Records tumble at CES 2012

The 2012 International CES opened its doors yesterday featuring a record number of exhibitors, more than 3 100 companies on a show floor that exceeds 1.85 million net square feet of exhibit space.

Pre-show media events with innovative product launches kicked off the 2012 CES, with cutting-edge products including ultrabooks, voice and gesture-based technologies, smartphones and OLED TVs. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association, the 2012 International CES, the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology, opens today and runs through Friday, January 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“With more than 3,100 companies showcasing more than 20,000 new products, the 2012 International CES is the world’s largest hub for consumer technology innovation,”” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “”The pre-show media events, which drew record numbers, created tremendous buzz as the world awaits the next generation of technology that is launching here at CES this week. From ultrabooks to digital health products to connected TVs, the innovation at the 2012 CES will be nothing short of amazing, as attendees witness ground-breaking products spanning one of the largest show floors in CES history.‚

The 2012 CES show floor covers 1.851 million net square feet of exhibit space ‚ more than 37 football fields filled with consumer technology innovation. The 2011 CES featured 2,865 exhibitors across 1.65 million net square feet.

Microsoft President and CEO Steve Ballmer delivered a pre-CES keynote address Monday evening, featuring Ryan Seacrest as the celebrity host. During the address, Ballmer announced that Microsoft Kinect will come to Windows on February 1, 2012. Microsoft also demoed the Windows phone, showcasing new models launched at CES including the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan 2, and provided a demonstration of Windows 8. The new Xbox experience with Kinect was demonstrated to the audience, which will provide an entertainment hub with a new personalized viewer experience.

Pre-CES media events kicked off Sunday evening with CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of CES. The sold out event featured a record number of 78 exhibiting companies and drew the highest media attendance in Unveiled history. With companies including Cobra Electronics, DISH Network, Lenovo, LG and Onstar, major trends at CES Unveiled included the latest in tablets, smartphones, solar charging devices and digital health products.

Product announcements continued on Monday, January 9 with CES Press Day, featuring 25 exhibitor press conferences, the largest number of Press Day events in CES history.

Major Press Day product launches included:

¬∑ Dish Network ‚ The Hopper Whole Home DVR Entertainment System

¬∑ Ford/NPR ‚ NPR smartphone App for Ford SYNC

¬∑ Fujifilm ‚X-Pro 1 Interchangeable Lens Camera

¬∑ Huawei ‚ Ascend P1 smartphone with dual-core processors.

· Intel РLenovo Ultrabook with ArcSoft Quick Photo

· Klipsh РG42 Sound System

¬∑ LG Electronics ‚55inch 3D OLED TV

· Livio Radio РLivio Connect

· Monster Cable РNCredible N-ERGY earbuds

· Netgear РUniversal Dual Band Wi-Fi Range Extender

¬∑ Nokia ‚ Lumina 900

¬∑ Panasonic ‚ MySpace TV

· Pioneer РApp Radio 2

¬∑ Samsung ‚ ES8000 LED SmartTV

· Sharp РAquos 80-inch display/board

· Sony РAndroid-powered Walkman Z

¬∑ Stream TV ‚Ultra-D, glasses-free 3D TV

· Voxx Electronics РInsite personal property tracking system

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