Popular Science Announces Top Tech Innovations of 2010

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Nov 16, 2010, 03:00 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A solar-powered plane that can fly all night. A simple bucket-shaped box that allows trees to grow in the desert. A speck-size telescope that restores sight to the nearly blind. These are just a few of the winners of Popular Science magazine's 2010 Best of What's New Awards, an annual roundup of the 100 most extraordinary innovations of the year in 11 categories.

The Best of What's New are featured in the magazine's December issue, on newsstands and in the iTunes store today and at www.popsci.com/bown.

"Best of What's New is more than a collection of new technologies and innovative products," says Mark Jannot, editor-in-chief of Popular Science. "It's a glimpse into the future, a chance to look ahead to the ways technology will transform everything from our health and the environment to how we work, play, and communicate."

Among the winners are 11 Grand Award winners—technologies that represent a game-changing leap forward in their field. This year's Grand Award winners are as follows. View all winners in all categories at www.popsci.com/bown.

Green Tech/Innovation of the Year: Groasis Waterboxx

This bucket-like device may help reverse the toll of deforestation in semi-arid climates around the globe. Waterboxx is an inexpensive plant incubator that keeps seedlings moist until roots grow enough to tap underground reservoirs.

Automotive: Porsche 918 Spyder

The ultimate green supercar, the Spyder's unique power system consists of a 3.4-liter V8 racing engine paired with three electric motors. Together they produce 718 horsepower and can catapult the Spyder from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds.

Gadgets: Apple iPad

The sleek device with the gorgeous screen sold more than three million units in its first 80 days. By using the same multitouch gestures and App Store as the iPhone, Apple created an intimate device for updating Facebook status, watching a movie, or reading a magazine.

Engineering: Burj Khalifa

The 2,716.5-foot tall Burj isn't merely the world's tallest building. The Dubai skyscraper towers over every building on Earth by 1,000 feet, and the engineering that made it possible may transform the world's skylines.

Health: GE Healthcare Vscan

Barely larger than a smartphone, this super-portable ultrasound device fits in a pocket and will save trauma doctors and emergency medics precious time in assessing internal injuries.

Aviation & Space: Solar Impulse HB-SIA

The solar- and battery-powered Solar Impulse can fly for more than 26 hours at an altitude of 28,000 feet. The aircraft was the first to complete a successful night flight on power harvested during the day.

Home Entertainment: Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT25

This 3-D television easily competes with a cineplex, thanks to an ultrafast plasma screen that produces crisp, high-def 3-D images even in motion-packed scenes.

Security: Hydronalix EMILY

Even the strongest lifeguard can't keep pace with the pull of a riptide. EMILY, the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard, is a remote-controlled rescue buoy that reaches drowning victims 10 times faster than any swimmer.

Computing: Intel Wireless Display

Intel's Wireless Display makes the Internet watchable by streaming content from your laptop PC to your home television, without programming or wires.

Home Technology: Neato Robotics XV-11 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

The Neato surveys your home with an infrared laser range-finder to create a map of the room and a plan of attack. Then it goes to work without the bumping and redirecting of older robotic vacs.

Recreation: Sealegs 7.1M RIB

The first-ever commercial amphibious vessel with retractable all-wheel drive, the Sealegs rigid inflatable boat allows boaters to launch and land nearly anywhere. Military and rescue organizations are already using the craft.

Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world's largest science and technology magazine, with a circulation of 1.3 million and 7.1 million readers. Each month, Popular Science delivers "The Future Now," reporting on the intersection of science and everyday life with an eye toward what's new and why it matters. Our readers believe that the future is going to be better, and Popular Science gives them the tools and information to improve their technology and their world. The winner of the 2004 National Magazine Award for General Excellence, Popular Science is published by the Bonnier Corporation.

Bonnier Corporation (www.bonniercorp.com), one of the largest consumer-publishing groups in the U.S., is the leading media company serving passionate, highly engaged audiences through magazines, events, digital media and leading-edge products. Bonnier Corp. is the U.S. division of the Bonnier Group, (www.bonnier.com), an international media group active in television, newspapers, magazines, movies and cinemas, books and digital media. Based in the Nordic region with substantial operations in the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and Eastern Europe, Bonnier has businesses in 16 countries worldwide and employ over 10,000 people. Bonnier stands for entrepreneurship and has always combined a genuine commitment to freedom of speech with a sense for business. Bonnier is wholly owned by the Bonnier family, which has been running the company for seven generations.

SOURCE Popular Science