Best Inventions of 2004
From strapless swim goggles to text messaging chandeliers, TIME takes a look at the year's hottest inventions
Say It With Flowers
Flower Speakers
Inventors: Keiji Koga, Hiroshi Shiraki, Let's Corp.
Availability: Now, only in Japan: $284 for the vase version; $473 for the potted plant
Imagine flanking your home stereo with birds of paradise rather than a pair of speakers. The Ka-on flower speaker, housed in a vase, below, or pot, uses real plant parts—stems to conduct sound waves, leaves and flowers to serve as cones—to fill a 16-ft. radius with music. Its audio quality is closer to that of a vinyl record than a CD, but for some audiophiles, that's a good thing.
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