CES 2013: From big tablets to small chips

Antonia Laterza of Italy checks out Sony's Personal 3-D Viewer at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 9. CES, which takes place through Jan. 11, is a place where industry manufacturers, advertisers and tech-minded consumers converge to get a taste of new gadgets and innovations coming to the market each year.

Whirlpool shows off its conceptual dining unit called Fireplace at CES on Jan. 9. The Whirlpool Fireplace responds to items placed on it and will apply either heat or cold to those items. Above the surface is a standard stove hood, which also provides customizable mood lighting depending on the user's preferences. The annual Consumer Electronics Show, which takes place through Jan. 11, is a place where industry manufacturers, advertisers and tech-minded consumers converge to get a taste of new gadgets and innovations coming to the market each year.

The iPotty for iPad potty-training device is seen on display at CES on Jan. 9. No app is available to go with the trainer, but the idea is to keep the child on the toilet for as long as necessary by keeping them digitally entertained.

Model Sarah Smith poses while an attendee uses a Sigma SD1 camera at CES on Jan. 9.

Consumers relax in massage chairs at the Inada booth at CES on Jan. 9. Such chairs are a staple at the show, and well-used with attendees walking the equivalent of miles a day at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

A man wears Interaxon's Muse, a headband that shows the brain waves of the wearer, at CES on Jan. 9.

France's Filippe Monteiro Da Rocha of Hapilabs holds up a wireless computer-connected fork that monitors your eating habits at CES on Jan. 9.

Eric Rudder, chief technical strategy officer of Microsoft, holds a prototype Windows smartphone with a flexible OLED display during Samsung's keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 9. 2013. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through Jan. 11 and is expected to feature 3,100 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees.

Dancers perform during a Samsung Electronics keynote address at CES on Jan. 9.

Murata Boy, a remote-controlled robot, rides a bicycle at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 8. The robot uses gyroscopic sensors to stay upright.

Consumers view the Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrid racing car, the first hybrid to win the LeMans race in 2012, at CES on Jan. 8.

With about 150,000 people attendingt CES, it's no wonder that the Las Vegas Convention Center -- with 2 million square feet of booths and exhibits -- can seem like a can of sardines. Here, attendees crowd the hallways between vendor booths on Jan. 8. Additional exhibit halls and venues are also at nearby hotels.

An iPhone protected by protective plastic wrap is dipped into water during a demonstration at CES on Jan. 8.

Panasonic North America CEO Joe Taylor hands off Panasonic's new 4K 20- inch tablet to host Lisa Ling during a keynote address Jan. 8 at CES in Las Vegas. No word on what the jumbo slate, which weighs 5.3 pounds, will cost or when it will be out.

A man walks by an advertisement for Corning Gorilla Glass 3, shown in other ads along this walkway outside the Las Vegas Convention Center on Jan. 8, the first official day of CES. Corning's Gorilla Glass iis used on several tablets and phones.

A Nikon D4's magnesium alloy chassis and other components on display at the Nikon booth on Jan. 8. The company announced at the show that the D5200 consumer DSLR, is now available in the U.S. for $899 with kit lens.

Attendees wear 3-D glasses as they watch a presentation in the LG Electronics booth on Jan. 8. It's almost a staple at each Consumer Electronics Show in recent years, as TV manufacturers continue to try to convince buyers 3-D is a good option to have.

Dancers tango for the cameras at Nikon's booth on Jan. 8. It's just one of the many tangos that go on at the annual Cosumer Electronics Show, with more than 150,000 people estimated to pack the crowded show floors of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

A show attendee photographs an image displayed on Sony's 84-inch XBR 4K LED television after a news conference on Jan. 7. The set costs $25,000. Sony plans to introduce two newer Ultra High-Definition 4K TVs, one with a 55-inch screen, the other with a 65-inch screen; both are expected to cost considerably less, although price is not known yet.

People check out Sony's new Xperia Z smartphones after a news conference at CES on Jan. 7. The Xperia Z is waterproof, with a 13-megapixel camera, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, and a 5-inch full-1080p "reality" display. No word on price or U.S. availability yet, but a global launch is expected in the first quarter of this year.

A man tries out a Monopoly game on a Lenovo's IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC during an Intel news conference at CES on Jan. 7. The Table PC can lie flat on any surface so that two or more people can use the screen at the same time. The 27-inch table PC runs Windows 8 Pro. It is expected to be out by early summer, and likely will have a starting price of $1,699.

John Noonan displays a pair of Liquid Image goggles with a built-in, high-definition camera at a press event for CES on Jan. 6. The goggles won a "Best of Innovation" award from the Consumer Electronics Show. The goggles cost $399, and come in black or white.