Every year, on that first chilly week when you head back to school, more than a 100,000 technologists, business leaders and journalists from across the globe descend on Las Vegas, home of the world’s biggest technology show. For one hectic week the city of gambling and glitz is turned into an Aladdin’s cave of gadgets and next gen gizmos.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) sees hundreds of companies packing themselves into the Las Vegas Convention Centre to show off their new products and ideas. And because this is Las Vegas there are always stars on hand to help out. This year Tom Hanks, Usher and Akon were involved in promoting the show.

The hotels are packed and getting a cab can be a nightmare, but that doesn’t stop thousands flock to get a first glimpse at what everyone will be talking about for the next 12 months. And to judge by what we’ve seen, 2009 has some corkers in store, including funky technologies and gadgets that had us grinning with glee.

One of the biggest trends on show was the ‘skinny’ telly. Originally, TV and display technology used a CRT, short for Cathode Ray Tube. These were huge, heavy boxes; the type your parents grew up with and consisted of a vacuum tube that used electrons and a fluorescent screen to create images.

Thankfully, technology has advanced and now both plasma and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) concepts are used. These use illuminated gas or tiny crystals to create the TV image, allowing screens to become thinner and lighter. But the boffins behind these developments didn’t stop there and now the latest generation of flat panel TVs are even slimmer. Panasonic showed off a plasma TV that’s just millimetres thick.

And there’s even a new technology on hand – OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). Not only do OLEDs generate the best-ever TV pictures, the screens can be wafer thin and flexible.

However, this year’s hot potato has to be 3D. Around for decades but considered a gimmick, it looks like its time is finally here, thanks to today’s technologies making things look, well, damn cool.

Recently becoming more commonplace in movies (Christmas had Journey to the Centre of the Earth and there’s already been My Bloody Valentine on screens this year) also expect appearances in TV shows, games and even outdoor advertising as 3D becomes more prolific during the upcoming months.

Many people aren’t aware that most of us have the tech in our homes to watch 3D, but it’s just been the content itself that’s been missing. Consumer 3DTV displays are actually already available to view with and without glasses, and many ‘2D' displays in homes are already capable of displaying 3D content - it just needs to be connected to a 3D feed. However, with film companies hyping it up and Sony showing off some of its PS3 games in 3D, we reckon it wont be long before we can all get our mitts on some 3D action at home.

‘Crucially, much of the backbone technology has arrived and is already in many people's homes, without them even realising it,’ says Sarah Carroll of Futuresource Consulting. ‘Within the next five to ten years we’re going to see 3D prevalent across the home entertainment industry, with 3D technologies increasingly installed in households.’

But 3D fun doesn’t stop there. Another company, Total Immersion, was using CES to show off its interactive 3D live show, called Augmented Reality.

Taking 3D to the next level, this offers an experience where you interact with 3D environments.  Rather than 3D coming at you, its there with you, as you can go up to a virtual person or thing, walk around it, behind it: you can basically view it from any angle. It can be used in a work situation by allowing you to look at prototype designs in detail, and in play by fully immersing you in a virtual world. The ideas are endless and over time we expect to see this technology being used in more and more fantastical ways. Images don’t do this technology justice however, so check out the video of Augmented Reality on www.Flipside.org.uk.

The coolest thing you can get your hands on right now, however, has to be the Minoru 3D webcam. Designed by Brit David Holder, The Minoru (which means reality in Japanese) was actually awarded a stand at the show. Compatible with Skype, MSN and YouTube amongst others, it allows you to sit at home and chat with your mates as if you were in the room with them.

Really simple to set up, the Minoru looks like a little robot face that you rest on top of your computer screen. Its ‘eyes’ are the two cameras, and together they create the 3D image that your friends can view with their special glasses. Chatting to your mates will never be the same again.

There was another underlying theme of this year’s CES, and that was ‘green’ technology. Being environmentally friendly is more important than ever, but now the electronics manufacturers are highlighting their green references as selling points to consumers.

Energy saving gadgets were big news, as were products that used solar energy as power sources. Even products that help you ‘go green’ were getting hyped up, including a carbon footprint calculator.

Manufacturers were showing that they had a conscience. They proved that their products could be of a high standard but still be environmentally friendly to build, use and dispose of. Greenpeace even ran a survey of products at the show, which proved that manufacturers are taking steps to improve their products, but that there’s still room for a lot of improvement.

It looks like 2009 is going to be an exciting year for technology fans, especially for those with a love of movies and games. Throw in the fact that products are more environmentally friendly than ever, and its good news all round.




THE GADGETS

The CES show floor is huge, but it’s worth scouring the entire conference centre as great gadgets can be found around ever corner. There’s too many to mention them all, however there were a few gems we just had to tell you about:

Eye-Fi – This is a wireless SD memory card for your camera that allows you to upload piccies directly from your camera to PC without cables. This year the company of the same name showcased new technology that allows you to wirelessly upload your videos from camera to YouTube.

Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker – One of the weirdest, yet coolest, gadgets of CES 2009, the kit is made up of a pick, a belt buckle ad a wearable mini amplifier. When you rock out with the pick (read: wave it in front of your belt buckle) a guitar cord is unleashed. Rock on, dudes.

Logitech G19 Keyboard – The ultimate gamer’s keyboard, this baby is kitted out with features galore. You’ll never be short of a macro with 12 fully programmable keys, and this is the first Logitech keyboard to feature a colour GamePanel LCD. This will show in-game info as well as VoIP communication data, a clock and CPU load to name but a few.

3rd Space Gaming Vest – Based on technology originally designed for use by doctor’s remotely examining patients, this vest connects to a PC or console via USB, and allows you to feel all the in-game punches, kicks, bullets and blasts through the use of lightweight air compressor that pumps air into bladders. Different versions are now available for shooter and racing fans, and you can add sleeves a hat or even leg covers to get a ‘full body experience’.