BUZZWORTHY TIGHTS

A DEFINITIVE RANKING OF THE LATEST IDEAS, MARKETING STRATEGIES AND INVENTIONS, FROM THE BRILLIANT TO THE MERELY BONKERS

CHEAP EXOSKELETON

Phoenix leg braces allow paraplegics to walk, and cost only $40,000—far less than competing systems

PAPER DESK

Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes introduces Oristand, a foldable standing desk made of cardboard that costs $25

SELF-CLEARING RUNWAYS

A Nebraska professor developed concrete that conducts electricity, generating enough heat to keep airport tarmacs free of snow

TINGLING YOGA PANTS

Nadi Athletic tights contain sensors that vibrate to help users correct their form in yoga

TRACKING JEWELRY

Developed by high school student Utkarsh Tandon, the OneRing collects and analyzes information on the trembles of Parkinson’s disease patients

INFLATABLE SOFA

The Lamzac Hangout transforms from a sack to a comfortable seat for outdoor concerts in a few seconds

SAKE KIT KATS

Nestlé in Japan unveils a fermented rice wine– flavoured version of its chocolate bar

PULSATING PEDAL

Bosch introduces a gas pedal that gently vibrates when heavy-footed drivers exceed the optimal speed for maximum fuel efficiency

DEGRADING FONT

Literary journal La Petite Mort introduces Memoire, a typeface that appears to degrade from one story to the next

CAR CUSHION

An inflatable mattress contoured to fit in the rear seat turns any vehicle into a bed

LEVITATING PLANT

Magnets allow the Air Bonsai plant to float in the air above its pot

LIGHT-UP SKIPPING ROPE

The Smart Rope features embedded LED light, allowing it to display the number of jumps in mid-air as it spins

PHONE CLEANER

The i-Wipey is a smartphone case with a built-in wiper for removing gunk from the screen

DIET NUGGETS

Fast food chain Chick-fil-A suggests eating its grilled chicken bites every few hours is a good way to lose weight