HD TVs have come a long way since the days of the first flatscreens, but here's a little secret for you: this year's new, fancy, top line TVs aren't really going to improve much on last year's new, fancy top line TVs. If you're in the market for a new display, you're better off looking for older, discounted models.

Thinking of picking up a new HD TV? Here are all the pricing, release dates, specs and features for each big brand’s current TV lineup. This years TVs are pushing the envelope on picture quality and device connectivity, while pushing the form factor even further.

Panasonic has announced their new Toughbook CF-33 – a ruggedised 2-in-1 with a detachable keyboard. It has a 12-inch screen and is 37% thinner and 26% lighter than the CF-31 it supersedes. Battery life has been boosted to 10 hours. Not bad for a package that weighs in at 2.761 kg in laptop mode or 1.527 kg without the keyboard.

Panasonic has recalled battery packs from a number of its ruggedised tablet and notebook products. The defect may cause devices to overheat, produce smoke and potentially ignite. There are number of different models affected, with a number of specific battery packs made after March 2013 subject to the recall.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: United Airlines loses $1 billion in value, the 10 Australian postcodes with the lowest incomes, cheap sci-fi games from Humble Bundle.

Back in 2010 Sony Australia's Paul Colley forecasted that a large percentage of Australian viewers would have 3D televisions by 2014. In the same year, industry pundits such as Simon Murray predicted that sales of 3D TVs were set to increase in the years to come.

But others were heralding the death of 3D TVs and this year the remaining major manufacturers, LG and Sony, have said they will no longer produce 3D-capable televisions. So despite all the repeated push and positive predictions, what went wrong with 3D TV?