CES 2011: 5 trends from the show

Journalists and analysts try to take away upcoming trends in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), it is, after all, the big event at the start of the year. CE companies use this as an opportunity to showcase new and upcoming products and technologies as well as define the trends that tend to take shape in the coming year. Here are 5 trends spotted at CES.

1) Car manufacturers easing into the tech and CE segment - We've always maintained that our vehicles are the biggest gadgets we own. Not only are they an important part of our lives but a lot of technology eventually makes its way to cars and trucks. With Audi, Ford and many other carmakers pushing electric vehicles and integrated systems like Ford's Sync, the melding of motoring and tech will continue.

2) Artists endorsing consumer electronics - You have the popular Beats by Dr. Dre, Sleek by 50 Cent, Soul by Ludacris, audio products plus the new House of Marley (as in Bob) line of audio products plus Lady Gaga's relentless stewardship of Polaroid (we need to try those sunglasses with a camera). F or better or worse, popular artists will continue to lend their names to devices, it is a strategy that jus works.

3) The netbook is a thing of the past - Nowhere on the show floor did any manufacturer showcase any new or exciting netbooks. The cheap portable segment still exists but it has been rendered irrelevant not just by the tablet announcements but by the thin-and-light notebook segment as well as the emerging convertible segment which has both tablet and notebook capabilities.

4) Mobile hotspots are the way to go - This is a necessary feature that most smart devices (phones, tablets) need to integrate. The ability to share your device's data plan with your laptop, tablet or other devices on the go. Apple's Verizon iPhone has this, so do a number of Android smartphones and tablets. You can also get the standalone MiFi-type units which work on any device you may have.

5) 3D will be in everything - After visiting Sony and Samsung's palatial expo booths it became apparent that big tech companies are still pushing the 3D initiative and not just on their TVs.

We saw 3D notebooks, 3D projectors, 3D point and shoot cameras and 3D camcorders all coming to the market in 2011. We've been wary of the 3D experience because we don't like the glasses.

Well, we got to see prototypes of glassless TV sets that were pretty sweet and looked fantastic but you had to stand right in front of them to get the full effect. 3D is going to be pounded into our consciousness, get used to it.