Qualcomm 
brought the stars out at its first pre-CES keynote speech.
CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs is only the third person to kick off the show (Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer have done it every other year). And, perhaps realizing the pressure, he opted to punch up his discussion of the mobile generation with appearances by over a half dozen celebrities from the movie, music, sports and political worlds.
With 
high-definition flat screens now firmly entrenched in living rooms and bedrooms around the globe, the world’s television manufacturers are already looking for the next big thing.
3D, so far, hasn’t really engaged consumers. Oled sets have been stuck in neutral for a few years and recent reports indicate there have manufacturing problems for Amoled TV screens. The same reports say LG and Samsung are shifting their focus from Amoled to 4K LED, but 4K is just making its debut. Will any of those technologies be the game changer the industry wants? What else can we expect to see in the coming years?
Qualcomm 
CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs faced a big challenge when he accepted the opening keynote position at CES this year. To date, only two people had taken the stage — Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
So Jacobs brought an eclectic group of bold-faced names to help him out, including Big Bird, helmer Guillermo del Toro, “Star Trek Into Darkness'” Alice Eve, NASCAR champ Brad Keselowski, Maroon 5, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in a move meant to serve as a ceremonial passing of the torch.
While 
the remote control is certainly a big step up from the days of manually changing the channel, the technology is starting to feel a bit dated.
Today’s televisions are like patients in a hospital, hooked up to several devices feeding them content, each with its own remote, which can get confusing real fast. Universal remotes can only do so much — and some people find them too complicated to program.
The 
transition of videogame consoles into something more than just game machines started in 2000. Sony, in one of its most prescient moves, included a DVD player in the PlayStation 2 — at a time when the technology was still relatively new and expensive. And consumers couldn’t buy the system fast enough.
The speed of consoles’ evolution has increased dramatically in this generation, and the dawn (and explosion) of streaming media has been a large part of that. As Nintendo launches its next generation system — and Microsoft and Sony prepare for theirs, non-gaming elements are shaping up to be a critical part of the landscape.
Sharp 
is doubling down on giant TVs in 2013, and plans to enhance them for the second screen.
The manufacturer announced its 2013 lineup with 22 models that were 60-inches or larger at its press conference at the International CES, in Las Vegas on Monday.
After 
launching a new category of computers called Ultrabooks at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Intel is now focusing on hyping what’s inside.
Company touted a new deal with Comcast that will provide the cabler’s Xfinity TV-based programming to Ultrabooks, all-in-one PCs, smartphones and tablets that use Intel’s chips through live streams and on demand options.
Without Microsoft presenting its keynote or hosting a booth at CES for the first time in 14 years, the door is left wide open for another major consumer electronics player to cast a large shadow over the confab in Las Vegas this week.
Expect all eyes to be on Google.
While LED 
TVs provide a brighter (and arguably better) picture than their LCD counterparts, consumers aren’t embracing them at a pace the industry or analysts have been expecting.
That’s likely to result in some changes to the sets – and they don’t sound especially encouraging. NPD reports set makers are reducing the number of LEDs per TV set which will lower brightness and veer away from the slim designs and picture quality that have helped LED backlit sets.
There’s something missing from this year’s CES: porn stars.
While TVs and tablets dominate the world’s largest tech confab, CES attendees often save some attention for the nearby Adult Entertainment Expo. This year, though, the two shows don’t coincide and it’s like the loss of a familiar, if slightly sketchy, cousin at a family dinner.
Chris Morris: Journalist 