Every year around this time, gizmo-oriented Americans rejoice. It's time for the annual Consumer Electronics Show, bursting with exotic new products we may (or may not ) soon be seeing in our homes, our pockets—even our cars.

CES is a vast Las Vegas trade show, covering the equivilent of 35 football fields with new gadgets. There's a big focus on big screens, which appear to be everywhere the 100,000 daily visitors turn.

If you've got a theater-sized living room, you'd be interested in Panasonic's new 150-inch plasma display, which it claims is the world's biggest. There's a limited marked for this sort of product, although there are reports that Dallas Mavericks and HDNet owner Mark Cuban was first in line when Panasonic unveiled its 103-inch plasma screen.

•  Panasonic next-generation plasma displays

But the latest electronic trends aren't limited to your house. Have you considered the new world of back seat entertainment?

The U.S. Telematics Voyager system resembles one of those ubiquitous DVD players that fold down to supply young viewers with cartoons and movies, but Voyager actually receives live TV from the Internet.

"It gets all of its content over wireless 3G cell phone signals," explained Katlean De Monchy, a spokeswoman for the product. She said Voyager supplies hundreds of movies, TV channels, music and online games. "Anything any fidgety kid could ever want to do."

Voyager is available in several models, starting at around $500 after rebate. Costlier models are equipped with their own Wi-Fi hotspot that provides on-the-go Internet acess to notebook computers and other portable devices in and around the vehicle.

•  Voyager mobile TV products

Other highlights from CES include a pocket-size video camera that is totally waterproof. While you can't take the Sanyo Exacti VPC-E1 on a diving expedition (it's only watertight to a deptch of five feet for up to 60 minutes), it's ideal for use by snorkelers or perhaps out by the pool. What the heck—dunk it in the fish tank and get a close-up of your guppies.

•  Sanyo Exacti VPC-E1 Camcorder

Robotics were big at CES, and found in the most unlikely spots. Take Gibson's Robot Guitar, for instance. "All you have to to is play it," the company boasts. That's because you don't have to worry about tuning it. The $2,500 guitar features a tiny computer inside that controls the Powerhead Locking Tuners, motors that tension the strings for perfect pitch.

•  Gibson Robot Guitar

The WowWee Tribot is a somewhat more conventional-looking robot. The $100 kid-friendly gizmo actually plays games and tells jokes as it maneuvers on its three wheels. It comes with a Wii-like remote that lets the user control activity with a simple tilt of the wrist.

WowWee, a Canadian firm best known for its toy products, also introduced a more sophisticated robot that interacts with your home Internet connection. Perhaps inspired by NASA's Mars rovers, Rovio can move around your home on command from afar, letting you see what's going on with its on-board camera.

•  WowWee's new robots

It's the last CES for Microsoft honcho Bill Gates, at least in his current capacity. Gates, who will be retiring later this year to find new ways to spend all of his money (for charitable purposes, it should be pointed out), was keen to show off how cell phones equipped with Windows Mobile technology can really make use of built-in GPS (global positioning system) direction-finders.

"When you call up information and ask—'Where's a Starbucks?' 'Where can I get coffee or anything?—it knows, and it just shows you right there," he said, pointing to the screen displaying an animated image of the location. "This device is 100 times more powerful than the original PC that Paul [Allen] and I wrote software for."

In his keynote address at CES, Gates made only a fleeting mention of the company's flagship Windows Vista operating system, which has been slow to catch on in the corporate world (although nearly all new consumer PCs are sold with it). He instead focused on the future of smartphones and automotive computing and bringing the computing environment to the living room in a user-friendly way.

"The first digital decade has been a great success," he said. "This is just the beginning. There's nothing holding us back from going much faster and much further in the second digital decade."

•  Bill Gates home page

The questions about the big switch to Digital TV continue to pour in. To recap, traditional analog television broadcasting will cease in February of 2009. Channel 8 and all other local broadasters are already simulcasting regular programming on parallel digital channels that can't be received without a digital tuner.

All new TVs are now equipped with the necessary tuner, and if you watch Channel 8 via cable or satellite, you likely won't be affected.

But if you use "rabbit ears" or any other off-air antenna to tune us in, you will need a digital tuner to keep seeing free local TV after February, 2009.

I was excited to see the news this week that the people who make Dish Network satellite receivers have just announced a $40 digital converter box so your old analog TV can get the new digital broadcasts.

The price point of the TR-40 is significant, because, as we've been telling you, the government is offering up to two $40 coupons per household that can be used for the purchase of these devices. So this product, which will be sold under EchoStar and Sling Media brands, will let you switch for free!

Other converter boxes already announced were expected to be priced from $50 to $70, so this could be just the start of a consumer-friendly price war.

The TR-40 is expected to be available in limited quantities starting in March, with "unlimited" quantities by July, so take that into consideration if you plan to apply for $40 coupon(s); they have a 90-day expiration date.

•  EchoStar Digital TV Converter Boxes
•  Apply for $40 digital converter coupon
•  WFAA Digital TV Countdown

Watch Computer Corner every week on News 8 Midday at noon (usually seen on Wednesdays), or online any time.

E-mail askwalt@wfaa.com