Technology leaders from Microsoft to Intel and Nokia will face new rivals; 3D-TV will be all the rage; and a flurry of glitzy wireless devices - from e-readers to ever-smaller personal computers - will make their debuts. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week promises to showcase new battlegrounds in technology, and with an economic recovery slowly taking root, attendees are looking for more dazzle than last year, when CES was perhaps most notable for a lack of major news. Portable computing devices of many flavors will be front and center as the continued blurring of the line between the smartphone and PC causes new rivals to duke it out on unfamiliar ground. Shipments of netbooks, which skyrocketed last year, are expected to approach 40 million units in 2010 as more consumers take to the mini-laptops designed for Web-surfing and email on the go, according to DisplaySearch. And a new wave of even smaller laptops - which some are calling smartbooks - running on low-power, ARM-based mobile phone chips from companies like Qualcomm Inc and Nvidia Corp are expected to emerge at CES. Such chips are based on technology licensed by ARM Holdings Plc. If consumers warm to these devices, they would represent a threat to the Intel-Microsoft dominance of the PC ecosystem, as these devices cannot run Windows PC operating systems. The Consumer Electronics Association, which runs from Jan.7 to Jan.10, is expecting around 110,000 attendees, down slightly from last year. Roughly 2,500 exhibitors are expected, versus 2,700 a year ago. Here are just some of the gadgets announced or unveiled at the CES: HP Windows tablet from Microsoft Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed off a new touch-screen, tablet-style computer from Hewlett-Packard Co., the first of several such devices expected to be unveiled this month. The tablet - also known as a slate, a one-piece portable computer without a physical keyboard - was one of several new PCs Ballmer demonstrated Wednesday as he delivered Microsoft Corp.'s customary keynote presentation on the eve of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. During the talk, which was shown live over the Web, Ballmer said the HP tablet will be available later this year. He also gave a glimpse of two similar devices from Archos and Pegatron Corp. Tablet-style computers that run Windows have been available for a decade, but HP's new machine is bound to draw extra attention thanks to expectations that Apple Inc. will launch a similar device later this month. Apple, notoriously secretive about upcoming products, has not commented on the matter. But given the iPhone's success, which propelled competitors to come out with copycat touch-screen phones and centralized “app” stores to sell add-on software, all eyes are on Apple to define what a slate or tablet-style computer should look like and how it will be used. Microsoft also said it forged a new search distribution deal with HP that will make the company's Bing search site and MSN.com content portal the default search engine and Web home page on new HP computers sold in 42 countries. Samsung unveils e-reader, partnering with Google South Korean electronics giant Samsung jumped into the increasingly crowded electronic book reader market Wednesday, unveiling its first devices and a partnership with Google Books. Samsung took the wraps off two wireless e-readers at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the “E6” with a six-inch (15.2-centimeter) screen and the “E101” with a 10-inch (25.4-centimeter) display. Samsung touted its new black-and-white display e-readers for their ability to allow users to write directly on the screen, making annotations with an electromagnetic resonance stylus pen. “It's not just a reading device,” said Doug Albregts, vice president of Samsung's information technology division. “It's more like paper with a handwriting feature in that it allows you to write directly on the display.” Google global director of communications Gabriel Stricker made a video appearance at the Samsung event to announce that the Web giant, which is compiling a vast online library of books, would be a partner with Samsung. Samsung said the E6 will cost $399 while the E101 will cost $699 and will be available in early 2010. The new Samsung devices will go up against Amazon's popular Kindle and a host of other new devices already on the market, including the Sony Reader, the “Nook” from Barnes & Noble and the Cool-er from Britain's Interead. Motorola to sell inside-out phone, eyes tablet Motorola Inc said it will sell a new “inside-out” Android flip-phone with a keyboard and display on the outside, and is considering joining the latest craze for tablet computing devices. Co-Chief Executive Sanjay Jha said the company is mulling making a tablet that is bigger than a typical cellphone as it looks for the best way to combine wireless and computing devices. Motorola's biggest rival, Nokia, has already branched outside of phones with a netbook computer. Motorola itself is working on turning around its money-losing mobile devices business by focusing mostly on smartphones based on Android, the Google Inc mobile operating system. Jha said Motorola's newest Android phone, the Backflip, will go on sale in the first quarter. It has a full QWERTY keyboard that flips back from the screen, and an unusual track pad that functions like a computer mouse behind the screen. The device also has a high-resolution display that can be used for watching videos when it is slanted at an angle. Jha also said the company plans to make a phone for Google Inc to sell directly to consumers - a day after Google introduced its first own-branded smartphone, which will be sold exclusively on its website.3-D TV a rage at Consumer Electronics Show A breathtaking wave of 3-D televisions hit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Wednesday as the technology was touted as the next big thing in home theater. “When it comes to home entertainment, there really is no experience like 3-D,” Sony chief executive Howard Stringer said while unveiling innovations on the eve of the official start of CES in Las Vegas. The Japanese electronics giant's plans range from being part of a 3-D television network in the United States to streaming live performances in the format. Sony has teamed with Discovery and IMAX in a 3-D television network and with ESPN to broadcast soccer and golf matches in 3-D. While 3-D technology has been around for years, it is finally “ready for prime time” as proven by box office successes of films “Avatar” and “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” according to IMAX. Sony will release a line of 3-D ready televisions this year capable of synching with sensing units and “active shutter glasses” for 3-D viewing. Toshiba Wednesday unveiled a flat-panel television that converts any digital video into 3-D as a wave of rich graphics crashed on the shore of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). “With Cell TV, everything is in 3-D,” Toshiba America marketing vice president Scott Ramirez said while unveiling Cell TV to the press on the eve of CES in Las Vegas, which this year gathers some 2,500 industry exhibitors. South Korean consumer electronics giant LG announced that this year it will launch 3-D TVs as well as a 3-D projector. Panasonic went 3-D with a “Live In It” campaign for its electronics. South Korea's Samsung teamed up with DreamWorks Animation, maker of “Shrek” and other hit movies, and Technicolor on Wednesday in a push to bring more 3-D entertainment into the home. Samsung, DreamWorks and Technicolor announced they have formed a “global strategic alliance” to “accelerate the worldwide deployment of in-home 3-D to mainstream consumers.”
