Just when we think we're happy with our cool gadgets, along comes a cooler one. And we just have to try it out. This year, the Consumer Electronics Association conducted its 20th annual survey asking what new devices you want for the holidays.
Jim Barry of the Consumer Electronics Association is showing us a fun new way to listen to music. It's called the Sound pOp.
"Starts at under forty dollars," he said.
It's a wireless speaker that looks like a kid's toy. It's so light you can take it anywhere. Pull out your earbuds and let everybody hear your tunes.
"There's gonna be a lot of folks getting, giving, or getting wireless speakers or wireless headsets for the music they carry around on one of these smartphones or tablets ," Barry said.
Barry showed us one of those wireless headphones called AfterShokz. You wear them in front of your ears. Sound is conducted through your bone so you can still hear what's around you. They cost about $100.
"If you like listening to music while you're out walking, you can hear what's going on around you and still hear the music," Barry said.
This year there are more choices for phones and tablets. And while they are getting thinner and lighter, little screens are also expanding.
"A lot of folks like that bigger screen," Barry said.
This is a so-called phablet, a blend of phone and tablet from LG. It has a five inch screen for better viewing. It sells for $99 with a two-year wireless contract or $440 by itself.
"A lot of people thought these were too big for a phone," Barry said. "But they're selling millions of them."
Another popular buy this year -- covers that protect but still let you use a touchscreen.
"You'll see the tablets, the smartphones, the games, the TV's, laptop computers," Barry said.
So what do we really want this year? Here's what the survey found.
Adults put tablet computers at the top of their wish list. Next were laptops, then flat panel TV sets.
Number one among teens? Video game consoles. Number two is a smartphone, then laptops.
However, the survey found that we may not get all we wish for.
Here's what we plan to give to others -- number one on the buy list is headphones. Gadget cases came in second. Tablet computers are third. Next are smartphones. Just nineteen percent plan to buy their kids those video game consoles.
This was the 20th annual Consumer Electronics Survey. So just to show how far we've come since then, here's what made the wish list twenty years ago. We wanted a color TV, a CD-ROM, a cordless phone, and a VCR. Remember those?
