《时代》周刊评出2014年度最佳发明

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。