Time - USA (2020-11-30)

96 TIME November 30/December 7, 2020

BEST INVENTIONS 2020

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

UPGRADED

CELL-PHONE SNAPS

MOON UltraLight

Despite years behind the lens,

cinematographer Edward Madongorere

always struggled to get quality shots

on his phone at night—the lighting was

never quite right. “Flash photography

just doesn’t work,” he says. “We wanted

to create a product that solves that

problem, so you can essentially take

light with you wherever you go.” So

Madongorere created MOON UltraLight, a

sleek clip-on that attaches to any phone

or laptop and casts just the right amount

of light on a subject. The rechargeable

device brightens or dims at the touch

of a fi nger and adjusts

between cool and

warm light. And

at the size of a

small cherry, the

$59 clip-on is

much smaller

and less

intrusive than

many other

lighting tools

on the market.

—MADELEINE CARLISLE

SOCIAL GOOD

WATER, WATER ANYWHERE

Skysource WEDEW

With climate change accelerating, H 2 O is more
precious than ever. This mobile generator produces
fresh drinking water via an often overlooked
source: air. Users dump discarded plant and animal
materials, such as wood chips or nutshells, into the
machine, which WEDEW heats up, releasing water
vapor into the air in the process. Then the generator
condenses the vapor into drinkable water. The whole
system, which also includes a battery storage pod
and a refrigeration module, fi ts into a single 40-ft.
transport container. In 2020, WEDEW and the World
Food Programme formed a partnership to bring the
generator to a refugee camp in Uganda, in addition to
communities in Tanzania. —PAULINA CACHERO