Good Thinking

Passengers flying out of Detroit will soon be able to opt into a beta test of a technology that allows different people to see images and info personal to them simultaneously presented on a single display.

Coolfinity's IceVolt 300 is a fridge designed for shop owners in tropical areas whose goods often go to waste due to power outages, relying on a novel ice-based approach to keep things cool around the clock with just six hours of plug-in time.

Continuing our Christmas tradition of taunting you (and ourselves) with examples of over-the-top opulence that crossed our desk during the year, here's our selection of things you won't find under the tree come December 25.

Looking at today's tech, you might think “pack it in, inventing is finished.” But innovateurs and imagineers need something to do, even when the well of useful ideas is running dry. Here are the oddest and most questionable inventions of 2019.

Not only do many people walk around with their eyes glued to their smartphones, but a lot of them also wear headphones. With that in mind, scientists are developing headphones that warn their wearers when vehicles are approaching.

Although Tasers are an effective alternative to the use of lethal force by police officers, getting shot by one is still quite a painful experience. That's where the BolaWrap 100 comes in – when fired at a "difficult" suspect, it simply ties them up.

Not only do bed nets help protect people against mosquitoes, but if those nets are treated with an insecticide, they also kill insects that touch them. A simple new technology could make such nets more lethal to mosquitoes, yet also safer for humans.

Scientists at the University of Utah are looking at how bears and other mammals hibernate in an effort to find genetic clues for combating disease. They hope to identify similar regions in the human genome – especially those related to obesity.

Military personnel are often exposed to loud noises, such as when they're in helicopters. And while human soldiers wear hearing protection, the same can't be said for their "working" dogs. A new garment has been designed to address that problem.

It was four years ago that Brooklyn-based metal sculptor Adrian Landon presented us with a life-size Mechanical Horse that actually galloped on the spot. He's now taken things a lot further, with a giant flying horse that spouts flames as it runs.

Increasingly often, when mass shootings occur, bystanders are recording videos on their smartphones. Thanks to a new system, such footage could soon be used to determine the killer's whereabouts.

A new assortment of eco-conscious products are helping us chip away at our plastic pollution problem. The Unocup is a simple yet clever example, using a paper folding design to give coffee drinkers a takeout option without the need for a plastic lid.