* The 2009 'Buzz Awards' *

It often seems that new gadgets in the western techno-sphere create a lot of buzz and excitement. However, when entering the Japanese market this often over-exaggerated buzz tends to fall off as consumers turn to pre-established brands and proven systems....So let's see what's in-line to break into the Japanese market for 2009.

Here are the five top 'Buzz Awards' technologies the coming year will offer;

1. Apple netbook
An Apple Mac netbook – a small, cheap, basic laptop for essential web, media, and work applications – is the biggest rumoured announcement expected this week at Apple's final Macworld expo.

2. Google phones
Think the iPhone owns the licence on mobile internet surfing? What about a phone with software from Google? The internet search giant has created its very own mobile phone operating system, called Android, and this year handset makers will put it to work in several new phones with touchscreens and keyboards. Google-based phones are designed to be internet-friendly, especially for online tools including Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar and Maps on the go.

3. Digital radio
After years of planning and replanning, digital radio promises to offer clearer sound, better reception in crowded, urban areas, and some services more commonly associated with TV: the ability to rewind broadcasts (to hear the name of a song, for example), to download tracks, or to transmit text or basic pictures, be they a scrolling news ticker or an album cover. Digital radio technology will also let stations broadcast more than one channel simultaneously, offering regular programming on one channel, for example, and a live concert on another.

4. Windows 7
While making important strides in many areas, Windows Vista failed to inspire mass adoption among PC users. Windows 7, formerly known as Blackcomb and Vienna, promises to have none of the compatibility issues of Vista that saw some programs, printers and other peripherals fail. Extra features will also come with the software suite, including a new task bar called the Superbar with shortcuts to commonly used programs. New features will be added to the Control Panel, including Gadgets, and the software will support speech, touch and handwriting input for a future generation of computers.

5. Nokia's touchscreen hero
Nokia has taken a long time to catch up to the touchscreen trend. The Nokia N97 sports a 3.5in (8.89cm) touchscreen surrounded by three buttons, with a full QWERTY keyboard underneath the sliding screen. It also sports a 5-mega pixel camera, 32GB of built-in memory, built-in GPS, longer battery life, as well as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3.5G connections.

So that's the round up for the 2009 'Buzz Awards'.... now let's wait and see what the Japanese consumer thinks of them...

Australian Chris