Consumer Electronics Show Goes On Amid Downturn

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2009— -- A wristwatch that doubles as a cell phone. A wireless way to charge cell phones. A small, flexible TV screen as thin as a sheet of plastic.

On the official opening day of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, these are a few of the gadgets that are already sending gearheads into geek heaven, despite the expected 10 percent drop in expo attendance.

For the next four days, anybody who wants to be somebody in consumer electronics, from name-brand manufacturers to unknown start-ups, will stake out their spots on the Las Vegas strip to show off their latest and greatest at the world's largest technology show.

With their celebrities in tow, the big guys are sure to make a splash. Data storage company SanDisk has tapped recording artist Akon to lend some star power to its presentation, Sharp Electronics has recruited the New York Yankees' Joba Chamberlain to promote its latest wares and Alex Trebek of "Jeopardy" fame will host a series of games from the convention to push Sony's latest screens.

But smaller companies too, such as broadband phone start-up Ooma and location-based services company Loopt, are here in hopes that, like LG Electronics and others before them, this show will shoot them from relative obscurity to mainstream success.

LG came to Las Vegas years back as a mostly unknown "Lucky Goldstar." Largely because of the show, experts say, LG is now a major contender in the consumer electronics world, this year introducing a sleek wristwatch cell phone.

Already receiving a ton of buzz, the new DC 910 will launch globally later in 2009.

Using bluetooth technology, the wristwatch can display who's calling and text messages. You can either speak directly into the phone or use a bluetooth headset. It also includes a built-in camera for video-conferencing.

"You're beyond James Bond, you're better than Dick Tracy," Martin Valdez, senior product trainer for LG, told ABCNews.com.

In total, the Consumer Electronics Association says 2,700 exhibitors, down from 3,000 last year, have registered. The overall number of attendees is also estimated to be slightly lower -- about 130,000 this year, instead of last year's record 141,000.

Hands down, analysts attribute the smaller numbers to the recession. But the show goes on.

Although the recession has left an imprint on the show, analysts say the show is still a shrine to innovation and cutting-edge technology.