Hard to believe, and yet each year it manages to creep up on us. And this year we even got a few extra days after the holidays to enjoy with family before the craziness began.

Each year I know a little more, feel like I’ve scheduled a little better, tried to be more organized. But with 150 ,000 attendees and somewhere near 2,800 exhibitors, I may miss a few.

I’ll be meeting with companies, checking out what they hope to be releasing this coming year, (remember, not everything actually makes it to market) trying on headphones, testing out glasses-free 3DTV, playing with Ultrabooks, and hope to get lots of interviews and take lots of pictures to share with you.

You can hear my audio interviews on abcnews radio and slacker radio, and check my twitter feed for pictures of the latest gizmos and gadgets being demo’d on the show floor.

First up: CES Unveiled, and an interview with CEA President Gary Shapiro.

Here are a few I like that I recently showed on ABC’s World News Now:

 
KINECTIMALS BUILD A BEAR Xbox 360

Game and bear $69.99

Just game $49.99

Kinect required

Every parent of young kids knows it’s next to impossible to get through the mall without first stopping at Build-a-Bear. So what’s better than putting your own bear into a video game, and being able to play with it? You choose from one of 4 bears, personalize it with clothing and accessories and then scan it with the Kinect sensor. It will appear as a playable character on Bear Island that you can go off on adventures with, explore caves and waterfalls, play games back and forth, or just use your hand to pet your bear friend. The animals respond to voice commands like “jump,” “roll over” and “play dead.”

http://www.buildabear.com/shopping/productBrowse.jsp?categoryId=cat10360001&selected=gift-ideas#cat10360001&sc_cid=ps_BAB Brand | Kinectimals&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=G BAB | Brand&utm_keyword=kinectimals build a bear

SESAME STREET: ONCE UPON A MONSTER XBOX 360 $49.99

Kinect required

This is a storybook adventure that gets kids up and moving, while playing with their favorite Sesame Street characters, and new monsters they meet along the way. They help Cookie Monster and Elmo in their quest to assist Marco with her birthday party planning. Along the way, they perform tasks but not just mini-games; they’re actually interacting with the characters in the game, like tossing a ball of trash into a garbage can on screen, running along with them or flying by flapping their “wings.” Mixed in are lessons about cooperation and sympathy, and much like the TV show, they learn to cultivate friendships and conquer their fears, right from their living room.

The game is designed so that two players can play at once, so a parent or sibling can join in. They can drop in or out of the game at any point which is nice, since little one’s patience for getting to the end of a game is sometimes lacking. The games are just as fun with one player because kids are using their whole body as the game controller, so they’re fully engaged with what they’re doing.

http://www.onceuponamonstergame.com/

DISNEY APPMATES FOR iPad 2 $19.99

Let your kids drive a car on your iPad? Really? That’s the basic idea behind Disney’s new Appmates; iPad-friendly toys that basically turn your tablet into a virtual play mat. You buy a twin pack of mini toy cars, each representing a character from Cars 2 with sensors on the base of the cars. Download the free app and you’re ready to hit the road. Each car is recognized by the app so the game knows who is playing and where it is on the screen.

Kids guide the car and explore the area around Radiator Springs while performing tasks, and picking up objects along the way, like Lightning’s Horn or a metal detector. You never know when they might come in handy!

They can also compete in races and earn coins, which let them outfit the vehicle with virtual special tires, or fuel. Once you get the hang of it, the cars are easy to maneuver, and as we found in the newsroom, much easier for a 5-year-old than it is for an adult. I can see a lot of back-seat driving happening with these Cars!

LOGITECH JOYSTICK FOR iPad $20

Tablet gaming has become a popular pastime, but smashing a button on a flat, smooth surface doesn’t always give you the tactile feel you need when playing an arcade-style game. Sometimes you just lose that sweet spot and end up hitting nothing. Enter the Logitech Joystick for iPad, a small piece of plastic that adds a physical control to most tablet titles. The joystick itself is a black thumbpad, which is held in place by two suction cups you place right on the screen. It holds the trigger perfectly in place with enough sway to let you maneuver left or right, or whichever way you need to play a great game of Pac Man or Space Invaders.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/1204/8438

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, Mac, $69.99

Skylanders, by Activision, is not a new title, many are familiar with Spyro the Dragon, but it’s a new approach to the video game platform. The starter pack comes with the game software, plus three plastic toy figures based on the game, and a Portal of Power that plugs into the game console. Placing the figurine on the portal brings the character to life in the game. Beam me up, Scotty! Each character has different powers and of course, you’ll need to collect them all in order to win the game so prepare for the add-ons but it’s a great concept and will keep the game-play going for a long time. Also welcome is the fact your kids can take their characters to a friend’s house and battle with their characters in the virtual world.

