The company is working on a technology code-named "Ivy Bridge," which is expected to go on sale later in the year. The chip should extend the battery life of laptops, while delivering a 20 percent increase in processing performance and a 30 percent bump in graphics processing.

Intel is also expected to announce details for a new chip designed to power smartphones.

It’s worth inserting a caveat: Before you pull out your wallet and pre-order anything you hear about at CES, it’s wise to wait until it has a solid launch date. In many ways, the exhibition is like the Detroit Auto Show. Sometimes, the coolest stuff on display never moves past the concept phase.

Last year, for instance, Polaroid introduced the GL20 camera sunglasses designed by Lady Gaga . They got plenty of media attention, but there hasn't been a whisper of them since. And the Razer Switchblade , winner of CNET's "People's Voice" award (a user-selected "gadget of the show"), is also M.I.A.

In addition, several tablets shown last year turned to vapor, but that won't stop companies from rolling out dozens more this year. Rather than the smaller 5- and 7-inch screens, though, the Consumer Electronics Association predicts there will be more 9- and 10-inch screens, making them about the same size as the iPad.

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