Sept. 10, 2007 issue - A growing movement in the design industry seeks to go beyond esthetics and into more socially responsible work. Last week, the prestigious European design organization, Index, held its annual Design to Improve Life awards in Copenhagen (indexaward.dk). TIP SHEET takes a look at the winners:

Nice Things: (Clockwise from top) The Tesla Roadster, Mobility for Each One and the XO Laptop. Photos: Courtesy of INDEX

The lightweight, durable XO Laptop is sunlight-readable and shock- and moisture-resistant, important qualities to the large number of kids in the world whose classroom is outdoors. Better yet, the computers are only $100 each.

Made with low-cost materials like glass fiber and low-tech production methods, the Mobility for Each One is a prosthetic foot that costs only $8 to produce. The prototype uses the same compression-propulsion technology in fancy prosthetics that even allows wearers to run.

The fully electric Tesla Roadster produces zero emissions and accelerates from zero to 60 in four seconds, and its battery takes less than four hours to recharge. At $100,000, it's expensive, but with a fuel-efficiency equivalent of 135 miles per gallon, Tesla claims you'll spend less than two cents a mile.

The four-liter Solar Bottle was designed to improve on a solar-water disinfection system that uses the sun's UVA radiation and heat to destroy diarrhea-causing bacteria. The bottle's wide, transparent side allows for more exposure to UVA rays, its aluminum side absorbs heat and its flat shape allows for easy storage.

The Tongue Sucker does just what it says: suctions the tongue out of the airway of an unconscious person, keeping oxygen flowing to the brain for the crucial few minutes before the paramedics arrive. Developed by four industrial-design engineers after the London bombings in 2005, the Tongue Sucker was designed to be included in first-aid kits.

Created to eliminate the spread of infected syringe needles, the Antivirus cap attaches to a used soda can, turning the empty vessel into an enclosed container for infected needles.

Winners walked away with €100,000, and surely a great amount of satisfaction knowing they will improve the quality of life for many in need.--Charlene Dy and Christina Gillham

—Linda Stern

Sept. 10, 2007 issue - Like Nintendo's DS last year, Sony's PlayStation Portable is getting a much-needed nip-and-tuck. The new PSP is only three quarters of an inch thick, down from nine tenths. And thanks in part to a slimmer battery, the device is shedding about 2.5 ounces, down to 6.7. Other upgrades include: