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

Three of a Kind: LCD HDTVs

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Fancy
Sony Bravia XBR5
It used to be that only plasma TVs could make Super Bowl action look sharp. Not anymore. This Sony LCD has twice the frame rate of earlier models, so motion looks smoother and more natural. It's also capable of displaying full 1,080p resolution inside its elegant glass frame.
52-in. (132 cm) screen, $4,800; sony.com/bravia

Cheap
Vizio GV42LFHDTV10A
Vizios offer excellent picture quality at unbeatable prices. The GV's four hdmi inputs let you keep more of your hd-compatible devices (DVD player, Xbox) plugged in round the clock. The audio isn't great, though, so you'll want to hook it up to a separate sound system.
42-in. (107 cm) screen, $1,400; vizio.com

Something Different
Toshiba Regza 46RF350U
Sometimes choosing a new TV comes down to size. Toshiba squeezes more screen into that wall unit with its new "supernarrow bezel" line (a mere 0.9 in. [2.3 cm] of shiny plastic surrounds the display). The skinny "sound strip" speakers are also effective and unobtrusive.
46-in. (117 cm) screen, $2,500; regzalcdtv.com