We always intend our “Winners & Losers” coverage to be part of a larger discussion about what makes a good technology project. In that spirit, we ask all of you to go online [http://spectrum.ieee.org/jan08/winvote] to cast your ballot for which of our five winners you find the best as a commercial prospect and which seems likely to do the most good for humankind, regardless of financial considerations. These votes aren’t just for fun; they will determine the two winners that will receive special awards at the annual EE Times ACE Awards ceremony, in April at the Fairmont Hotel, in San Jose.

This year, we are taking that open-forum idea further with two new features. First, the “you tell us” category of projects (ones we found intriguing but couldn’t clearly identify as winners or losers) has gone online: [http://spectrum.ieee.org/jan08/youtellus]. We’ve made it easier for you to tell us and your fellow readers what you think. Second, we have invited three prominent technology watchers—Gordon Bell, T.J. Rodgers, and Nick Tredennick—to comment on our winners and losers in this issue. Look for their pungent comments in the sidebars in each article.