Another major difference is that Palm's dock uses magnets to line up and secure the handset, and LG's accessory relies solely on the friction between a rubber ring and the glass back of Google's flagship phone.

ENGADGET

To make a gadget called the Can Pump N' Pour, a circular hard plastic ring with a rubber cover that keeps the fizz in opened soda cans, Davison engineers went through 30 different versions with its own moldmaking machines before getting the shape right.

FORBES: Inside InventionLand

For instance, the Encore features a flat aluminum ring with a hinged, curved arm that stands a tablet up against a rubber lip on the other side of the ring, and it looks nice even when not in use.

ENGADGET: Just Mobile talks about working with Apple and why it manufactures in Taiwan exclusively

Rather than using rubber hoses to connect the stationary and moving parts of the building, 3sixty's ingenious plumbing system employs horizontal ring-shaped pipes made of steel.

ECONOMIST: Monitor