The International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) takes place in Las Vegas every January and sets the consumer gadget tone for the year. However it is starting to be seen as less relevant by a lot of technology companies (2012 is the last time Microsoft will be at the show).

That said, if you like gadgets or like me, a unreconstructed and unrepentant gadget nerd, there is a lot of things to want. They include smarter yet simpler TVs, dozens of new ultrabook thin laptops, and mobile phones from Nokia and Sony with new features designed to help win more fans (albeit in the US market.)

2012 – the year of voice and gesture

The latest models are on a diet of voice commands, gestures and even facial recognition that will be enabled by faster processors, built-in cameras and microphones. We could finally see the death of the remote. Justin Timberlake (looks like he got presentation training) launched MySpaceTV (as a co-owner, he needed to make an impact).

Slimmer, Faster, Better

Ultrabooks were the other big story of the show, with PC makers backing Intel’s new standard for thin, light, instant-on laptops. HP Envy Spectre oozes class and glass – it uses toughened glass for surfaces such as the lid, as well as for the display.
Lenovo showed the shape of “thins to come” with its Yoga laptop, which has an innovative hinge and a touchscreen that flips over into an easel position or flattens to become a hybrid tablet – and runs Windows 8

Massive flat screens

Sharp announced new 80inch flatscreens, while Mitsubishi showed off an award-winning 92in set. Both would allow anyone to pretend they’re in Minority Report.

If you want to blog and talk live

Watch for the Sony Bloggie Live, which streams live video over a WiFi connection and even shows viewer comments right on your Bloggie’s three-inch LCD screen so you can engage with your audience on the fly. This is where Flip should have gone, but alas…

iPad gets Tabbed

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 – this could be the year that Samsung topple the all powerful iPad

Cameras

Instagram has become a phenomenon that urges people to look at the world in new ways. The Panasonic Lumix GX1 helps you easily move from cameraphone pics to serious photography with a 16MP sensor, mirrorless interchangeable lenses, and a cool retro feel, while still keeping those Instagram-like qualities, thanks to built-in filters, TiltShift effects, and a 1:1 square shooting option.

Smartphones you might really want (other than the iPhone)

Sony and Nokia trying to strengthen their appeal to US consumers. Sony’s Xperia Ion looked highly desirable and is its first phone to run on AT&T’s 4G LTE network, while Nokia’s Lumia 900 is its biggest Windows-based phone to date.

Time to start saving, or pan handling outside NAMA…