Gearing Up in Las Vegas

What does the Xbox have in common with the digital video recorder (DVR), high-definition television, the DVD, the Nintendo Entertainment System, the compact disc and the camcorder? Each bit of technology made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show, arguably the largest tech-related trade show on earth.

Next week 140,000 geeks and gadget freaks will descend on Las Vegas and (largely) eschew wickedness for widgets. Gambling will take a back seat to gawking at gewgaws from Jan. 7-10 as some 2,700 exhibitors unveil 20,000 new products spread over 1.8 million square feet of convention hall. And what happens in Vegas, contrary to conventional wisdom, will likely not stay there. If device makers and content providers have their way, it will be beamed, streamed, Bluetoothed, plasma-screened, GPS'd, microscopically USB'd and otherwise hardwired into your home, office and car before too long.

Drooling yet? Relax. The tech world won't entirely transform next week, analysts say. "I expect this to be much more evolutionary than revolutionary," says Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research. So what can the average consumer get excited about at this year's show? Here are the people and trends to watch out for:

Bill Gates
The Microsoft Chairman (and erstwhile world's richest man) has a close relationship with CES. He'll be delivering his 10th keynote address—and most likely his last, as he phases himself out of Microsoft's day-to-day operations and shifts his focus to his philanthropic endeavors. His most memorable announcement came back in 2001, when he introduced the Xbox. Since then he has generated considerably less buzz. "We'll see whether Mr. Gates goes out with a bang or a whimper," says Gartenberg. Gates may pass the CES baton to Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices division, and some rumors have floated that Microsoft will unveil an Xbox with an internal HD-DVD drive. More exciting is the ASUs R50, a supermobile Windows-powered handheld computer with GPS, webcam and wireless connectivity. Gates (or, for that matter, Bach) may also tout the "Surface" touch-controlled computing table that shoppers at T-Mobile stores have already had an opportunity to play with. And, speaking of touchscreens, keep an eye out for the Toshiba Portege G920, a Windows-powered smartphone that might be the company's best contender against Apple's iPhone. Which brings us to…

Apple
Steve Jobs and his Cupertino crowd tend not to officially participate at CES, but Apple's presence is always keenly felt. Macworld, Apple's very own solo trade show, takes place just one week after CES, and already people are abuzz about the rumored new (say it with your best French accent) wafer-thin Apple laptops, teeny desktops and third-generation iPhones. "Apple typically casts a long shadow, even though they're not there," says Gartenberg. "Count how many times people [at CES] say 'This is our strategy to compete with Apple'." OK, let's start with…

Phones
Google won't have a booth in Vegas this year either, even though cofounder Larry Page delivered a keynote address in 2007. But an absent Google doesn't mean third-party device makers won't be on hand running prototype phones on Android, the company's forthcoming open-source mobile platform. What some analysts hope to see is continuing evolution on the simplicity front, especially among smartphones. "Even though people will be looking for the next killer app, it's still messaging and e-mail" that customers want, says IDC's Chris Hazelton. But simplicity is hard to come by, especially as tension heightens between device makers and service providers. Just as we saw when Apple's iPhone came handcuffed to AT&T's service, we're going to have more fighting for customers. Other device makers will just be fighting for survival: Motorola, the nation's top handset company, unloaded both its CEO and CTO recently. One would expect some news from newbie chief executive Greg Brown next week. Meanwhile, Palm's recent layoffs have observers wondering whether the onetime top handheld maker is floundering. What about on-the-go technology that doesn't fit in your pocket? Look no further than your…