November 29, 2004 | Vol. 164 No. 22

Coolest Inventions 2004: Invention of the Year: The Sky's the Limit (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Ingenious design. Entrepreneurial moxie. A world-changing vision of the future. The amazing SpaceShipOne has it all

Coolest Inventions 2004: Hi, Robot (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Safety Net (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Picture Perfect (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Film is dying, but shed no tears. The newest cameras are better than ever

Web Shopping Guide: For The Gardener (Coolest Inventions 2004)

There is beauty and passion in nature. Reward those who revel in it--up to their elbows

Coolest Inventions 2004: Cool Tech (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Three cheers for iPod mania! And that's only the start of our guide to the hottest, newest products in personal tech

Coolest Inventions 2004: Light Touch (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Web Shopping Guide: For The Adventurer (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Rain? Snow? Cold? Bring it on. The right equipment--and the right mind-set--is all you need

Coolest Inventions 2004: Dream Calls (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Today's cell phones shoot video, play music and organize your day. Ignore the sticker shock--most carriers offer fat rebates

Coolest Inventions 2004: Playtime (Coolest Inventions 2004)

From tiny digital tops to wily kung fu bots, kids get the darnedest things

Coolest Inventions 2004: Now Hear This (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Hot & Cold (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Over Board (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Kid Friendly (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Fire Fighter (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Cutting Edge (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Web Shopping Guide: For The Foodie (Coolest Inventions 2004)

These gifts for the gourmet say eat, drink and be merry-- with friends or on your own

Coolest Inventions 2004: Cook Smart (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Geek Gadgets (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Tech toys for those who, at work or play, spend most of their life in front of the computer

Web Shopping Guide: For The Kids (Coolest Inventions 2004)

We looked beyond the Gap, Wal-Mart and Target to find unique items for babies, tots and older kids

Web Shopping Guide: For The Domestic Goddess (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Personal and home accessories for the woman who likes to nest in style

Wet & Wild (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Fresh Ideas (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: Screen Magic (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Home entertainment now goes way beyond TV. Are you ready to invest in a whole new experience?

Best Video Games: Cool Games (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Friends! Romans! Oddball cosmic princes! In our ranking of 2004's TOP 10 VIDEO GAMES, you will meet them all

Coolest Inventions 2004: For Your Health (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Coolest Inventions 2004: More Music (Coolest Inventions 2004)

New ways to rock your world, at home or on the go

Coolest Inventions 2004: Hot Boxes (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Computers for every member of the family, full of power--and pizazz

Coolest Inventions 2004: Sporting Life (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Web Shopping Guide: Cool Gifts (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Who's on your holiday list this year? We scoured the Web and found lots of great stuff for kids, adventurers, gardeners, foodies and more. The season for giving is here--so get clicking!

Coolest Inventions 2004: Zoom Zoom (Coolest Inventions 2004)

Three dozen new creations, playful and practical, that we promise will amaze you

Raindrops and Reconciliation

Behind the scenes at the Clinton library opening, as old foes praised one another

What We'll Miss and What We Won't

Four retiring Senators with 111 years of combined experience in Congress--Democrats Ernest (Fritz) Hollings of South Carolina and John Breaux of Louisiana and Republicans Don Nickles of Oklahoma and B

In Your Face at the CIA

Porter Goss says the CIA needs an overhaul. But is he fixing what's broken--or conducting a purge?

Where Goss Sees Trouble

The CIA's new director sees his job as making sure the agency gets smarter and faster after a string of embarrassing intelligence failures. But is Porter Goss a reformer, or does he just want to enfor

Condi Gets Her Shot

She argued the hard-liners' case on Iraq. But the next Secretary of State remains an ideological puzzle

Wounds That Don't Bleed

How severe stress is taking a toll on U.S. troops in Iraq--and what Washington is doing about it

Hiding In Plain Sight

Why Pakistan still isn't aggressively pursuing the ex--Taliban leaders living inside the country

A Shot Seen Round The World

A Marine fires on a wounded man in a Fallujah mosque, and the world asks: Was it a war crime?

Cosmic Conundrum

The universe seems uncannily well suited to the existence of life. Could that really be an accident?

Closing The Gap

Many middle-class African-American students are scoring lower than white classmates. But it may be their parents and teachers who need remedial work

Milestones Nov. 29, 2004 (Notebook / Milestones)

... And Putin's Atomic Boast (Notebook)

Status Report: A Deepening U.N. Scandal (Notebook / Status Report)

Carmel Paints Art Into A Corner (Notebook)

The Debate on DeLay (Notebook)

Milestones: 44 Years Ago In Time (Notebook / Milestones)

A Law Club For (Straight) Members Only (Notebook)

Chicks Rule (Notebook)

Verbatim: Nov. 29, 2004 (Notebook)

Numbers: Nov. 29, 2004 (Notebook)

Parsing Iran's Nuclear Threat ... (Notebook)

Fired Up Over A Gun Law (Notebook)

The Road To Palestinian Elections (Notebook)