The starter pack comes with: Spyro’s Adventure game, Portal of Power, three Skylander Character Figures, poster, three trading cards, sticker sheet, three Web codes and AA batteries.

http://www.skylanders.com/

EVERYBODY DANCE PS3

Sony Move required

If your gang likes to dance, this is the game for you! Slide in the disc, follow the dance moves on the screen and get rocking! Everybody can dance to 40 of the top hip hop, pop and club favorites, including songs by Outkast, Usher, and evenBarry White.

There’s a dance class/tutorial mode for newbies, party mode where you dance off against friends, create your own moves and see if they can match them. There’s even a place where you earn extra points for singing along. Using the PS move controller and the PlayStation eye camera, your every move is recorded, so videos or snapshots, humiliating or not, can be posted and shared to on Facebook or Twitter to keep the laughter going.

http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/everybody-dance-ps3.html

This post originally appeared on www.abcnews.com and the video appeared here: http://abcnews.go.com/WNN/video/wnn-top-gadgets-holidays-15143090?tab=9482930&section=13641035

Apple’s Bob Bridger said they’ll offer everything customers are used to: Apple’s Genius Bar for tech support, personal training, and a few new things designed for people who move at New York speed.

“We have all of our workshops as well as one-to-one training,” he said. “We’ll also have, exclusive to this store, 15-minute express workshops that are streamlined versions of all our favorite workshops.”

So no problem if you need to learn in a hurry. There’s also room for “personal setup,” so customers can hop on the train and start using their new product. And there’s also personal pickup, for users of the Apple Store App.

“Our Apple Store App, that’s you can use your iPhone to actually make purchases online with the application,” said Bridger, “whether you’re on a train, in a taxi, or walking to the store, so when you get to the Apple Store at Grand Central you can actually just stop by and pick up your product when you get there.”

And if you just feel like browsing the store, Apple says it’s hired over 300 people to staff the Grand Central location. There’s self-checkout for those with the iOS app, or EasyPay, Apple’s new self-checkout program.

“We do have the EasyPay devices that allow customers to really just swipe their card when they’re working with one of our specialists, when they want to buy one of the Apple products to make the process even faster.”

Bridger said the location is “perfect for the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through Grand Central Terminal.”

Apple’s Grand Central Terminal Store opens to the public Friday at 10 a.m.

This post originally appeared on abcnews.com

So, for all those shoppers headed out for the Black Friday frenetecism, I mean bargains, here are my favorite Black Friday apps you need loaded on your SmartPhone.  Or, if you’re like me and prefer to wait until the last minute, read on for some online shopping tips.

BLACK FRIDAY APPS

If you plan on leaving the Thanksgiving dishes and setting out to do some serious Black Friday shopping, there will be plenty of stores to greet you with deals galore. But, while you’re stuffing yourself with turkey, load up your smartphone with the latest apps that will help you figure out if that deal really is a steal.

THE FIND Android and iOS  Free  

Apps that let you scan a barcode, like TheFind, (iOS and Android) should be your constant companion. When you find an item you like, open the app and scan the bar code. Once it recognizes the product, it will return a list of where it’s available, both online and in nearby stores, and for how much. It will also give you a map to the store you choose.

TheFind has been updates to include catalogs from major merchants like Nordstrom, Crate & Barrel, and the Best Buy weekly circulars sales flier. You can check prices there, and link right through to the store to make a purchase. In addition, you’ll be notified of any coupon codes or deals available, like free shipping.

The app also syncs with the website, so anything you save on your phone, will show up on your computer for comparison shopping later on.
Black Friday by FatWallet  iOS Free

Fatwallet.com is already an online destination when searching for coupon codes, now you can also get their Black Friday Deal Finder.  The 2011 mobile version displays major retailers’ Black Friday ads so you can search, organize, and get ready for the big day.

The app lets you sort by store or by category, and gives you the option to filter your results into subcategories, like brand, type of item and price range. You can also search for deals by free shipping, rebates, and whether or not an item is a doorbuster deal.

Coupon Sherpa iOS Free

Coupon Sherpa gives iOS users access to in-store mobile coupons and printable coupons found on the internet for many popular retailers, so if you’re in a store about to make a purchase, just fire up the app, and check to see if there’s an additional coupon available for extra savings. There are also coupons for grocery stores, but last I checked, not many of the big chains near me were listed. Coupons can be scanned right from your device if the retailer has the upgraded optical scanner, or they can be keyed in by the cashier. If you find the deal of the century, or at least the season, email the coupon to a friend.

