The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show is over, but so many tech news stories, product showcases and software announcements came from the convention that you’re almost guaranteed to have missed something. If you take a look at our wrap up guides, you just might catch up on something you overlooked. Here’s everything we saw — and loved — at CES 2012.

CES 2012: Best in Show

The Annual Best of CES Awards
Here are the show’s standout products in 13 categories including the best smartphone, laptop, tablet, auto technology and accessory to surface in an unending swell of new gadgets.

Reader’s Choice Award 
The Best of CES Awards spotlights our editors’ top picks from the annual convention, but this year our readers had a decidedly different take on the single hottest piece of new tech.  

CES 2012: The Hottest Products

Best Laptops of CES 2012
Seven of these 8 clamshells fell short of a Best of CES Award, but they certainly garnered their fair share of time in the spotlight. Check out the laptops we eagerly look forward to reviewing this year.  

Best Smart Phones of CES 2012
The show’s smartphone announcements include a big step forward for Windows Phone, larger-than-ever screen sizes and phone cameras with the best specs we’ve encountered.

Best Tablets of CES 2012
This year’s tablets will offer longer battery life, lower prices and clearer screen resolutions.

CES 2012: The Biggest News Stories, Our Commentary and Live Video Coverage

Top 10 Videos of CES 2012
Some tech you have to see for yourself, like the Tobii Gaze Interface which, someday, will take hands-free to a whole new level by allowing you to navigate a computer screen just by looking at it. 

CES 2012: Biggest News Stories
CES doubles as a town hall for the world’s most successful tech companies to make huge announcements. This year, Microsoft embarked on its last CES keynote address and Intel announced partnerships to build smart phones with Lenova and Motorola.

SpoonFed: Top 5 Things I Learned at CES 2012
CES is too big to leave without thoughts on the long-view of tech. LAPTOP Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer learned that despite Ultrabooks’  lionshare of limelight at the show, hybrid Android tablets that connect to keyboard docks could be a bigger trend. 

CES 2012: How Our Staff’s Mobile Gear Performed
We armed ourselves with some of the best gadgets of 2011 and tested them in the fast-paced halls of North American’s largest tech show. Check above to see how the MacBook Air 13, ASUS Zenbook UX31 Ultrabook, Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone and other favorite gadgets performed in action. 

LAS VEGAS — Warpia’s got a new solution this CES for those looking to sync up their PC and TV. The WarpiaTV lets you stream HD content from your hard drive and the Internet to your big screen using a Wireless Motion Controller (complete with seven controls for volume, mute and more).

WarpiaTV sports a grid-style interface that users can customize with their favorite applications, sites and media sources. The Wireless Motion Controller acts just like a standard TV remote, so you can point directly at your TV instead of your PC. Warpia says you’ll get a range of up to 30 feet.

A wired version of the WarpiaTV (including the Wireless Motion Controller, WarpiaTV Browser, and a 6-foot HDMI cable) goes for $79.99, while the wireless version goes for $199.

• CES 2012: Full Coverage
• Warpia ConnectHD Offers HD Wireless Streaming

As part of its ongoing quest to make all your gadgets–even your washer, as of today–more intelligent, Samsung unveiled two new Smart TVs at its press conference today. And while TVs are hardly mobile, Samsung has designed these sets to interact with its tablets and smartphones

Samsung’s announcements weren’t limited to a specific product; today’s presentation was more about demonstrating its new vision for connecting your various devices and making each one do more. For example, users will be able to download apps on-screen while watching a movie at the same time. Another innovation: Samsung claims it’s “future-proofing” its Smart TVs with a system called the Evolution. Essentially, Smart TV users with a last-gen model will be able to get the latest added features by inserting a chip into a slot on their TV. 

The ES8000 Smart TV runs a dual-core processor and will come in screen sizes of up to 75 inches. There’s an integrated camera for video chat and the like, and the ES8000 will sport an updated Smart Hub that lets individual family members create their own accounts for their respective apps and settings. (Speaking of apps, Samsung hyped the upcoming availability of Angry Birds on the ES800; it will be available on all Smart TVs as well.) Best of all, there’s an updated version of AllShare for controlling Galaxy Tabs and Galaxy handsets.

Samsung is also adding gesture controls to the mix, so users can navigate through channels on the ES8000 and surf the web without touching a remote. Smart TVs will also now feature voice control. (Are we sensing a trend for CES this year?)

Like the ES8000, Samsung’s just-announced Super OLED TV integrates Smart Hub, AllShare, apps, and both motion and gesture controls. Samsung says the 55-inch Super OLED boasts the company’s most advanced display technology.

Lenovo’s coming out with a 55-inch smart TV that has three firsts to its name: It’s the first TV from Lenovo, the first TV running Qualcomm’s 1.5-GHz 8060 Snapdragon CPU, and it’s also the only set so far to run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

The 55-inch set full HD 3D backlit panel has a 240GHz refresh rate, and audio is compliments of SRS TrusurroundHD. The hard drive gives you 8GB of media storage space, with a removable SD card adding an extra 2GB.

Thanks to the Ice Cream Sandwich U1, the Lenovo K91 SmartTV offers apps in addition to your regular TV programming. Wi-Fi connection is here too, of course, along with access to the Lenovo Cloud and voice control technology for controlling the set with your voice. Video On Demand content is based on user’s past viewing history. (Starting to get why it’s called the SmartTV?)

Lenovo hasn’t provided any pricing or release info for the Lenovo K91–in fact, there’s no guarantee it will make it stateside. In any case, we’ll have a hands-on up shortly.

In addition to voice-control tech, the SmartTV’s remote control features a touchpad and motion sensor. For video conferencing and screen-sharing, you have a 5-megapixel integrated webcam.

