10 BEST INVENTIONS OF 2015

EM'S list, based on TIME MAGAZINE'S "25 BEST INVENTIONS OF 2015"

UNDERGROUND PARK Lowline Lab guys, Barash & Ramsey, use “remote skylight” system to capture sunlight from surrounding rooftops; built prototype park; raising $70 million, to build more parks.

EARBUGS /$249 Designed to amplify or decrease all noises at once. Syncs with smart
phone app; users pick frequencies to filter. In Subway you'll have normal conversation as trains screech; on plane you can tune out crying babies. “It’s augmented audio reality,” says Doppler Labs CEO, Noah Kraft.

MICROSOFT HALOGENS; developer edition available.

Oculus Rift creates escapes, HALOGENS augments reality, overlaying holograms & data onto existing surroundings; is  currently used by NASA to mimic Mars’ terrain in labs; medical students use it to dissect virtual bodies.



JUNO $120,000
In three hours (not full day as it now takes) manufacturer Fluidigm’s microchip amplifies samples 1,000 times smaller than a drop of water. It's already being use at academic and research labs.

STAR APARTMENTS
Designed by Michael Maltzan for non-profit Skid Row Housing; single building--102 prefabricated studios, staggered into four terraced stories--ground floor medical clinic, garden, classrooms--rooftop outdoor running track. County health services will handpick homeless residents, create a mini village in Los Angeles.

SAFETY TRUCK, built by Argentine Samsung and Leo Burnett, has a system that relays video footage from the front of a truck to four screens on its back, giving drivers a clear view of what’s ahead.

BABY MONITOR $299 Fitbit-like device tracks infant’s heart rate, body temperature, position; notifies parents, via mobile app.

APPLE PENCIL+IPAD PRO/ $799+$99
Pencil writes at any angle; can get darker or be erased, can draw, paint or write on a screen; create art, animations, blueprints, iPad Pro's faster than 80% of laptops.

OCEAN CLEANUP  $15 billion,  start in 2020
Developed by Boyan Slat, to clean up plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean (pile is bigger than Texas); Cleanup Project will build 62-mile-long floating boom that uses natural currents to trap trash that could reduce the trash by 42%.

TZOA Environment Tracker / $139
Stationary device, developed by Kevin Hart; sensors evaluate atmosphere in any area, measures  temperature, particulate matter (dust, pollen, mold, car exhaust) and UV exposure; uploads that data to Cloud, so others can conduct air-quality research; wearable versions available in May.

Other Best Inventions from Time Magazine's list
"Hoverboard" Scooter / $350 to $1700.
Eko Smart Stethoscope $199 shares with doctor.

Banza Chickpea Pasta/ $4 box.
Nima / $199, sensor sniffs out allergens in foods like Gluten.
Drone Port for drones used by companies like Amazon.
Thinx panties/ $24, for menstruating women.
Casper Mattress /$500,  in a box, returnable.
Nike Flyease Sneaker, $230, ties with one hand.
Pantelligent / $199, teaches user to cook.
Drinkable Book,each page can filter water.
Hackaball / $85, teaches user to program.
Google Cardboard, virtual helmet you can make.
Artiphon Instrument/ $399, play many instruments.
Tesla Model X /  $130,000, 250 miles per charge, 7 passengers.
CogniToys Dino/ $120 talks back to kids.