CES 2015 is right around the corner

The annual gathering of the Consumer Electronics Association in Las Vegas is a solid week of gizmo overload. Manufacturers of everything from robots to refrigerators trot out all their latest products and concepts to give us a glimpse into the electronic future. And Consumer Reports will bring it all home to you.

It's difficult to explain just how big CES is. Held from January 6-9, this is the largest trade show of the year in a city known for shows. CES draws 3,000 exhibitors, spread out over more than two million square feet of exhibit space, and more than 150,000 attendees. The show takes over the city, exploding into venues from one end of the strip to the other. In case that wasn't enough, there are extracurricular events and previews that kick off a couple of days before the show even opens.

But more than doo dads and devices, CES has become a mandatory stop for carmakers, ten of which will be exhibiting this year. To give you an idea of how important CES has become to the industry, automotive exhibit space is up by seventeen percent over last year.

It makes sense that CES has become a major auto show, because so much of the development in new cars is all about electronics. Whether it is phone integration, collision avoidance, or engine management systems to maximize fuel economy, the microchip is driving much of the exciting new features in our cars.         

Everything you need to know about CES 2015.

Some of the cool new stuff we'll be covering this year includes gesture control for climate and audio functions, iris recognition to know who is behind the wheel, and audio systems that divide the car into zones and block out noise, enabling private phone calls and music listening.  

We'll also be monitoring the march toward self-driving cars. One technology set to be on display is BMW's system that enables a driver to use a smart phone to send their car off to park itself.

And that's just the stuff that we know is coming. Check back with us, as we get closer to the show, for the latest news, videos, and coverage of what we find.

—Jim Travers