eSight 3
For the millions of people who are legally blind, navigation is a routine challenge. Though support canes and guide dogs can help, they cannot mimic actual vision. eSight 3 can. Think of it as the world’s most powerful pair of glasses: once users put on eSight, it records high definition video and uses magnification, contrast and proprietary algorithms to enhance that imagery into something the legally blind can see—enabling them to partake in a variety of activities, including sports, that would otherwise be off-limits. At $9,995, the device, which launched in February, is not accessible to everyone (though the company does help connect would-be buyers with funding sources, including grants). But it is cheaper than the company’s earlier iterations, as well as faster, lighter and equipped with better zoom capabilities. To date, the company estimates it has been used by more than 1,000 patients. —Alexandra Sifferlin
Guilt free Ice Cream
Halo Top / $5.99+
It sounds almost too good to be true: a flavor-packed, low-sugar ice cream with no more than 360 calories— per pint. But such is the promise of Halo Top, whose containers invite patrons to “go ahead, eat the whole pint” in one sitting and whose product the company’s CEO, Justin Woolverton, routinely calls “healthy.” On the latter point, there has been some debate. Halo Top, which is also enriched with protein, maintains its low calorie count using the zero-calorie sweetener Stevia, along with cane sugar and sugar alcohol. While those ingredients are fine to consume, they’re not exactly paragons of nutrition. Then again, Halo Top’s goal isn’t to replace fruits and veggies; it’s to give diet-conscious consumers “an option to eat ice cream again,” says Woolverton. To that end, Halo Top (which retails for about $5 per pint) is succeeding in spades. Its annual sales soared roughly 2,500% last year, and it recently beat out Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s to become the best-selling pint in America. —Mahita Gajanan
Makeup Shades for Every Skin Tone
Fenty Beauty / $34
“Makeup is like a secret weapon,” says pop superstar Rihanna. “It can go from very subtle to a complete transformation.”But for many, that secret weapon is too secret: makeup companies often cater to women with light to medium skin tones, both in products and advertising, and sideline women of color. Not so with Rihanna’s line, Fenty Beauty, which launched in September with 40 shades of foundation and a diverse array of makeup models. “It was important that every woman felt included,” she says, noting that she had “100% involvement” in the development process (alongside parent company Kendo). Almost immediately, the deeper tones started selling out at Sephora; shortly thereafter, brands such as Make Up For Ever and L’Oréal launched campaigns targeting women of color. Now Rihanna is focused on launching new Fenty Beauty collections and taking her brand to the next level. “I love challenges,” she says. “So I’m going to continue to have fun and push the boundaries in this industry.” —Cady Lang
Via Time