Amazon Black Friday Deals

Amazon.com has opened up a Black Friday Store where it’s counting down the days to …  that day, and offering “Lightning Deals” with discounts on products such as cameras and DVD’s. The Black Friday store is up and running, at http://www.amazon.com/Black-Friday-After-Thanksgiving-Sale/b?tag=dealnewscom&ie=UTF8&node=384082011 New deals are revealed throughout the day, so you’ll want to check back often, as Amazon has said it intends to get its hands on every Black Friday circular it can find “so that we can meet or beat advertised deals on the products we carry.”

Some of the deals listed so far: “Arrested Development: The Complete Series” (DVD) $28.99 (list $89.99)

Altec Lansing Digital Boombox: $199 (list price $299)

Of course, you’ll also want to see the deals from Amazon while you’re out shopping, so download Amazon’s Deal App, and if you want instant access to pricing info and Amazon’s famous customer reviews, download their new Flow App, which lets you take a picture of a product’s bar code with your camera to get all the relevant info. Both let you purchase right from the app.

FREE SHIPPING DAY

Finally, if you’re the kind of person who waits until the last minute, or who abandons your online shopping cart when faced with high shipping costs, have I got a day for you! Shop around, figure out everything you want to buy, and then wait some more. In fact, wait until Friday, December 16^th. That’s the 4^th annual Free Shipping Day; a one-day online-shopping event where thousands of merchants offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve.

Merchants signed on to participate are Best Buy, Radio Shack, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Harry and David, just to name a few. Head over to freeshippingday.com to check it out.

http://www.freeshippingday.com/

Full release below:

Amazon Unveils Best Movies and TV Shows of the Year

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 17, 2011– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced its picks for Best Movies and TV shows of 2011. Chosen by Amazon TV and movie editors, The Social Network tops the list for best movie of the year with Walking Dead: Season 1 coming in as the best TV show of the year. Customers can browse the Best of the Year Movies and TV store for top entertainment picks in a wide variety of categories and genres. To see a complete list of the Best Movies and TV shows from 2011 and to check outAmazon editor’s recommendations, visit www.amazon.com/bestmovies2011.

This year’s list includes video content available on DVD, Blu-ray, Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video. Amazon Instant Video is a digital video streaming service that offers customers more than 100,000 movies and TV shows to rent or own and to stream instantly. Prime Instant Video is a benefit to Prime members that offers digital video streaming of nearly 13,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost. Customers can enjoy digital content from Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video on any of the 300 Instant Video compatible devices, including their new Kindle Fire.

“We work very hard to provide our customers with the most extensive selection of video content. We offer more than 400,000 DVDs and Blu-rays as well as more than 100,000 digital videos for instant streaming with Amazon Instant Video,” said Katie Lay, senior manager for the Amazon Instant Video store. “We created the Best of the Year store to help customers navigate all that great video content and to help them discover movies and TV shows to watch instantly on their new Kindle Fire, with Amazon Instant Video, or via DVD and Blu-ray.”

The Best of the Year Movies and TV store is live now on Amazon.com and offers different “best of” genres to help customers search and discover 2011 video entertainment, including DVD, Blu-ray, Kids, Art House, Anime, TV, horror and many more.

To see a complete list of the Best Movies and TV shows from 2011 and to check out Amazon editor’s recommendations, visit www.amazon.com/bestmovies2011.

So in honor of the 40th anniversary of the greatest album ever, I give you my favorite picture of me with my #1 now and forever rock and roll fantasy.

Ok, he was a little older when I finally got a chance to meet him….but hey, so was I!

So what’s your favorite Zep song?

Come on, you know you’ve done it. Handed that uber-expensive iPad off to your toddler, in exchange for just a few minutes of peace and quiet. Except to your kids, that expensive tablet is just a toy, made to be dropped and banged around a little while those awesome apps are being played.

It may be time to get them a tablet of their own. Here are some tablets made just for kids, designed to hold up to the toughest tyke, while still entertaining and educating.

 Leapfrog’s LeapPad Explorer w/ Camera $99

When your kids are old enough to want a tablet of their own, but way too young to walk around with yours, or you’re just not into sharing your $500 iPad, there’s the LeapPad Explorer.

