If you haven’t picked up the December edition of Pop Sci magazine, you should. It contains 100 of the coolest, ground-breaking technology and concepts from 2012!

Before even getting to the hot list, the issue starts off the headlines with a bang, ranging from computer programs that can implant unknown passwords into the mind of a person, imaging techniques that allow scientists to see the individual length of atomic bonds, to a version of a project that I’ve been dedicated to, on-orbit satellite servicing. Projects that use robots to recover or repair satellites in orbit, like those initiated by DARPA or Canadian-owned MDA, are a catalyst for the future of on-orbit satellite maintenance.

And then finally the 25th Annual Best of What’s New. The list is truly varied, including the Nissan Delta Wing or the 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel in the car category. Moving into electronics, the future lies in a cellphone that’s audible anywhere or a truly compact camera that shoots quality images comparable to a professional DSLR camera. And that’s a great improvement over the size and weight of even a micro four thirds machine.

How about robot-guided solar arrays? Truly the next step in revolutionizing solar technology as a force of its own to go head-to-head with fossil fuels. These arrays maximize efficiency by adjusting the orientation of the panels.

But possibly the most innovative category is the Aerospace award winners ,including a pilot-less cargo helicopter, the freefall suit Felix Baumgartner wore during his skydive in October, and the Solazyme Solajet!