CES 2012 Preview: 16 Hot Gadgets

With more than 2,700 exhibitors filling more than 3.2 million square feet of space in the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has evolved into a Disneyland-like spectacle. There's no way to see everything--from refrigerators with Internet-enabled egg-trays to smartphones to Justin Bieber (yes, he'll be there)--in the short week that the show comes to town. This is especially true given how quickly the streets, cabs, and buses are overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of people who descend on Sin City for a bit of a boondoggle and a glimpse at the latest consumer technology. Harking back to the days of Comdex, the CES is so big that it now spills over into the convention center's neighboring hotels.

While heavy coverage of consumer technology isn't exactly the primary domain of InformationWeek, we know that there's an inner-geek in all of you, whose passion for technology can only be satisfied by an occasional full-sized helping of consumer tech imagery. Not to mention the reality that much of what appears on the show floor this month will appear in offices later this year, forcing IT departments to figure out how to deal with the new devices. Undeterred by throngs of people (many of whom need a shower), snarled traffic, and smoky casinos, InformationWeek will be at CES in force looking to unearth the coolest wizardry at this year's show.

Our on-site coverage will begin late Sunday with videos and still images from a closed-door press-only gathering called "CES Unveiled." As part of an extended warm up for the main event on Tuesday, our journalists and video crews will fan out across the city on Monday for private viewings and video-tapings of unannounced technologies. Finally, on Tuesday, when the big tent opens, the InformationWeek team will attempt to divide and conquer all that square footage.

For this and more coverage of the show as it unfolds, be sure to visit InformationWeek's CES 2012 Special Report. Meanwhile, in advance of the show, we asked some CES exhibitors to share a sneak peek at their new goodies and gadgets. Let your inner geek dig in and enjoy.