supersmart spacecraft Mangalyaan

Developed by the Indian Space Research Organization, the Mangalyaan (Mars craft in Hindi) went into orbit around Mars on 24 September this year. The craft cost India $74 million to build and it’s equipped with five onboard instruments that allow it to do simple tasks like measure Martian methane and surface composition.

Wireless Electricity

Why do our small appliances still have to be plugged into a wall when technology has become so advanced? We’ve got wireless Internet and wireless phones, but a simple thing like a kettle still needs to be shackled to a wall. WiTricity is a company that’s taking wireless electricity to a new level. Its technology involves a plug-in coil that creates a magnetic field that can power objects that are as far away as 2.4m.  It’s already been tested on Toyota electric cars (using charging mats) and Intel PCs (using charging pads). According to the company’s CEO Alex Gruzen, within 10 years rooms could be wired in such a way that all home appliances get its power from a central charging base.

3-D-printed everything!

It sounds like something out of a movie, but with 3-D printers you can build just about anything! These devices build objects from digital blueprints, usually by layering plastic or other materials. In the past year middle-school students have 3-D printed stock cars for physics lessons and scientists have 3-D printed tissues for human organs, to name a few.

The Apple Watch

Apple’s Smart Watch has brought the computer to your wrist. It tells time (as one would hope), can send messages, give directions, track fitness and make wireless payments using an interface that combines a touchscreen and physical buttons. Besides all the practicality, the Watch also has aesthetic qualities. It’s designed to be a fashionable piece to wear, with the high-end edition that features 18-karat gold!

The tablet that replaces laptops – Microsoft Surface Pro 3

Microsoft’s hybrid combines the power of a laptop into a tablet that can run desktop apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It comes equipped with a slim, detachable keyboard cover and built-in stand so that it can be used on a desk, making it more suitable for professionals and business people.

Ringly

Many professional women have to be close to their smartphone because of business reasons, but sitting with your phone on the table while out for dinner can be quite distracting. Enter Ringly, a fashionable ring that can be programmed to glow when the wearer gets an email from an important client, a text from an Uber driver or a phone call from her boss. The concept came from Christina Mercando, a former product and design manager at eBay and the first 1000 Ringly rings sold out within 24 hours.

The selfie stick (and hairbrush)

If your arm can’t reach far enough to take a selfie, why not ask someone to take the photo for you? Because it’s just not the same as a selfie! In 2014 several companies have launced products that can make the process of taking a selfie so much easier, like the selfie brush which lets you ensure your hair is picture perfect before you place your smartphone in the brush to take that selfie. The selfie stick was a bit more revolutionary, enabling the user to to position their smartphone beyond arms’ reach to get better photo angles.

Edible food wrappers

WikiFoods founder, David Edwards found a way to package yoghurt, cheese, ice cream and more in shells that are strong enough to remain in shape until you take the first bite – it even holds it shape in water, heat and cold. The shells are made of pieces of dried fruit or other natural substances small enough to be electrically attracted to one another which are then combined with calcium and sugar to make the form stronger. The aim is to reduce the world’s packaging waste.

BMW electric car

The concept behind electric cars are great, but for the most part they have been slow, sexless and expensive. When BMW announced they would also start selling electric cars, al eyes were on the I3 – and it delivers. It gives 113 to 177 km on a three-hour charge and uses one pedal to both accelerate and brake, resulting in more energy-efficient driving. One of the main reasons why people aren’t buying electric cars is because people are scared of running out of power on the road. BMW is pioneering an optional backup gas motor that can recharge batteries in no time and a program that lends owners a gas-powered vehicle for longer trips.
Get the full list on TIME
Image: Shutterstock

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