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Toshiba has unveiled what it's calling the first glasses-free HDTVs for consumers. The Toshiba Regza TV, which comes in 20- and 12-inch models, achieves its technological feat by using an extra optical sheet covered with "perpendicular lenticular" arrays; it bends the light to make a 3D image visible at one of nine "sweet spots."

But the devil is in the details, notes Fast Company—the optimal viewing distance for the 3D effect is only 3 feet, which will make group watching awkward, especially on a 20-inch screen. Then there's price—the 20-inch model is to sell for $2,900, and the 12-inch for $1,450. (Read more 3D television stories.)