Toshiba reps had a lot to say in their press conference today, including several new features and models the company's upscale Regza line of LCD TVs. Perhaps most impressive is Resolution+, the new name for what had been known as SRT (Super Resolution Technology), which can even upconvert 1080p to 4K when displays of that resolution become available. Another LCD theme being pursued by Toshiba is 240Hz scanning, which combines 120Hz refresh rate with backlight flashing. None of the new sets is fully operational yet, and they were not showing any video images at the press conference, but the 52ZV650U pictured here diffracted the spotlights to create a cool rainbow effect.

Many audiophiles love vacuum tube-based components for their warm analog sound. <A href="http://www.einstein-audio.de">Einstein Audio</A> of Germany understands this well, as demonstrated by the introduction of The Tube MKII 2-channel preamp at CES next month.

With all the hoopla surrounding President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize, the other 2009 Nobel Prizes have gotten a bit lost in the shuffle. In particular, I want to acknowledge the winners of the Physics Prize, which was awarded to three scientists for their work in fiber optics and digital imaging. But whereas the Peace Prize seems to have been awarded based on potential, the Physics Prize honors work done four decades ago that has had a fundamental impact on our lives today.