76 Time November 30/December 7, 2020
BEST INVENTIONS 2020
BEAUTY
A GENTLER
STRAIGHTENER
Dyson Corrale
Most hair-straightening irons work by
clamping hair between two burning-hot
plates and pressing it into submission—
often causing irreparable damage to
the strands. Leave it to Dyson to create
a solution as functional as it is elegant.
The Corrale ($499.99 at Dyson.com) uses
flexing plates that move with the hair
as it straightens, styling more quickly
with less heat. “We discovered that if
the plates could conform to the precise
profile of the tress, then with each pass we
could apply the correct tension to all the
hair strands,” says Sir James Dyson, the
company’s founder. Moreover, a sensor
system regulates the temperature of the
plates 100 times a second, so there’s never
undue heat. —CADY LANG
SOCIAL GOOD
THE SUSTAINABLE SMARTPHONE
Fairphone 3+
Some 50 million tons of electronic waste is created
each year, much of it composed of elements that
were unethically sourced in the first place. (One
example: gold, found in circuit boards, is often
mined under dangerous conditions.) In contrast,
Dutch company Fairphone makes phones using
minerals from conflict-free zones, sourced via more
responsible supply chains. The phones are also
built to stay out of landfills as long as possible.
Made of 40% recycled plastic, the new Fairphone 3+
(€469, or roughly $554) has replaceable parts and
an expected life span of five years. Its repair-friendly
design lets you swap your battery or screen, or
even upgrade your camera’s quality with just a
screwdriver, encouraging users to hang on to their
devices longer. —PATRICK LUCAS AUSTIN