What’s a-Buzz at CES

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The crowds are descending upon Las Vegas this week for the biggest technology show in the world – the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Approximately 150,000 people are expected to hit the show floor this year. The good news for the crowds is that the show no longer overlaps with the Adult Entertainment Expo, which should free up some executive time.

Like last year, Webtrends will be reporting in real time on the social media buzz coming out of CES – pre, during and post-show – to help determine what will be the hottest trends, and which will be the hottest brands, in 2012.

What’s Hot

Like last year, it’s currently all about the tablet. Those handy mobile computing devices are dominating buzz, as new devices and OS versions flood the market and dominate consumer interest, media mentions and social media buzz. These little beauties have stolen the glamour away from the longstanding CES darlings, TVs.  However, Smart TVs, Connected TVs and yes, still 3D TVs, will continue to dominate the show floor this year, but apparently not the buzz.

A new contender for mindshare at CES 2012 will be the ultrabook – the svelte and sexy upgrade of the laptop. Thanks to the Macbook Air, thin is in. We’re seeing a lot of ultrabooks announced and on display from the likes of Acer, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba.

Tablets and ultrabooks leading the buzz seems like a throwback to Comdex days when computing devices, versus home entertainment, ruled the biggest geek show. Time will tell which device will dominate overall for the week.

Trending Topics*

Brand Buzz

LG is leading the brand pack pre-CES, with all of its cards already on the table, including its Spectrum 4G LTE smartphone and a barrage of TVs that are a combo of thin, big, Smart, OLED, 3D and 4K. Will LG take the show once folks see and play with their new gear, or is the buzz lead driven by early release of their news?

Google is currently the second strongest CES buzz driver, with Google TV and Ice Cream Sandwich tied to many new product launches. And Apple comes in third.  Even with no presence at the show, the geniuses in Cupertino always loom over CES as the cool kid that so many are trying to emulate.

CES Brand Buzz*

Stay Tuned for More!

We’ll be bringing you more buzz insights from CES mid-week on Wednesday and an overview of overall buzz winners and losers after the show closes. Everything is subject to change, with lots of keynotes, press conferences, and product unveilings yet to come. Webtrends will make sure you are ‘in the know’ for the coolest things happening in Las Vegas!

* Webtrends analyzed global CES buzz across social networks, blogs, microblogs and news sites, from January 1 – January 9, 2012