For some people, December is all about holidays and racking up credit-card debt so that everyone in the family can have an MP3 player. But for those of us in the publishing industry, the holidays are so three months ago. December is all about the new year--and looking ahead at what it will bring in the world of technology.

The year 2006 is sure to produce a number of innovative products, with each company trying to outdo the other by offering consumers something utterly and irresistibly original. Undoubtedly we'll be introduced to plenty of those products in early January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the biggest trade event of the year. In the meantime, I took a quick peek at six upcoming products that I think you might like.

A Real Music Phone

With its dated design, poky transfer speeds, and restrictive limits on the number of songs you can carry, Motorola's ROKR E1 ($150 with a two-year contract) was a disappointment to anyone who was hoping for an elegant, powerful hybrid of music player and cell phone. (Read "Rokr vs. Walkman: No Clear Winner" for PC World's review of the ROKR and Sony Ericsson's W800i music phone.)

Early next year, Nokia will try to do what Motorola couldn't: Produce a truly innovative music-playing phone. What sets Nokia's N91 apart is the addition of a 4GB hard drive capable of storing and playing 3000 or so songs--far more than the ROKR, which imposes a wimpy 100-song limit and forces you to keep all of your music on tiny memory cards.

Oh yeah, Nokia's N91 us a full-on smart phone too, so you can store contacts, schedules, and tasks, and sync it with your PC. And, of course, you can use it to phone home. The price and launch date haven't been set yet.

Robofriend

Sometimes you see a product and you're immediately attracted to it; such is the case with me and robotic vacuum cleaners. Unfortunately, the vac I want--the Electrolux Trilobyte--costs $1800, so I'm going to pass on that one.

Now iRobot, the company that helped pioneer the robovac industry with the Roomba, is getting set to release its latest wunderkind. But rather than sucking, the Scooba ($400) is all about mopping. Designed for hard surfaces, the Scooba can wash and dry floors without any guidance or help from you (well, you do have to press the start button). If it works as advertised, this is a huge deal for people who have tons of floor space and kids who like to drop stuff.

For a more detailed review, read Agam Shah's June Digital Gear column, "Household-Friendly Electronics."

Cool Power Strip

It's not often--okay, it's not ever--that I get excited about a power strip. But when I saw Trident Design's Flexity PowerSquid ($50), I e-mailed the link to my husband, which is more effort than I have ever expended on a surge protector. The thing is, I'm sick of how my mondo-sized power adapters cover more than half of the outlets on a power strip, causing me to accidentally unplug my computer whenever I plug in my cell phone charger. The PowerSquid's flexible "tentacles"--each with an outlet on the end--mean that power adapters don't have to get in the way of each other. So simple, yet...functional.

Sky Searcher

I'm no closet astronomer. I've never been good at identifying either of the dippers, nor am I talented at spotting shooting stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. But it doesn't mean I'm not interested in what's up there. Perhaps that's why the Celestron SkyScout holds incredible appeal for me. (Maybe part of it is so I can show up that snobby, remembers-everything-he-reads-in-Scientific-American husband of mine.)

The as-yet unpriced SkyScout, due out in January, is a handheld device that lets you to point at any object in the night sky, press a button, and listen to information about that astral body. You can also choose an object you'd like to view--say, the planet Mars--and the SkyScout will point out where it is. Now why didn't they have this when I was in school?

Tao Wireless Media Player

New digital cameras from Canon, Kodak, and Nikon feature Wi-Fi connectivity. So why shouldn't MP3 players have it too? Tao, most recently known for its XM2Go portable satellite radio device, apparently thought the same thing when it designed its new Wireless Media Player ($350).

The Wireless Media Player is a 20GB MP3 player that has built-in 802.11b capabilities. The player is able to locate hotspots and log on to them so that you can download music, audio books (the device is Audible-ready), recorded newspaper stories, and talk programs while you're on the go. It's impossible to say how well the device will work, but the idea of downloading a book at a cafe or airport (especially before a long flight) is quite appealing.

Sony PlayStation 3

No self-respecting list of innovative 2006 products would be complete without a mention of the much-talked-about Sony PlayStation 3. When Sony's next-generation console hits stores next spring, it's supposed to revolutionize the way you play video games. With a powerful 3.2-GHz Cell processor, an NVidia graphics chip, and 256MB of main memory, the PlayStation 3 will feature incredibly smooth game play and lifelike graphics.

The PlayStation 3 as a game console is compelling in its own right; but the PlayStation 3 as a home-entertainment component puts it over the top. Unlike Microsoft's recently released Xbox 360 ($300 to $400)--in fact, unlike any game console or DVD player currently available in the U.S.--the PlayStation 3 comes equipped with a Blu-Ray Disc drive, which will allow you to watch high-definition prerecorded movies when they become available. Plus, Sony has announced that the PS3 will support high-def displays up to a resolution of 1080p, turning its next-gen console into much more than just a gaming machine.

Those are some of the products that I'm personally looking forward to checking out in 2006. For a look at some of the other interesting goings-on in the new year, read "What's New for 2006." And to find out what we deemed to be the most innovative gear, make sure to browse the PC World Innovation Award winners, which will be announced in the February 2006 issue. You can read all about them on our Web site starting January 4.

Adios

This is my last official Digital World Insider. Okay, I know I said that last month. Unfortunately, we were unable to finish the infrastructure necessary to launch our new Digital World gadget blog as scheduled. But look for the Digital World blog online soon--soon, I tell you. That's where you'll find me, other dedicated bloggers, and members of the PC World staff ranting and raving about the latest news from the consumer electronics world.

And don't worry; this newsletter isn't going away. Although I won't be writing the newsletter myself, future editions will feature highlights from our blog.

Cathy Lu is a freelance writer and editor.