The New Year holidays are a quiet time in Japan, when few new products surface. However, electronics companies are still developing devices that will debut in the weeks and months to come, and gadget lovers can look forward to some innovations. At the top of the list for cool new toys of 2005 is a digital video processor from Sony that improves on HDTV. Other innovations to watch for include IO Data"s custom USB storage device, DoCoMo"s cell phone with a combo speaker/screen, a revamped Ricoh digicam, and--also from Sony--a megascreen "Dream Theater."
You can"t get better than HDTV, right? Think again! The Qualia 001 Creation Box is a little larger than a VCR and packs one of Sony"s latest digital video controllers. The chip can produce a high-definition image from a standard-definition source, improving on the quality of any conventional video source as well as the appearance of high-definition images.