Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show to kick off

The Consumer Electronics Show will kick off in the casino city of Las Vegas on Tuesday. The annual event hopes to be a launch pad for new must-have devices, as spending on gadgets has flattened in a world obsessed with smartphones and tablets.

The annual technology extravaganza in glitz-laden Las Vegas has evolved beyond the eye-popping television technology to serve as a stage for once-dumb devices given brains in the form of computer chips and Internet connections. South Korean electronics company LG unveiled its new webOS-based smart TVs, which it claims will "make TV simple again". It also expects the new OS will make it easy for developers to write applications for its TVs.

"We've simplified the way you connect your TV, the way you switch between content and input and the way you discover new content and services," Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CTO of LG Electronics, says.

A key trend at this year's show however is wearable technology.

"The LG Lifeband Touch is an activity tracking wristband designed to monitor and collect fitness data during exercise or just during everyday life," Tim Alessi, Head of New Product Development of Home Entertainment LG Electronics USA, says.

Japanese electronics company Panasonic is keen to show off it's Toughpad FZ-M1, so keen that the device was thrown across stage to demonstrate its durability.

"The M1. And this device runs Windows, the latest intel processor and allow options like GPS, 4G, barcode and Max-drive," Rance Poehler, President of Panasonic System Company of North America, says.

Panasonic is also moving ahead with its TV technology, although it is no longer producing plasma displays. It introduced the Firefox OS, which let viewers watch Internet video and interact with friends online on the big screen.

"Imagine going beyond the smart TV, well you don't have to imagine anymore. Introducing the latest home innovation from Panasonic, the Life plus Screen," Julie Bauer, President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co, says.

The annual electronics event counts 3,200 exhibitors, and will last to January 10th.