It’s a 5-inch tablet in kid-friendly green or pink, with a color touch screen, a built-in camera, microphone, stylus and 2GB of onboard storage. Kids ages 4-9 will have hours of fun reading e-books, or having them read aloud to them, watching videos, creating artwork, or playing educational games.

The tablet takes full advantage of the accelerometer for games like Roly Poly Picnic, in which you tilt the screen left and right to navigate a maze and spell out a word. The games automatically adjust to a child’s grade level. There are over 100 games, digital books and apps available for download for $5-25, and the unit will work with games developed for Leapster Explorer.

http://www.leapfrog.com/leappad/

 VTech InnoTab 4-9 $79

For those with Kidizoom cameras or other VTech products, the VTech InnoTab is a great choice for a kid tablet. It’s loaded with apps, games, videos and books, and you can watch videos or look at pictures from the Kidizoom camera on your tablet.

The interactive E-Reader lets you choose whether to read books, have them read to you, or simply click on individual words to hear them read. Games use the built-in accelerometer to teach math and letters and the art studio lets you paint, draw or color with your fingers or the included stylus.

The screen is a 5-inch color LCD surrounded by kid-tough plastic, so its rugged enough to last a few years. The tablet comes pre-loaded with some apps, and others can be purchased online, or game cartridges can be bought for $25.

This may save your patience and sanity during long car rides, and let you keep your tablet for looking up restaurants and directions, but I’d recommend a pair of headphones to plug in … the game music can get very annoying.

http://www.vtechkids.com/brands/brand_view/innotab

 Vinci Tablet $389

The Vinci Tablet moves away from the kid toy look and delivers a real tablet with educational content. It runs on the Android 2.2 OS, something parents might be familiar with, has a 7-inch screen, 512 MB of RAM and a real camera — a 3MP camera in back.

It’s encased in a soft non-toxic, rugged casing, and there’s no WiFi, just in case those health hazard rumors are true.

All this for a kid? Yes, say Vinci’s developers. In fact, it comes pre-loaded with educational games, videos, music and animated storybooks, designed by the founder, who happens to be a mom as well. She says just like play time, there should be learning time, and instead of passively watching a screen, a child using Vinci is exploring and intuitively learning.

The screen is beautiful and there is a lot of interaction in story books like The Ugly Duckling.

The lullabies feature crisp, sharp images that flow with the music.

The cost for all this learning is more in line with a grown-up tablet than the competition’s. The Vinci starts at $389, with a $479 version that offers double the battery life and comes pre-loaded with more content.

http://www.vincigenius.com/

 Crayola ColorStudio HD $29.99

If you do decide to share your iPad with your kids, here’s an app that’s perfect for some family creativity time:

The thought of letting your kids draw on your tablet? No way! But with Crayola ColorStudio they can because they’re using a virtual stylus. So this may be the one time you can let them use your tablet and not worry.

The free app puts over 100 Crayola crayon colors literally at your fingertips, with tools like markers, pencils and paintbrushes. Works with the Crayola iMarker to make virtual coloring book masterpieces. There are new pictures available through app store updates. Proud parents can either print their kids’ artwork or save and post it on Facebook.

Who needs a fridge door anymore?

Coming soon, the Crayola Paint and Create app, which is more like finger-painting, along with puzzles, mazes dot-to-dot and color by number.

http://www.griffintechnology.com/crayola-colorstudiohd

This post originally appeared on abcnewscom here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ipads-children-kid-friendly-tablets-breaking/story?id=14724793

Apple’s iPads and iPods are great for looking up recipes in the kitchen, getting directions to steer around a traffic jam, or just watching a movie on Netflix. But many parents have found they also do a great job entertaining the little ones, and that means sticky fingers on your touchscreen and accidental drops. Here are some affordable accessories to help keep your expensive gadgets safe. Video from my recent ABC World News Now segment. Full product details below:

iGUY FOR iPAD 2,  SPECK  $39.95

If your little one loves to watch videos on your iPad or play with the latest apps and you worry about handing off your $500 and up iPad to a toddler, Speck feels your pain. Electronics may not be as rough and tough as your 2-year-old, but the iGuy can help. Slip your tablet into the iGuy and the foam will play bouncer. The handles on the side make it easy for kids to grip without dropping it, and the feet assist in watching videos. The foam is durable, and washes easily. iGuy comes in fun kid-friendly colors.

http://www.speckproducts.com/iguy-for-ipad-2.html

FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN APPTIVITY CASE

for iPhone/iPod Touch $14.99

Your little one will drool over the Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case….literally! If your baby is clamoring for your iPhone to keep busy, you’re going to want to protect it from accidental drops, strained peas and sticky drool. You insert your precious device into the case, twist the lock, and it becomes part of a baby rattle/toy for the 21^st century. Your 6-36-month old can play games, watch videos, even FaceTime with grandma.

