One of the best parts of our jobs is getting to see cutting-edge and unusual technologies in action, and 2009 brought no shortage of interesting stuff along those lines. Today's category in The Flashies: Coolest Thing We Saw This Year. Vote here in our poll, and keep reading for videos and descriptions of the nominees.

We're limiting our own nominees in this category to things we actually saw in person. But if you saw a particularly great technology project or prototype over the past year, please let us know about it in the comments, preferably with a link to a video. As with previous categories, other readers will be able to support your nomination by logging in and clicking the "like" button next to your comment.

Ice Cream from Liquid Nitrogen: Is there any offbeat idea that Nathan Myhrvold won't get behind? The head of Intellectual Ventures and former chief technology officer at Microsoft previewed his book on the science of cooking by showing how to make almond ice cream from liquid nitrogen during an October speech at the University of Washington. Demonstrating the technique is Intellectual Ventures' Chris Young. Myhrvold's Hurricane Suppression System and "Stratoshield" are also in the running in the "Craziest Tech Idea of the Year" Flashies category.

Microsoft's PC in a Dome: Some of the original researchers behind Microsoft's Surface tabletop computer and Sphere computing prototype took the concept a step further with a system that projects a computer screen onto an overhead dome, letting people interact with the screen by making gestures in the air above the combination camera/projector. As demonstrated in the prototype, applications include videoconferencing and a makeshift planetarium.

Rocking Data Center Cabinets: Early in the year, we got a chance to tour the city of Bellevue's data center to get a demonstration of WorkSafe Technologies' ISO-Base ball-and-cone system, which sits under the data center racks and allow them to shift independent of the building during an earthquake, reducing damage. The action is toward the end of this video. Pretty cool to see those huge data center racks rock back and forth like that.

Swype on the Samsung Omnia: To people tired of pecking out messages on mobile devices, this technology from Seattle-based Swype may look pretty slick. It allows mobile phone users to run a finger or a stylus across an on-screen mobile keyboard to compose words and sentences faster than with a traditional tap. As we reported later in the year, it's not without competition. For a closer look at Swype, see this official demo video from the company.

Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard: This device, developed by Microsoft Hardware veterans, uses germicidal ultraviolet light to combat the spread of disease, as an alternative to manual cleaning. After use, the keyboard automatically retracts into an enclosed monitor stand to be bathed in the ultraviolet light. The company, Bothell-based Vioguard LLC, is selling the device direct to consumers for $899 while waiting for FDA approval to offer the keyboard to hospitals.

Wireless Power from TV Signals: Turns out there's more usable power flying through the air than we knew. During a tour of Intel Labs in Seattle's University District in September, UW grad student and Intel Labs researcher Alanson Sample showed us the WARP project, Wireless Ambient Radio Power -- using the signal from a TV transmitter across town to power a small weather station and a calculator.

Voting Still Open in Previous Flashies Categories

Tech Triumph of the Year
Craziest Tech Idea of the Year
Biggest Tech Debacle of the Year
Technology Platform of the Year
Best Hire of the Year
Top Microsoft Videos of 2009

We'll be rolling out more Flashies categories in the coming days, including Startup Deal of the Year and many others, so check back and continue voting as we build up to the announcement of all the winners.