This past January the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held in Las Vegas, where over 20,000 new products were showcased for the public. Of these items, 10 won CNET's Best of CES awards for being tops in their individual category. In the spirit of chiming in, we've profiled the award winning products we found to be the most interesting.

CNET.com is one of the Internet's best objective resources for information on electronic products. In 2006, they began presenting awards to the top products at CES. Here are our favorite CNET award winners from this year's show.

Televisions
Panasonic TC-PVT25 series

While Panasonic was not the only TV maker to introduce a 3D capable flat panel HDTV at this year's CES, it looks like their May 2010 release date will make them the first to begin selling theirs in the US. It's important to note that this television also won CNET's award for best in show.

Available in 50 and 54-inch models, the plasma sets will include one pair of special 3D glasses. The glasses utilize a shutter system, which causes the right and left lenses to alternately and undetectably lighten and darken. The TV displays corresponding right-eye, left-eye images and the result is a stereoscopic 3D effect. 

While other 3D sets to come will only create a 3D "effect" out of existing 2D images, the PVT25 requires true 3D sources such as a 3D Blue-Ray player playing a 3D disc, or a cable or satellite box tuned to a 3D channel. Such hardware is non-existent at the moment, but is not far off. With improvements made to black-level performance, picture calibration, and its ability to be custom-installed, the Panasonic TC-PVT25 is the TV of the very near future.

Cell Phones/Smart Phones
Motorola Backflip

The latest Google Android smartphone, the Motorola Backflip, made quite a splash at this year's CES. A quad-band, GSM phone, the Backflip does pretty much everything you can expect from a smartphone. What makes it so unique, however, is the design.

Instead of a more traditional slider design, Motorola created the Backflip to open like a book. Once it's opened, a trackpad (known as the Backtrack) is located in back of the phone, making scrolling up and down, or navigating through menus a far more ergonomic experience. The 3.1-inch touchscreen on front of the phone provides a second option for interaction. The only potential downfall to the design is when the phone is closed the keypad is on the back, making it susceptible to damage. Motorola has addressed this issue, claiming that durability will not be a problem.

Similar to the Motorola Cliq, the Backflip will use Motoblur software. It will launch at the end of the first quarter of this year with Android 1.5, but is upgradeable to Android 2.1. Some of the features of this phone include: Wi-fi, Bluetooth and GPS capability, a 5 mega-pixel camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a full HTML browser. It has a 2 GB internal memory, but is expandable up to 32 GB.

People's Voice Award
Intel's Wireless Display Technology

Connecting a laptop or desktop computer to a plasma TV or LCD monitor is quite popular. What's not so popular is dealing with the media extender boxes that are many times required to make the connection. Intel has solved this issue with its new Wireless Display Technology, also known as Wi-Di.

The process, in terms of set up, is very simple. Using a Wi-Di enabled laptop containing one of Intel's new Core-series processors, a wireless signal is sent to your TV. A small adaptor that plugs into any HDMI port then receives the signal. There is no issue with file format compatibility and according to Intel, there is much more functionality than what was associated with the media extender boxes of old.

While there will most likely be room for improvement with this technology, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Most attendees of CES felt the same because it was everyday consumers who made this product an award winner.

PCs from several makers are already selling computers with Wi-Di systems, so make sure to look for them the next time you go computer shopping. Do know that only select systems come bundled with the adaptor that connects to the monitor or TV.

Green Tech
Tenrehte Technologies Picowatt Wi-Fi Smart Plug

This is not only a great innovation in terms of becoming more "green," it's also great news for any consumer. Instead of relying on utility company-installed meters to figure out where you are wasting energy, Tenrehte is offering their Smart Plug as a solution.

Smart Plugs are nothing more than mini Wi-Fi routers with the ability to gather data and control devices. With these capabilities, consumers will be able to view real time read outs of energy usage, as well as usage history with a Wi-Fi enabled PC, or via a Facebook application on your smartphone. If that's not enough, there will also be an ability to control the appliances in your home from one central point.

Tehnrette is reportedly building partnerships with various utility companies in order to make rate information available. That's right, not only can you control your appliances and look at the energy you use, you'll also be able to time your usage around non-peak hours.

The Picowatt Wi-Fi Smart Plug will be available to consumers sometime this month and will retail for approximately $79.

Computers and Hardware
Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid

Ever wonder what a hybrid computer would look like, or do for that matter? Then you need to check out the Lenovo IdeaPad, as it is a super-cool looking machine. With a bit of a clamshell aesthetic, the U1 Hybrid offers a sleek, shiny red exterior and a textured interior. But the feature that takes the prize, so to speak, is the unlocking of its 11.6-inch screen to become its own handheld tablet.

While there are many questions that need to be answered before its release later in 2010, one feature that we think is potentially extraordinary is the ability for the base to function as its own computer, even when it is detached from the tablet. While it would need to be plugged into a monitor for this to be possible, the idea of having two devices in one is thrilling to say the least.

We hate to get too much into the specs of the U1 Hybrid, as Lenovo claims to be making some upgrades before its release. When that happens, however, be sure to check out the U1 Hybrid, along with Lenovo's two other laptop releases this year, the Skylight and the IdeaPad S10-3 and S10-3T. Like the U1 Hybrid, these units promise much portability.

We've geeked out enough for this issue of YOU Magazine, but for more information about the Best of CES award winning products, as well as many other products seen at the show, be sure to log on to the CNET CES 2010 webpage.