World's largest consumer electronics show opens in Las Vegas

The 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicked off here on Thursday with some 2,700 exhibitors unveiling their latest technology innovations.
   The world's largest technology trade show, organized by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), runs through Sunday. More than 20,000 new products will be on display at the show.
   Top executives of the biggest names in technology and business will take the stage at the show with keynote addresses from Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, Ford's Alan Mulally, Intel's Paul Otellini as well as Nokia's Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo and Hisense's Zhou Houjian, who will speak as part of the CES Technology and Emerging Countries Program.
   Additionally, the 2010 CES will feature more than 250 sessions and 800 expert speakers as part of the CES conference program, which will cover a range of industry topics from social media to safe driving to technology policy.
   Experts say perhaps the hottest topic at the show this year is 3-D television and whether consumers who enjoyed movies in the format, such as "Avatar," would pay extra for a new TV adapted for such images.
   The CEA estimates that 2.2 million 3-D sets will be sold in 2010 and that by 2013 more than 25 percent of all televisions sold will be 3D-TVs.
   Another positive surprise in the consumer electronics industry has been devices that play Blue-ray disks. The association estimates that more than 7 million of the players -- many of which have Internet connections -- were shipped in 2009, more than double that of 2008.