Home-improvement projects are daunting enough without the worry of hidden wires and pipes. Walleye Technologies may have the solution: a handheld microwave camera that lets you see through walls. The device weighs less than 3 lb. (1.4 kg) and will cost less than $500 it's smaller and cheaper than previous microwave imaging equipment and it emits less radiation than a cell phone. It will be in hardware stores in 2010.
From a rocket of the future to a $10 million lightbulb, here are TIME's picks for the best new gadgets and breakthrough ideas of the year