The Best Inventions Of The Year

From the phone that has changed phones forever, to futuristic cars, to a building made of water, to a remote-controlled dragonfly—a dazzling display of ingenuity

By Maryanne Murray Buechner, Kristina Dell, Andrea Dorfman, Lev Grossman, Anita Hamilton, Rebecca Winters Keegan, Jeffrey Kluger, Michael D. Lemonick, Coco Masters, Lisa McLaughlin, Alice Park, Julie Rawe and Deirdre van Dyk

  • Story
  • All Best and Worst Lists

  • Print

This little green guy is one of 42 U.B. Funkeys that live inside a quirky online playspace that, unlike Club Penguin and other popular Web worlds for kids, is private—no crowded "rooms" or overloaded servers, just you as Boggle, Tiki or Lotus playing Funk-jongg and decorating the crib. Starter kits ($20) include two characters.
ubfunkeys.com

View the full list for "The Best Inventions Of The Year"