COMPANIES

Ever looked at your fridge and thought that it could do with a big touchscreen, computer, camera, barcode reader, internet connection and the ability to talk to your oven?

This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas marked the end of an era, as Microsoft - who has headlined the event for 14 years - made its last CES keynote.

Controlling our computers with a flick of the hand, Minority Report-style, might not be as far-fetched as we once thought, as Microsoft is bringing Kinect to Windows.

Entertainment company blames 'weak' video game market for continuing decline.

A common theme of CES this year is Smart TVs, and hot on the heels of LG, Samsung has announced its own range of internet-connected televisions.

Sony has announced its 2012 range of BRAVIA televisions at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, featuring tough gorilla glass and high-speed 3D panels.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has announced the much-anticipated 2.0 software update for the PlayBook tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Mercedes-Benz will showcase an exclusive Facebook app in-built in its vehicles at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

LG has announced a new range of Smart TVs, featuring voice- and gesture-based controls, an almost invisible 5mm bezel and integration with Google TV

Wireless charging has been with us for a few years now, but has never really take off due to the technology not being built into smartphones, tablets and the like.

It seems that 2012 will be the year of the smart TV, with Lenovo being the first manufacturer of clever televisions to break cover at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

With Netflix just arriving on UK shores, analysts have come to question whether it will be able to compete with established streaming services such as Amazon's LoveFilm.

The next iPhone and iPad could feature a super-powerful quad-core processor, if recent findings in a beta build of the iOS 5.1 operating system are to be believed.

Gaming enthusiasts will get paid to play the latest edition of Grand Theft Auto and come up with any bug that may have got into it.

Devil May Cry Reboot has provoked death threats from its fans over the looks of Dante in the game. A comic book release alongside death metal songs are dedicated to the game developers in this regard.

Falling tablet prices and the need to stay connected while on the move should spur the sales of tablets. Expect Brits to consume a whopping 8 million tablets in 2012, according to a Sky report.

Tablet devices the world over are witnessing a rapid decline in sales with the exception of Apple. This has forced smaller tablet makers to cut prices and capture market shares.

Expect the scariest game ever made for handheld to hit the stores this summer from the horror franchise - Resident Evil. Capcom has bettered its previous sequels with exemplary delivery of game narrative, while successfully connecting the preceding storyline to make for a riveting game experience.

As CES 2012 draws closer expectations are running high. Get set to witness 2,700 exhibitors across 140 countries flaunting their wares among 20,000 new product launches.

Financial auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers hit with a record £1.4 million fine for "very serious" misconduct by accountancy regulators.

With the iPad 2 coming up to its first anniversary, all eyes are pointing towards Apple in anticipation of an updated model, tipped to be called either the iPad 3 or iPad 2S.

BlackBerry is now selling its PlayBook tablet from just £169 in the UK, following a significant price cut in the U.S. in early January.

BlackBerry will only be releasing just one handset running the shiny new BB 10 operating system, having scrapped two other phones, if rumours are to be believed.

A virus has stolen user names and passwords from more than 45,000 Facebook users in the United Kingdom and France, with the intent to spread malware to users' friends.

Global companies urged to emphasise human rights in face of growing child exploitation figures.

New videos claiming to stem from the Anonymous collective have emerged showing what appears to be a series of successful hacks on Sony's network.

The Consumer Electronics Show 2012 kicks off in Las Vegas on January 10; manufacturers and journalists the world over will flock to the U.S. for the biggest tech show in the world.

The makers of Steve Jobs action doll are facing legal action from Apple even as eBay is making lucrative business selling these dolls at $135 apiece.

Apple is reportedly going to sue Chinese company In Icons for producing a Steve Jobs action figure, complete with trademark black turtleneck and blue jeans.