CES 2012: Lenovo, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Microsoft Lead the Way

CES 2012 officially begins Jan. 10, but companies like Lenovo have made a big push to get word of their new devices out before the show starts so they get a bit more publicity. Whether you think Microsoft leaving CES after this year is the kiss of death for the annual show or not, companies like Lenovo and Panasonic are taking advantage. Despite the lack of any must-have or truly revolutionary devices this year, CES 2012 is another step in the evolution of the tech world. Next month will bring the Mobile World Congress and this summer will be the E3 conference, so many companies will use CES to preview items they will launch at those shows.

Lenovo is grabbing headlines with their 55-inch smart television running the Android 4.0 operating system. It's called the K91 and it has a tablet-like processor, eight gigabytes of internal storage and even a camera. It comes with pre-loaded apps from the Lenovo App Store and has a remote control with a touchscreen and voice control. Lenovo has also announced its IdeaTab 10, an Android tablet that is compatible with a keyboard dock that make the device into a notebook computer. Lastly, they have a follow up to their LePhone, and it's called the S2. It's a 3.8-inch smartphone with 800 x480p resolution and front and rear-facing cameras. As with many CES products, pricing and availability are being withheld for now.

Panasonic is showing off 18 different HDTV models, among other things, and to go with their Viera line of panels, they've announced a new touchpad remote. Samsung announced their 5-inch Galaxy Note will be available from AT&T. It's a phone that is almost tablet sized, has its own stylus and a super crisp display that packs in the pixels for superior image quality. No prices announced yet for that device, and Samsung may yet announce their Galaxy S3 device. Sony will launch a new version of the Xperia Arc smartphone in 2012, and they've also been touting a Google TV device. Microsoft is leading up to it's big Windows 8 unveiling later this year, and the operating system should be able to run on PC's, tablets and smartphones. One device that has been announced is the Titan II smartphone running the Windows Phone system. It will run on AT&T's LTE network, so that makes it the first LTE Windows Phone in the U.S. Tell us in the comments if you're a tech buff or tech newbie and what you think of CES and/or similar shows.