ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images The 2016 Consumer Electronics Show will be showcasing the latest gadgets and innovations this week in Las Vegas. But over the past five years or so, and especially following CES last year, the traditional vehicle makers have concluded that at a level they, too, are technology companies - and that as manufacturers of a hugely popular rolling technology platform, they should get much better at understanding what happens when you put "consumer" and "electronics" together and let Silicon Valley supercharge the undertaking. The year is going to be the biggest year for CES 2016, since it is expanding.
LG is also using CES to showcase a paper-thin 55-inch OLED TV display, and a pair of 65-inch OLED displays with "extreme" concave and convex curves. There will also certainly be announcements regarding autonomous vehicles - Google is apparently in talks with Ford to do this, and other carmakers will not want to be left behind. According to the Consumer Technology Association, 10 automakers and at least 115 automotive tech companies will participate in the exhibition. You can expect lots of 4K models, and even some 8K versions.
Given the tendency for televisions to dominate at CES, we're likely to see thinner, larger and sharper 4K televisions, as well as the usual assortment of cameras, camcorders and other devices such as smartwatches.
Netflix also has a big announcement coming up, which will possibly include its plans for India, and YouTube also has an announcement, which could include everything from its content plans, to 4K distribution, and more.
Finally, the "smart home" concept is likely to get big play this year.
Companies like LG, Samsung, and Apple and Google are all taking a bigger interest in this space and we might see some more progress along this front, but the big issues of standardisation, safety, security, and privacy all remain. Dubbed "LG Signature", these will span different product categories - but a TV is definitely expected (alongside a selection of home appliances). "And that is what a lot of drone manufacturers have been doing". We can trace the current frenzy around the Internet of Things back to technologies presented at ICCE events that stretch back to the 1990s, when always-on, always-connected consumer devices first started appearing.
But does that really mean the show is going to be a flop?
Most of the value comes from industrial uses - like cleaner air from smarter energy use and fewer factory shut-downs due to smarter maintenance.
Several businesses will be at CES to demo their new connected home products, wearable devices, and automotive technology. HTC and Sony will both be unveiling new VR headset offerings, and the already big player Oculus will be bringing out more on their Rift headset this year. It's also possible, however, that we see an update on PlayStation VR, the PlayStation 4 compatible kit from Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It's unlikely that we'll hear about entirely new solutions, but we might see companies that are working in this space.
The Consumer Electronics Show is a technology tradeshow that runs from Wednesday 6th of January to Saturday the 9th, although plenty is also happening on the Monday and Tuesday.
Tech's greatest annual gathering is now facing a real problem: how to handle the sheer size it has reached.
