CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

In a recent development, Microsoft has unveiled the three editions of its next Windows products, namely, the consumer-friendly Windows 8, the more advanced and versatile Windows 8 Pro and the tablet-friendly Windows RT.

HTC One X, the best bet of the Taiwanese company is making headlines for its iconic design and stunning features. But the phone has to compete against biggies like iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2, Nokia Lumia 900, Motorola Droid Razr MAXX and Galaxy Note.

The year 2012, since starting has witnessed a plethora of innovative wireless technology launches in the category of smartphones and tablets including others as well. Hence, here is a list of top gadgets in the category of tablets and smatphones which have stolen the hearts of the technology freaks and definitely have a wow factor which can make you drool over them.

Basho, a four-year-old startup, is challenging giants like Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) and EMC (NYSE: EMC) in the database market as well as new products for the Cloud, or Internet-based computing.

In an announcement this week, Microsoft said the next version of the Kinect for Windows will be available at the end of May, with a 1.5 version of the software that works with it. The new Kinect for Windows 1.5 will come with a few new features, such as Kinect Studio, which will allow developers to record, playback and debug users' clips.

It's clear that many phones and tablets are still waiting for the ICS update, even if it's been around five months since the official launch. A blog post published Tuesday on Computerworld presents which manufacturers have actually kept their promises and provided the ICS update in time and which were not.

A Samsung Galaxy Note upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was expected to roll out during the first quarter, as the company had previously stated. Now, Samsung Electronics announced it has pushed back the update for the second quarter, without giving a specific time frame. However, to make it worth the wait, Samsung promised that the upgrade will come with a Premium Suite of new applications designed to take advantage of the phablet's digital S Pen.

When Samsung Electronics rushed its first smartphone to market in a panicky response to the smash-hit debut of the Apple iPhone, some customers burned the product on the streets or hammered it to bits in public displays of disaffection.

Samsung Galaxy S2, which is known as the best android smartphone, has just received the eagerly awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update.

We are totally in love with Windows 8. Yes, honestly, though you might have not noticed it due to all the recent news about the new iPad from Apple. Windows 8 is what we like to call the little sleeping giant that would slay them all. Microsoft released the Consumer Preview back in February, and it was a successful release due to the millions of downloads that took place in the first week.

Gone will be the days when the mainstream tablet market would be just confined to Android and iOS credibility or on the less thriving RIM's Playbooks.

While rumors about Galaxy S3 is gaining momentum, the Samsung smartphone already a set of rivals competing for the same goal of winning the largest market share. The phones lined up are Apple's iPhone 5, HTC One X, Nokia Lumia 900, LG Optimus 4X HD and Motorola Droid Razr MAXX.

Shares of Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) were near their record high after reports the No. 1 chipmaker is trying to create a virtual TV service for the consumer sector.

Mark Twain would have been amused by the remarks of new Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) CEO Tim Cook last week when he announced the post-PC era. As Twain observed after reading his obituary, The report of my death was an exaggeration.

Tired of wearing those silly 3D glasses? Toshiba is launching a glasses-free 3D TV in the UK on Monday, Mar. 12. According to the BBC, while this 55 inch TV isn't the first spec-free 3D TV to grace the world, it will be the world's first of its kind in the large-screen department.

While customers and investors need to wait a little more before Apple introduces its update to the iPad2, here are three key items to bear in mind.

Shares of Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM), the No. 1 designer of chips for smartphones, rose Tuesday morning after the company announced a $4 billion share buyback and dividend boost.

Toshiba will launch the Excite 10 LE tablet on March 6 for $530, one day before the March 7 release of the new iPad 3. Here's how they stack up. Toshiba announced the Excite X10 tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, and when the device appeared again at the Mobile World Congress, it was the Excite 10 LE. It's going to be one of the iPad's top competitors along with the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity.

Verizon will give you a free Droid Bionic or a free HTC Thunderbolt when signing a new two year contract from its Web site only on Feb. 29, Leap day. All of Verizon's 4G LTE devices are on sale for $100 off, so that means the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Droid Razr Maxx are down to $200 on contract.

For Steven Sinofsky, the stern but creative engineering manager who runs Microsoft Corp's flagship Windows division, February 29 is showtime.

HTC, Samsung and Sony are all gearing up for new AT&T 4G LTE offerings, but so far there has been no dates given or prices announced for releases of the One X or Xperia Ion. HTC only announced the One X Feb. 27, however, so it's not surprising it won't be released for a while yet. But, the Xperia Ion was announced in early January at the Consumer Electronics Show.