For little ones just starting out on their electronic entertainment, you can download free age-appropriate Fisher-Price apps from the App Store that teach numbers, sing songs and more. Yes, there’s a volume control.

The case has easy-to-grip handles (complete with rattles) for little fingers and there’s a clear film over the touchscreen to protect it, along with a home button lockout feature to keep baby from racking up a huge phone bill.

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2341&e=detail&pid=64176&pcat=bulnl

WOOGIE: THE HUGGABLE CASE AND MEDIA PLAYER FOR iPOD TOUCH AND iPHONE

The Woogie is part stuffed animal and part protective iPhone/iPod holder meaning it can turn your device into a cuddly stuffed toy for your toddler. It’s a green flowery-looking thing with squishy arms that you can use to prop it up, or kids can hold it, swing it (yikes!) or just play with it. The centerpiece is a protective pocket that holds your device safe behind a plastic shield. The screen allows for use of the capacitive touchscreen so kids can watch movies, play with apps or games, or listen to music. There’s a built-in speaker that runs off 2 AAA batteries or you can use your own headphones. The jack is safely tucked away when not in use, using Velcro.

Not that kids lack for things to do, but the Woogie comes with its own free app previewing Sesame Street digital books. The app reads the stories out loud and lets you and your kids record your own voices.

http://store.griffintechnology.com/woogie

VOGEL’S RINGO ALL-IN-ONE PACK FOR iPAD 2 $119

If you like to move your iPad from one location to the next, like maybe the kitchen counter to the car, try the RingO mounting system. It’s a protective iPad holder that works with the smart cover, in case you have that, with a ring shaped aluminum connector located in the middle of its back. This connector clips into a variety of different mounts Vogel has developed. There’s one for the table stand, one for the car, and one to mount on a wall. That way, all you have to do is release the mount, and move the iPad to the next location, making it easy to take on the road with you when there might be a need for a backseat video. The tablet can be turned to play in landscape or portrait mode, or adjusted for glare when in the car. Starter pock comes with one holder, a wall mount, tablet stand and car mount.

http://www.ipadonthewall.com/ringo/

LOKSAK: WATERPROOF SACKS TO HOLD ALL ELECTRONICS

Sand, water, dust, all enemies or your electronics. Take your phone to the beach? Cringe! But put it in an aLoksak, seal it, and your iPhone is safe and sound, even if your little one decides to drop it in the pool. That’s because the woman who designed them is an avid scuba diver and wanted to build something that would protect her devices from the elements. The bags prevent air, water, dust and sand from getting inside and can be re-used over and over. Even better, your capacitive touchscreen on your smartphone or tablet can still be used, right through the plastic shield. Sync a Bluetooth headset and you can make and take calls without ever opening the bag and exposing your device to water. And they’re recyclable.

Smartphone: 3 for $6.49

tablet: 3 for $8.99

http://www.loksak.com/products/aloksak

I can’t remember when I actually stopped recording segments, I think I just realized I never had time anymore to sit down and watch all the episodes that had piled up on video. Too much life interfered with my escape from reality and so, one day, I was just done. But I never stopped caring, and I always glanced up at the TV monitors in the newsroom to check out who was still on.

Then, a few years ago, a dream assignment! We started producing weekly soap opera updates to send to our affiliates and guess who got to meet the soap star each week to record their script? ME! Throw me in the Briar Patch!

Week after week I got to meet the newest, hottest stars from All my Children and One Life to Live. Sometimes they would walk through the newsroom and all the other writers and anchor’s heads would turn, watching Cameron Mathison walk through as his character had some hot, shirtless scene on the monitor above his head.  Did I tell you I love my job?

They were the nicest bunch of people, and it was like catching up with old friends, since of course I felt like I knew everything about them. Or at least about their character. And of course I called my sister each week to tell her who came up to record and if I met someone new. I stopped producing that over a year ago, but it was such fun while it lasted!

I am so sorry to see the show go off the air. It will be strange to look up at the TV’s and not see Susan Lucci and Cameron and Michael E. Knight, and Angie and Jessie and everyone else who I have practically grown up with. I know a lot of people feel the same way. I hope they really are continuing the show online. I still won’t have time to watch, but I’ll know they’re there.

And I will always have this picture…..and all my memories.