Android Tablets
Care for some Ice Cream Sandwich on that tablet? Plenty of manufacturers will oblige when they roll out the so-called version Android 4.0 on a slew of new tablets that will offer bigger screens, lighter weights and more than enough processing power to rumble with the iPad.
Ultrabooks
Good bye netbook, hello ultrabook. Intel has invested lots of money in working with vendor partners to line up with its ultrabook standard. CES will be the launch pad for these extremely mobile PCs meant to be the Macbook Air Killers of 2012.
iAccessories
Not everybody at CES is trying to ‘kill’ Apple products–there will be plenty of startups spinning out accessories for iPads, iPhones and iPods, helping to keep the masses out there awash in docking stations, apps and device covers for the year to come.
Car Technology
Ford is once again a major CES promoter this year and Mercedes will put up its CEO to do a keynote on day one at the show. The show will feature the latest electric car technology, safe driver assistance technology and many location-based services integrated into the next generation of in-car navigation systems.
Mobile Payment
There will be a bevy of vendors displaying prototypes and hawking proof-of-concepts involving near-field communication (NFC) and mobile payment technology that will ultimately make our smartphones act as our wallets, too.
Digital Health
There will be a whole entire separate Digital Health Summit at CES that will delve into the lucrative convergence of healthcare and technology. Look for apps and gadgets that help with early prevention and detection and mobile diagnostics.
Windows 8
This is the last year that Microsoft will invest heavily in CES — next year it will not be a show sponsor — so expect the company to get its money’s worth by promoting the heck out of the upcoming release of Windows 8, particularly for mobile devices.