A Better Idea

WSJ.com - By MICHAEL TOTTY :: Innovation Awards - THE JOURNAL REPORT: TECHNOLOGY : Here are the winners in all 12 industry categories.

Biotech-Medical - 454 Life Sciences won in this category with its method for low-cost gene sequencing.

Medical Devices - Optimyst Systems Inc. of West Islip, N.Y., won for a new device for applying eye medicines that promises to be easier and less wasteful than traditional methods.

Energy and Power - Solar Integrated Technologies Inc., Los Angeles, won for its solar roof system designed for large commercial and industrial buildings.

Environment - The MIT team's water-filtering system won in the environmental technology category.

Materials - Ecology Coatings' line of nontoxic, easy-to-use finishes won in this category.

Network/Broadband/Internet - Riverbed Technology Inc. of San Francisco won for its Steelhead network appliances, which speed the transfer of data and use of applications between remote offices and central servers.

Security (Facilities) - ObjectVideo Inc., Reston, Va., won for software that monitors multiple feeds from security video cameras and can automatically detect potential threats, such as intruders.

Security (Network) - Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. in Kawasaki, Japan, won for a device that can read the veins in the palm of a person's hand, an alternative to fingerprints as a unique identifier for confirming the person's identity.

Semiconductors - Alien Technology was the winner in this category for its low-cost manufacturing technique for making RFID chips.

Software - Agitar Software Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., won here for its Agitator tool, which helps software developers find and fix bugs when writing new programs.

Transportation - QinetiQ, a defense- and security-technology company based in the United Kingdom, won for its Tarsier high-resolution radar system, which airports can use to detect potentially hazardous runway debris.

Wireless - Freescale Semiconductor Inc., Austin, Texas, won for its efforts to bring to market the first consumer products using "ultrawideband" wireless technology, which promises to deliver audio, video and data at higher speeds, using less power than other wireless technologies.