Why we're crazy about CES 2012

LG 4K TV
LG is set to unveil a 4K TV at CES 2012

What's big, hot and makes everybody gasp? That's right: CES, the consumer electronics industry's annual beanfeast and arguably the world's greatest technology showcase.

As ever, it's happening in Las Vegas - and, as ever, the best way to enjoy it is to be as far from Las Vegas as humanly possible.

While some 140,000 attendees will battle one another to get hold of the hottest new gadgets, you'll be able to get the skinny from the comfort of your sofa thanks to our cunningly named Techradar @ CES news hub.

So what are we excited about? CES is where the big guns of home entertainment show off their most exciting new kit, and we're expecting to see some cool new tellies from the likes of Samsung, whose latest TV designs are positively lickable.

LG will be there too, with some new home theatre systems and an impressively hefty 55-inch OLED display and a 4K TV. If you're not familiar with 4K, it's the latest standard for higher-than-high definition TV: where typical HD resolutions are expressed in vertical lines (720p, 1080p), 4K is horizontal and means resolutions of nearly 4,000 pixels across. Expect to hear a lot of 4K chat at CES.

CES TV announcements won't just be about TVs, though: the lines between TV and computers continue to blur, and Opera will be showing off its TV app store this month while various firms show off internet-enabled Smart TVs.

Gaming, Windows 8 and yet more tablets

Could this year's CES bring good news for gamers? We already know about Nintendo's Wii U, but little internet birdies have been tweeting about the possible unveiling of Microsoft's next console, which probably won't be called the Xbox 720. A CES announcement would certainly steal the march on Sony, whose PlayStation 4 remains a long way in the future, but it all depends on whether Microsoft reckons it's got something to shout about yet.

The biggest of the big deals will be Windows 8, which is going to dominate computing news throughout 2012. Expect to see lots and lots of Windows kit, especially Ultrabooks. Intel and AMD will both be showing off important new PC components including Ivy Bridge processors, the successor to the Sandy Bridge range, and AMD's new Southern Island graphics cards.

CES

Like last year, CES 2012 will have more tablets than you'll find in a branch of Boots. We're particularly excited about the device we've dubbed the GoBot, the Asus Transformer Prime Mini. As the name suggests, it's a Transformer Prime but, er, mini-er. We'll also see the potentially hilarious PadFone and a new version of the Eee Memo Pad.

There's "something big" from Sony Ericsson, which we think means a "super phone" boasting a ridiculously clever 13MP camera and the rubbish codename of LT28at. SE should also take the wraps off its Experia Arc HD, which we're told has an Exmor R camera for superb low-light shooting. It's going to be one of very many top-end smartphones we'll see over the next few days, but we promise not to use the phrase "iPhone Killer". Apart from that bit, just there.

Last but not least, there's this frankly bizarre-sounding bit of kit as described by CES boss Gary Shapiro: "There is a product that is made by a British company which is apparently more effective than IVF for helping a woman figuring out when she should get pregnant and it has a money back guarantee." What on earth could it be? All will be revealed in four days time.

The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR STAFF'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.