Popular Science magazine has released its list of the Top Innovations of 2011.  Topping the list is the Lytro Light-Field camera, which allows photographers to focus pictures after they’re taken. The Wacom Inkling doodle digitizer also made the list (we wrote about the Wacom Bamboo Stylus in a recent post). 

One of the gadgets on the list that caught our eye is the Kycero Echo, an Android phone that mimics a tablet with a second 3.5-inch touchscreen that can be snapped into place alongside the primary screen.  This creates a total screen resolution of 960 x 800, just slightly less than a 7-inch tablet.  The pair of screens share one image by default.  App creators are also expected to code games and other apps that display different coordinated images on the two screens.

Find out more about the Kycero Echo and the other Top Innovations of 2011 on the Popsci website.

Most of us have dropped a smartphone and held our breath as it hit the floor. Apparently Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos decided to do something about the sinking feeling you get when your smartphone drops. It was recently revealed that Bezos has filed a patent application for a smartphone system that would use the phone’s camera and gyroscope to detect motion and the proximity of other objects. If the phone decides that it’s falling, protective measures will spring into action. Possible ideas for the phone protection include a mini airbag or deployable springs.

Read more about Bezo’s patent on the Popular Science website.

The Doodle-Track Car is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but it packs hours of entertainment. This small toy car has the amazing ability to follow any dark line, either printed or drawn with a marker or crayon. You can design and print track layouts on the Doodle-Tracker website, or drawn freeform tracks. The Doodle-Tracker Car was named by Popular Science magazine as one of the best toys at the 2010 International Toy Show. It retails for $14.99.