The annual Consumer Electronics Show is Las Vegas is more than mecca for whiz-bang gadgets, it’s where brands tend to unveil their latest flagship products and give a glimpse into the high-tech future.

In the past CES has announced the likes of the VHS recorder (1970), Commodore 64 (1982), Blu-Ray Disc (2003) and 3DTV (2009).

So what’s topping the trends this year?

Ultrabooks

'Ultrabooks' is the new buzzword that’s actually been trademarked by Intel. For a notebook to be bumped up to ultrabook status it must be thin, light and boot up almost instantaneously, like a tablet. This means a Solid State Drive, which means ultra-pricey, for now.

Dell, Toshiba, Acer, Asus and Lenovo all rolled out ultrabook models. Rotate the screen of Lenovo’s Yoga Ultrabook 360 degrees and it becomes a touchscreen table.

Ultrabook’s look set to disrupt the netbook market, and may even put a dent in Apple’s tablet dominance.

Tablets

There was a tidal wave of tablets unleashed at CES, though Darwinsim suggests only a few will make it through the year. In a bid to topple the public’s enduring love for the iPad, tablets with Super AMOLED screens, beefed up specs, lower price points and even a waterproof model were vying for consumer eyeballs.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7’s has the brightest, sharpest screen of any tablet yet, while Toshiba is billing its Excite X10 as the “thinnest and lightest tablet ever”, weighing half a kilo and measuring less than a centimetre thick.

Will it be enough though to cut the iPad and Kindle Fire’s market share?

Smart TVs

Televisions have been getting bigger, thinner for some time, now they’re getting smarter. LG and Samsung both unveiled models that respond to voice and gesture commands and integrate with other devices, while Panasonic showcased an interface where an image from a tablet can be 'flicked' to the TV screen.

The new sets come with the new OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens, that have the capacity to display ultra-high-definition TV with a resolution that’s reportedly approaching IMAX levels (if not yet size).

Things could really heat up if Apple releases its own TV this year, as is widely speculated. 

That's a wrap

The products at this year's CES indicate two trends emerging: mobile and integration. Ultrabooks and tablets are both becoming lighter and more powerful, while formerly 'dumb' tech like TVs will now ensure consumers don't ever have to feel disconnected again.

2012 may also be the year Apple is no longer the only name in the tablet game. While Apple didn’t have an official presence at CES, they were undoubtably keeping a close eye on the competition.