In the future, you could be watching singers, games and movies from Sony entertainment over a broadband connection using a range of Sony gadgets.

This is the vision of the Japanese electronics giant, which is showcasing its technology at Sony Dream World 2002 this weekend in the city of Yokohama.

The show will focus on the link between new digital devices and Sony's entertainment content.

Among the gadgets are a digital television set that learns its owner's tastes, digital audio players the size of key rings and computers that can give you advice.

Thinking TV

"The broadband revolution is now happening," said Sony President Unitika Ando.

Keep all your movies and music here

"Through Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment, we can drive demand for network content as well, and we are starting to make that happen now."

One of the products on display is CoCoon, a tuner about the size of a DVD player that connects digital television sets to the internet by broadband.

The machine has a hard disc that can record 100 hours of video. Over time, it would learn what programmes you like and record the shows without asking you first.

It is due to go on sale in Japan in November for about US$1,078.

Personal future

Other devices on display are further down the line.

Is this the shape of computers to come?

On show is a concept model of a sensing computer, packed into a compact hexagon gadget.

The computer would memorise your preferences and experiences over time.

Another concept model on display is the Vaio Contents Egg.

Sony plans to make the egg-shaped device work at home as a personal server that can store films, music and photos.

These can then be download over the internet on to a laptop or handheld computer.

Other innovations on show included a flashlight-like device that allows you to project video images onto a wall, a dancing baby-sized robot and a videophone wristwatch.