It's great to see all these lists come out at the end of the year:
David Pogue of The New York Times wrote:10 greatest gadget ideas of the year
The hybrid high-definition tape
JVC and Sony developed the first camcorders capable of recording in spectacular wide-screen high definition. This would have been a perfect opportunity for them to introduce yet another type of videocassette--some expensive, proprietary new format that wouldn't fit any other camcorder (and would generate millions in sales).