Last year, I declared that I had a love-hate relationship with the Consumer Electronics Show, and upon arriving on Friday evening, I felt that same rush of mixed emotions wash over me. I love the fact that I got in so early--the show proper doesn't begin until the 7th--because I was spared the singular pleasure of standing in a 45-minute long taxi line at the airport. But I hate the fact that I'll be in Vegas for an entire week. As much as I love the Strip's kitschy decadence, more than three or four days here is enough to make most people start hating it; it's the travel equivalent of eating too much cotton candy. I love seeing a slew of intriguing new products, but I hate the way everything starts to blur together after awhile, a numbing haze of product numbers, gadget dimensions and other fact sheet minutiae. There's a thin line between love and hate, and CES breaches it every single year...but I wouldn't miss it for the world.

The key to surviving CES as a working journalist for a general interest outlet like Newsweek is to take in the smaller pre-show events, like Digital Experience and ShowStoppers. Since these three-hour events are designed on a much smaller scale than the main monstrosity, exhibitors are forced to focus on a handful of their best products, which helps prevent us pixel-stained wretches from being overwhelmed. There is a wrinkle, however: these events are generally scheduled during the dinner hour. Now, the organizers are kind enough to feed us--and ply us with liquor--but considering that many of us journalists in attendance know each other, the eating, catching up and rumor-mongering aspect of these events can easily overshadow the actual gadget coverage. It's a delicate balance of priorities that must be carefully calibrated every time. Hopefully I'll get it right this year.