C21AGVoices

Every year TIME magazine reports on the top 50 inventions. 2009 is no exception and you’ll find some that are incredible and practical too.

*Tweeting by thinking. Last April, University of Wisconsin doctoral student Adam Wilson tweeted 23 characters just by thinking! Wearing a cap fitted with electrodes, he focused his attention on one flashing letter on a computer screen. The cap monitored changes in his brain to figure out what character he wanted. His efforts spelled out “USING EEG TO SEND TWEET.” This discovering paves the way for people with “locked in” brain syndrome to communicate.

*The Solar Shingle. The Dow Chemical Co. developed a new roof shingle that doubles as a solar panel. The shingles, which can be incorporated into rooftops alongside traditional asphalt shingles, uses low-cost thin-film cells of copper indium gallium diselenide. The shingle is expected to cost 10 to 15 percent less than traditional solar panels and will be cheaper and easier to install.

*The $20 knee. Poor patients in Third World countries who lose a knee joint have few options as a titanium replacement can cost $10,000. A team of engineering students at Stanford has designed a knee joint that’s not only inexpensive ($20!) but mimics the knees natural movements. The JaipurKnee is both  flexible and stable even on irregular terrain.

*The Smart Thermostat. Set Frader-Thompson has invented the EnergyHub Dashboard, a little device with a screen, that can talk wirelessly to your furnace and your various appliances. It lest you know exactly hom much electricity or gas each one is using and how much it’s costing you. It can also turn appliances on and off and raise and lower the temperature in your house. EnergyHub will be available directly to consumers this year.

*The Handheld Ultrasond. Vscan is as small as a cell phone as as powerful as a l large ultrasound console.