Just as gift cards have started becoming a tool of necessity for those lost in the digital age, 2009 has also seen the rise of broadband connectivity as the common “cool” factor of breakthrough gadgets and services.

Engadget, a popular consumer electronic blog, reported that without a doubt the next big thing in HDTV’s is Internet capabilities with LG Electronics unveiling a new TV with built-in Netflix streaming support and Toshiba shipping its own line of web-enabled sets as well. The electronic and gadget manufacturers are not the only ones with broadband on the brain; cable TV providers themselves have begun exploring new on-demand web-based movie and television services to compete with popular portals like Hulu as consumers head straight to the Internet to watch favorite shows at their leisure.  Just recently, Comcast rolled out the beta version of their new Fancast XFINITY TV service which opens all of their television/movie content to their subscriber base as well as providing a platform for future offerings such as programming your DVR through the Web.

We look towards 2010 like a kid waiting for Santa on what new technologies are around the corner that will make our lives more productive, more connected or just more fun. 2009 however will always be remembered with an air of significance as the year consumer electronics enabled with Internet capabilities truly came together with the pervasive nature of broadband as the glue.