Time (formerly Time Magazine) has published its list of the 200 best inventions of 2024 and it is an interesting and occasionally puzzling list at times. As a general interest news media outlet, Time covers a wide spectrum of suggested “bests” in a wide range of product types, but AV was definitely included. Check it out and see if you agree with its picks.
See more on the best inventions of 2024 from Time
Before I profile a few of the inventions hailed by Time, it would be good to understand how the media outlet came up with its list. The editors there started by polling all of the Time editors and correspondents “around the world” to assemble a list of nominations.
Editors asked for a concentration of nominations from growing fields, “such as health care, AI, and green energy.” After whittling down the nominations to a few top contenders, each was then evaluated on a number of factors, including “originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.”
Noteworthy Mentions on Time’s 200 Best Inventions of 2024
Here are a few items that I think are noteworthy from the realm of technology on the 200 Best Inventions of 2024 according to Time…
LG Signature OLED-T Transparent TV – A cool 77″ OLED display with a design that makes it look as though the video content is floating in thin air
Samsung Neo QLED TV – Samsung’s latest upscaling technology that employs AI to assist in upscaling SD and HD content to a highly detailed 8K resolution
Bi-Fold and Tri-Fold mobile phones (Honor Magic V3 and Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design, respectively) – I’m not so sure about these mobile phones, but Time certainly liked them
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds – A different take on listening to music on the go without shoving an earbud into your ear. The Ultra Open Earbuds sit on the ear
Sonos Ace – Yep, Time likes the Sonos Ace and was taken by its vegan leather and earcups made of recycled plastic. Oh, and the “Sound quality is top-notch…”
Sony Bravia Theater U neck-band speakers – Time notes they can provide high-quality surround sound “without isolating the user or disturbing those nearby.”
Masimo W1 – Score one for the endangered consumer health division of Masimo. With medical-grade accuracy, Time editors say the W1 is a cut above other personal health trackers
Brane Audio’s Brane X – A portable speaker with a built-in subwoofer and magnetically controlled cabinet air pressure, Time editors say the Brane X gives users “more bass and better performance.” Comes with a convenient carrying handle.
Dyson OnTrac Headphones – Dyson, a company renowned for its ingenious engineering and principally known for their vacuum cleaners and fans, has caught Time editors’ attention with the OnTrac over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. Featuring removable ear cushions and aluminum exterior caps, you can easily change the color of your headphones. Oh, and they sound good too, says Time’s editors.
Other items Time features include Robots, such as the Mammotion Luba 21 AWD Series robotic lawn mower. Editors note that robotic lawnmowers are not new, but most require buried wires around the perimeter to define the area. The Mammotion sheds that requirement and instead uses “GPS, wireless cameras, ultrasonic radar, and 3D vision” for higher tech and more effective navigation.
How about a robot that will clean your cat’s litterbox for you? Again, this is not a new concept, but Time says the Whisker Litter-Robot 4 is much higher tech than previous iterations. With “lasers, sensors, timers, and an internal rotating globe,” Litter-Robot 4 takes the hassle, and the smell, out of providing the supportive care for your favorite fur baby.
Of course, there were many more winners and honorable-mentions solutions including a large component of medical-related items, parenting items, household, AI, fitness, sustainability, manufacturing, and more.
See Time’s Best Inventions of 2024…
What do you think about these and Time’s other picks? Share your suggestions for top inventions from 2024 in the Comments section below this story.
CORRECTIONS
- Corrected a typo on the model number from Luba 1 (in the original post) to Mammotion Luba 2, the actual model number ↩︎
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