Best Inventions of 2008

From a genetic testing service to an invisibility cloak to an ingenious public bike system to the world's first moving skyscraper — here are TIME's picks for the top innovations of 2008

TVs

By Jeremy Caplan, Lev Grossman, Anita Hamilton and Josh Quittner Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008

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Mitsubishi LaserVue TV
You say you have a sweet plasma or lcd TV? Ha-ha. We laugh at your puniness! Behold the first high-def TV that's powered by ... lasers! Pure laser light means reds that are redder than rubies, black-hole blacks and a rainbow of colors that rivals the palette you'd see at a movie theater. You also get to be green when you watch this 65-incher: it draws two-thirds less power than a same-size lcd or plasma.
Price:$6,999
More info: laservuetv.com

Roku Netflix Player
One day all media will be available to anyone, anytime, on any device. Also, taxes will disappear and pigs will fly. Until then you could do worse than pick up this little black box, which streams 12,000 movies and TV episodes on demand.
Price:$99 with a Netflix subscription
More info: roku.com/netflixplayer

Wii Music
Your chance to be a virtual virtuoso. Pick from a list of 60 instruments, then bang, toot or hoot away, alone or with up to three friends. To play guitar, sitar or banjo, you strum the Wii controller; you can also wave it like a digital baton to channel your inner maestro.
Price:$50
More info: Wii Music