There 
are more than 3,600 exhibitors showing their wares at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show — so standing out from the crowd can be quite a chore.
But a few companies have managed to rise above the fray this year, while a few others have earned time in a much less positive spotlight.
Here’s who stood out for better or worse at this year’s show.
The 
world of virtual reality, essentially barren three years ago, is suddenly the Hot New Thing.
Samsung is reportedly working on its own VR headset, which would compete against the Oculus Rift and Sony’s “Project Morpheus.” Even crazier? It could ship sometime this year.
Microsoft 
may have led the charge in gesture and voice recognition in the home with Kinect, but the competition is coming fast.
And given the growth in this market—user interface is expected to top $25 billion by 2016, according to Visiongain—there’s no shortage of interest in what the company may announce at its Microsoft Build event in April, where the company is expected to focus in part on Kinect 2.0 for Windows.
Not 
sure what to buy someone? It’s hard to go wrong with technology.
Gadgets are a perennial topper on holiday wish lists. The Consumer Electronics Association, in fact, estimates 74 percent of holiday shoppers will purchase some form of consumer electronics as a present. But determining what’s worth your money can be tricky if you haven’t kept pace with the industry for the past year. Here are a few can’t miss suggestions for your tech-loving friends or loved ones.
The 
increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets has prompted doomsayers to (once again) begin the deathwatch for laptops and desktops.
The consumer technology market has come a long way since August 1977, when RadioShack introduced the TRS 80, the market’s first complete, preassembled small-computer system. The Level I basic came with 4K of RAM, a monitor, a cassette, and all needed cables and adaptors. It sold for $599.95.
With 
over-the-top platforms proliferating and social media changing the way we interact with content, the traditional tube is on the way out. These 10 pioneers are launching technologies and making deals to transform TV.
Voice 
command may seem like a natural evolution for television, given the popularity of Apple’s Siri on the iPhone. But is it ready for primetime?
Samsung’s ES8000 LED set, the company’s flagship “smart TV” model introduced at last year’s CES, can be turned on simply by talking to it. LG’s Magic Wand remote control uses gesture control. Even accessories like Google TV and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 videogame console let people search for programming by shouting at the devices.
OLED TVs have been touted as the next big thing in television for the past six years, when Sony rolled out the first prototype — an 11-inch set that sold for $2,500. To date, though, the organic light-emitting diode TVs have failed to materialize on a large-scale basis. But the technology’s time may finally have come.
That seemed the case in 2012, when LG and Samsung both had OLED sets prominently on display at CES to wide acclaim (LG’s 55-inch OLED won CNET’s coveted Best of CES award, with Samsung taking a very close second place).
Spending 
on consumer electronics is expected to top $250 per shopper this holiday season and, according to the Consumer Electronics Assn., 76% of gift-giving adults plan to give a gadget as a present. That doesn’t mean finding the right item is an easy task, though. To help out, Variety offers up a few ideas that are bound to please even the most discriminating tech-lover.
When 
it comes to the holidays, gadgets perennially top people’s wish lists — and retailers are happy to oblige.
Shoppers will spend an average of $252 on consumer electronics this year, according to a Consumer Electronics Association forecast, with 76 percent of gift-giving adults planning to give a gadget as a present. Sorting out the hot items from the ones destined to end up in the clearance bin — or at a garage sale — isn’t easy, though.
If you’re looking for a perfect tech gift for a friend or loved one, click ahead for suggestions that can’t miss.
Chris Morris: Journalist 