CES Preview: On the Hunt for Tech We'll Actually Use

In a few days, I'll be unpacking the comfiest pair of shoes I own to cover as much of the 1.5 million square feet of the Consumer Electronics Show as possible. There's a huge wow factor at this show, where the latest technology is displayed in over-the-top, larger-than-life exhibits, but I'll be on the lookout for technology you and I may actually use in our homes one day soon.

With that in mind, I'll be checking out some of the latest appliances, home entertainment breakthroughs, home office advances, and furniture solutions to gracefully handle all the technology we'll be welcoming in our homes. Expect to hear about more ways to send your music and media wirelessly throughout our homes. I'll also have my eye out for phones, entertainment systems, and other technology that I think may be a hit with kids of all ages. Is there an MP3 player around the corner that will break Apple iPod's hold on the market?  

For a sampling with moms in mind, here are a few products I'll be stopping by to see:

Samsung Zeus - A washing machine that sanitizes in cold water without bleach. Now, that would be cool.

Pronto - Philip's Pronto Remote Control is the kind of universal remote I think we'll see in lots of homes soon. With the help of a 3.7-inch LCD screen, it provides control of your TV and all other AV entertainment, lighting, and music through the entire home. Plus, it's hard to lose something this big and showy between couch cushions. It's also hard to let one person control this baby. Or, should I say, one gender?

Evo System - If you've made the leap to a big flat-screen HDTV (or are planning to), you know the TV is just the start of many decisions and purchases you'll need to make to round out your home entertainment setup. Vantage Point Products' wall-mounting system is one furniture solution for displaying HDTV screens and other AV entertainment equipment.

As I said, that is a tiny peek into what lies ahead at CES. Let me know if there's something in particular for the home and family you'd like me to check out at the show.

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