2013

LAS VEGAS--Computers and related hardware are rarely the top category at the annual CES, with last year being a possible exception, thanks to ultrabook hype. In 2013, we found laptops, desktops, and tablets in shorter supply than usual, with the main culprit being the October 2012 release of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system and the flood of new systems that went along with it.

The following are some of the big-picture trends and ideas we took away from the show, while a breakdown of our Best of CES nominees in this category is here.

Ultrabook DNA is everywhere Even … Read more

Will flat-panel TV picture quality get even better in 2013?

I'm guessing "Yes" in the case of the Best of CES nominee Panasonic TC-PZT60 and the re-engineered Samsung UNF8500, very likely the two best-performing TVs of 2013 under $10,000.

But those two are hardly the TV hardware poster children of the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, where all the headlines touted expensive 4K and OLED sets -- still stupid and chronically under-delivered, respectively -- as well as new gadgetry of questionable usefulness. Finger-gesture control, anyone?

I got a chance to see both the Panasonic and the Samsung … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Seated in a luxurious bus on the edge of the Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot, Nokia executive VP of sales and marketing Chris Weber talks around the company's plan to differentiate its phones in 2013.

It will surprise Nokia followers little to learn that this year, the Windows Phone-maker will be all about photos.

Two main categories define how good pictures will be: hardware choices, like using higher-end lenses that let in more light, and software algorithms that render clear, bright images with pop.

Nokia has talked up its PureView technology, first found in the Nokia 808 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--While the presence of software and apps at CES has certainly grown over the past few years, the fact remains that downloads still sit in the shadows of home theater components, gaming equipment, mobile devices, and other hardware at the annual show. At this point, we're beginning to think that software may never take center stage at CES. From an economic standpoint, it might not make much sense for a company to double down on an expensive booth to showcase a straightforward, downloadable app when the show continues to gravitate toward colorful plastics and shiny metals.

Rather, we … Read more

LAS VEGAS--When you think of CES, chances are it's images of massive HDTVs that first come to mind. This year, however, technology on a tiny scale made a big impact. This new product category we call wearable tech consists of gadgets small enough to be clipped, pinned, or looped around your body and worn constantly.

The smartwatch If you thought that the smartwatch died with the demise of Microsoft's SPOT devices over a decade ago, you're in for a rude awakening. With the recent rise of the smartphone, the need for the wealth of information these devices … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Tumblr sits alongside the Internet elites in terms of audience, but the 5-year-old blogging medium has lagged far behind the likes of Facebook and Twitter in the money-making department. That could all change in 2013 as the social site pushes forward on a more aggressive strategy to get big brands to pay top dollar to reach its highly influential community.

Derek Gottfrid, vice president of product at Tumblr, told CNET that the company has seen a ton on inbound interest on its Tumblr Radar and Spotlight ad units, first launched in limited release in May of last year.

"… Read more

LAS VEGAS--As far as mobile conferences go, this was a quieter CES -- there were few marquee smartphones and only one real device that pushed the smartphone form factor forward (but what an interesting specimen). Regardless, phone makers launched 21 new handsets in conjunction with the show.

Despite the lack of dazzle, CES 2013 nevertheless gave us an important preview of things to come, and the direction smartphone development will take in the coming year.

Spotlight on the second tier Big names like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and Nokia were all but absent, maybe dribbling out a phone (Samsung Ativ Odyssey, … Read more

One minute, you're wondering what was going through the minds of those who prepared the Qualcomm keynote of crazy, the next you're watching crazily hungover people pile into cabs and head back to places they call home.

Here are the five things that have stayed in my head, long after the gossip, the rumor and the wine had flowed away.

1. WHERE HAD THIS LADY BEEN? WHAT WAS SHE WEARING? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

This was around 10 o'clock on Thursday morning at the Renaissance Hotel, right at the Convention … Read more

If you've never been to CES, it's a little like wading through a tsunami of shiny plastic and thousands of people.

The annual tide of techno-froth rises and falls, and what's hot this year is not next year. Sometimes the experience can come across rather like the proverbial sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Especially considering that tech giants are staying away en masse. Of Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Samsung, only Samsung has an official presence at the show.

Apple hasn't participated since 1992, though hundreds of companies at CES show off Apple accessories, and Microsoft recently dropped out. … Read more