• CES 2012: Full Coverage
• CES 2012 Preview: Top 7 Trends to Watch
• Top 10 Tablets to Buy (Or Avoid) Now

Star Trek fans, set phasers to awesome. Microsoft is working on a new suit of technologies that will, eventually, offer users the chance to experience a toned down version of one of the show’s greatest inventions, the holodeck. Joshua Topolsky over at The Verge, visited Microsoft’s Redmond campus to get a look at the new technology and it looks impressive.

The suite consists of several disparate pieces of tech that, when brought together, should allow users to interact with a wall that displays a virtual environment that users can explore. Using a specialized display, complete with a face tracking LCD, users can for instance, look around a room projected on the display in real time. When the LCD notices that your head has moved, even slightly, it will adjust the image to display what you would see when looking around the projected room.

The system is also capable of displaying two completely different steroscopic images to two users, without either person having to wear 3D glasses or seeing what the other user sees. A motion and hand tracking component will allow users to physically interact with this “magic” wall, giving them the sense that the images displayed are real. Company reps wouldn’t say when the technologies will be ready for the public, but we’re hoping its before we’re absorbed into the Borg collective.

via The Verge, Image provided by Shutterstock and Sellingpix

• CES 2012 Preview: Top 7 Trends to Watch
• Top 10 Notebooks Now
• Top 10 Smartphones

Archos is keeping the budget-priced Android experience coming with the just-announced Archos 35 home connect. The company describes the device as an “Android-based web radio designed specifically for the home user.”

The Archos 35 home connect is running Android 2.2 Froyo, packs a 1-GHz OMAP 3630 processor, and comes pre-loaded with the TuneIn Pro radio app for streaming music from more than 50,000 web radio stations. Two built-in high-def speakers sit on either side of the 3.5-inch touch screen in “specially designed cases for improved bass.”

Connectivity is limited to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You’ll have access to your favorite Android apps via Appslib (no Android Market access here), as well as Archos’ proprietary widgets for weather, news, traffic, and an alarm clock. Memory-wise, you have 4GB of internal storage, with expansion up to 16GB with an SD card.

If you’d rather have a dedicated home music device than going the smartphone/tablet docking route, the Archos 35 home connect can be yours for $149. It’s currently available via the company’s website, as well as Amazon, Newegg.com, and other e-tailers.

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Credit: Google

Google is taking another shot at its smart TV platform with revamped software including an improved interface, a more unified view of Internet video content and the inclusion of apps from its Android operating system onto the TV platform.

After listening to customer feedback, Google TV is back with an array of new features and a much simpler interface. The company announced on its blog today (Oct. 29) that it will be unveiling the new software in the upcoming weeks.

This is Google TV’s first update since the platform – which provides access to streaming content such as YouTube and Netflix with live TV such as cable all on one platform debuted in Logitech and Sony devices last year. [Read: Reviews: Internet TVs]

Many early adapters complained about how the Google TV was complicated to use, as content was difficult to locate and the interface was inundated with too many menus.

“The initial version of Google TV wasn’t perfect, but launching it gave us the opportunity to learn,” Google said via its blog. “These are still early days, and we’re working hard to move forward with each update.”

The company’s latest updates leaves consumers wondering if it’s finally time to take the Google TV plunge.

“The software in early reviews looks a lot strong than its first version, but it’s a relatively small change and there is still a risk that the platform won’t see a lot of new development,” said Sam Rosen, a senior analyst for digital home, TV and video service at ABI Research. “It’s expected that TV manufacturers next year will use different core technologies to deliver Google TV products, so for those that buy a Google TV this season, it may be the last major update you receive.”

Manufacturers such as Sony and Logitech are expected to switch to next-generation chips in the near future, which will require new devices to be made.

Rosen noted that Google TV is still a buy-worthy product for certain tech-savvy consumers: “Google TV is targeted at a more tech-savvy crowd that wants the ability to find any Internet video rather than just a few highlights,” Rosen said.

“Meanwhile, Apple TV and Roku are great boxes to bring Internet TV services such as Netflix and to the average consumer,” he added.

The updates

Many of the Google TV software updates were largely expected, especially the prevalence of apps and an easier to use interface. Among the latest Google TV updates is a new customizable home screen that gives users access to favorite content quickly. Short cuts to apps can also be accessed similar to an Android phone or tablet. [Read: 10 Profound Innovations Ahead]

Perhaps the biggest improvement is that Android apps can now be accessed on your TV. However, the number of available apps will be limited at first since many require a touch screen and GPS accessibility. About 50 developers have already seeded the Android market with apps for the TV, the company said.

Google has also significantly improved the process of searching for content. An app called “TV & Movies” allows users to easily browse through 80,000 movies and TV episodes across cable or satellite and can predict which shows you’ll want to watch next. The app is intended to streamline the search process and make browsing faster than before.

Google TV has also breathed new life into its YouTube watching experience. In addition to being re-built specifically for the platform, Google said it’s now better integrated with search and a user can turn almost topic from mountain biking to cooking into a channel.

The software update will be coming to Sony devices starting early next week and Logitech devices soon.

iPad and iPhone owners will love that the Apple TV can sync their photos and music, and the Roku 2 XS box includes up to 300 channels of streaming content, including access to familiar services like Hulu and Netflix.  With those options, there’ll always be something on their television sets worth watching. 

Next

Apple TV

Tightly tied into the iTunes store, Apple’s slick set-top box also offers Netflix and TV show rentals from partners such as ABC and Fox, but it has fewer independent streaming options (no Pandora) than the competition. On the other hand, only the Apple TV lets you stream music, photos, and video from your iPhone or iPad. A recent software update adds iCloud support, so your music and photos stay in sync with your iPhone and iPad.

$99; www.apple.com