《时代》周刊评出2014年度最佳发明 （三）

你纠正姿势的小卡片

As we always forget to stop slouching, we created a ultimate reminder. Once users clip the Lumo Lift, a chiplike gadget about the size of a thumb, onto their shirt, it analyzes neck and spinal positions and vibrates when they’re less than ideal. The system has exceeded its internal sales goals. Half of its users are women, which is impressive given that early adopters for gadgets often tilt male.

我们总是忘了纠正懒散的姿势，为此Lumo身体技术公司发明了Lumo Lift姿势提醒器。一旦使用者在衬衫上别上像小卡片一样的该装置，它就会分析颈部和背部的位置，并在姿势不理想时发出震动。该系统的销量已超出内定目标。有一半使用者是女性，鉴于电子产品的尝鲜者通常以男性居多，这一点着实让人印象深刻。

10. The Car that Makes Electric Enticing

令电动车变得动人的汽车

For the most part, electric cars have been slow, sexless and stolid to drive—or stunningly expensive. So when BMW announced it would start selling them, it had a high bar to clear. The I3 delivers. In addition to getting 113 to 177 km on a single 3-hour charge, its novel design allows drivers to use a single ¬pedal to both accelerate and brake (press down to go, ease up to stop), which results in more energy-efficient driving. And because so-called range anxiety remains a top reason people don’t buy electric, BMW is pioneering ways to ease customers’ doubts. Among them: an optional backup gas motor that can recharge its batteries in a pinch and a program that lends owners a gas-powered vehicle for longer trips.

电动汽车大多行驶缓慢、毫无魅力和缺乏驾驶快感，要不就是贵得吓人。因此当宝马公司宣布将开始销售电动车时，它需要跨越很高的标杆。宝马i3轿车做到了这一点。除充电3小时可行驶113-177公里外，其新颖的设计还使司机可用同一块踏板实现加速或制动(前进时踩下，制动时抬起)，这将会提高能源效率。而鉴于所谓的里程焦虑仍是人们不愿购买电动车的头号原因，宝马公司将率先推出打消顾客疑虑的措施，包括选装在紧急时刻能为汽车电池充电的汽油发动机和为车主提供长途旅行时以汽油驱动的程序。

11. The Tablet that Replaces Laptops

取代笔记本电脑的平板电脑

Microsoft’s latest “hybrid” bundles the power of a laptop into a svelte 12-in tablet and can run desktop apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. That, as well as a slim, detachable keyboard cover and a built-in stand, makes it more suitable than other tablets for professionals like doctors and businesspeople.

微软公司最新的跨界产品把笔记本电脑的性能融入了12英寸平板电脑内。它还能运行Word、Excel和PowerPoint等台式机程序。这一特点及其修长的可拆式键盘盖和方便在桌上使用的固定基座，使它比其他平板电脑更适合医生和商务人员等专业人士。

12. The Ring that Alerts You in Style

优雅地发出提醒的戒指

Like many professional women, Christina Mercando keeps her smartphone in her purse, which meant she was constantly digging it out to check for important notifications. But what if she could get that info from something she was already wearing? That’s the thinking behind Ringly, a line of rings that can be programmed to glow when wearers get an email from their boss, a text from their Uber driver or any number of other can’t-miss communications. Mercando raised more than $1 million to realize her vision. So far, the concept is working: the first 1,000 Ringly rings, which debuted in June, sold out within 24 hours.

与许多职业妇女一样，克里斯蒂娜•梅尔坎多总是把手机放在包里。这意味着她要不断拿出手机查看重要消息。但如果她从某件自己佩戴的物件上获得这些信息，会怎样?这就是Ringly智能戒指的创意：通过设置，当佩戴者收到老板的电子邮件、出租司机的短信或是其他任何不能错过的信息时，这种戒指可以发亮。梅尔坎多筹到100多万美元实现自己的设想。这一想法奏效了：6月推出的首批1000枚Ringly戒指在24小时内即售罄。