10 ultra-cool gadgets coming your way in 2009

CES 2009
CES 2009 turned out some pretty cool gadgets

1. Palm Pre

The Palm Pre has been the undisputed champion of CES this year. Just when everyone thought that CES was shaping up to be a bit of a damp squib, Palm shocked us all with the Pre.

It looks like it could be the best challenger to Apple's iPhone yet – and everyone who's had a play with it thus far has been smitten by its awesomeness. Read our first-look review

2. Logic Bolt Projector Phone

Mini projectors can now be made so small that you can fit them inside mobile devices such as phones and MP3 players. It's another example of the old cliche: ten years ago this would have been science fiction. Today it's very much a reality. The Logic Bolt Projector Phone does exactly what it says on the tin – it's a phone, with a mini projector built in. Read more

3. MSI X-Slim X320

Until now, the MacBook Air has ruled the roost in the ultra-slim notebook category. But now we're starting to see the PC laptop manufacturers compete. The MSI X-Slim X320 is a mid-spec'd laptop that measures in at just under 20mm thick. That's pretty awesome.

It's not the most powerful laptop out there – in fact, its performance will be comparable to the latest netbooks. But this is one to watch. Read our hands on review

4. Sony Reader 2.0 PRS-700BC

E-books are coming – there's no denying it. The humble paperback has no reason to worry just yet; e-readers are still a long way from going mass market. But before long, we're going to see more and more people on the Tube reading the morning newspapers, and the latest John Grishams, on electronic tablets instead of chopped down trees. Read our hands on review of Sony's latest e-reader

5. Lenovo IdeaCentre A600

The IdeaCentre A600 is an all-in-one desktop PC with a number of very cool features. Most notably, it comes with a motion-sensing remote control, not unlike the Nintendo Wii's remote. It can be used for playing games, controlling the Windows cursor, and even VoIP/Skype calling – simply hold it up to the side of your head. Cool, huh? Read more

6. Blu-ray extravaganza

As per the last few years at CES, we've been treated to a plethora of new Blu-ray players. Among them comes Samsung's gravity-defying BD-P4600 as well as Sharp's LC-BD80U, which is an LCD TV with Blu-ray player built in. Read about all the Blu-ray players launched so far this year

7. Samsung's ultra-thin LCD panel

At last year's CES, two of the most exciting products were on display in the Pioneer booth. Both concept panels, they were the extreme-black and the ultra-thin plasma screens. The second one was only 9mm thick and we've seen many manufacturers bringing out super-thin panels since. Most of them are only concepts, though – lacking tuners and power supplies. So, they're just LCD/plasma panels with the electrics stored in a separate box. Still, that doesn't stop Samsung's super-thing LCD panel from being any less impressive. See our first-look

8. SanDisk Slot Radio

Many people love Apple and would never dream of buying an MP3 player that wasn't part of the iPod range. But there are also plenty of haters out there who make a point of snubbing Apple at every turn. Designed especially for these people, the SanDisk slotRadio represent a new revenue stream for digital music. Read our hands on review

9. Sony Cybershot G3

There were lots of compact cameras launched at CES this year, but none were more impressive than the Sony Cybershot G3. It's got 4GB of internal memory, has in-built Wi-Fi and a vast range of cool features. Read our hands on review

10. Powermat

The powermat uses magnetic induction to charge your gadgets without the need to plug them into anything. You just place them on the mat. Obviously, your gadgets need to be compatible – but this is the future of charging. Check it out

Read more CES 2009 news from TechRadar

James Rivington

James was part of the TechRadar editorial team for eight years up until 2015 and now works in a senior position for TR's parent company Future. An experienced Content Director with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), E-commerce Optimization, Journalism, Digital Marketing, and Social Media. James can do it all.

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