LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – Want to see at a glance everything that’s wrong with Sony? Look at that monstrosity above. It’s Sony’s new TV remote, and while the Japanese electronics maker prattled on about its wireless capabilities, backlit keyboard and VoIP microphone, the rest of the industry at CES is showing off voice- and gesture- controlled Smart TVs in anticipation of Apple’s entry into the market.

Totally clueless. Sony’s press event on Monday evening was like watching a company that had never even heard of Apple, let alone seen it in the last five years topple Sony’s lead in multiple industries.

Jeremy Horwitz, Editor-in-Chief over at iLounge, claims to have gotten up close and personal with a rear shell from Apple’s next-generation iPad 3. Thanks to his hands-on, Horwitz can reveal that the new device will indeed be slightly thicker than its predecessor (though you won’t notice it), with a much-improved iPhone-like camera, minus the LED flash.

No one enjoys slapping a case on their iPhone. They add weight, extra bulk, and almost always ruin the beautiful look of your device. If you want to protect it, however, there’s no other way.

Or is there? A company called Liquipel claims to make your iPhone waterproof without a case. It uses a special water resistant “nano” coating which repels water, allowing you to actually submerge you device into a bucket of juice — naked — without killing it.

If you’re listening to music in the background while you use other apps on your iOS device, it’s quick and easy to control your Music app by using the buttons in the multitasking tray. If you have a faulty home button, however — which is a common problem on Apple’s iOS devices — you may have an issue.

Thankfully, SpringPod offers an alternative solution by adding music controls to your home screen.

The Wall Street Journal reports Apple may have developed a modified version of its iPhone compatible with China Telecom’s “CDMA-2000” network. The device is set to make its debut in China this Friday, but as things currently stand, it’s to be exclusive to China Unicom.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – At CES last year, Nikon booth-guy Lindsay wasn’t subdued, but he definitely wasn’t as rambunctious as he was tonight when I got him talking about the new D4. Let me tell you, this guy really loves the D4. I’m a fan too though, so it was fun getting him to walk us through some of the camera’s new features.

Nuance, a speech recognition company that powers Apple’s Siri service, has launched a new voice-controlled platform for television sets called Dragon TV. The service allows you to navigate your way around different content by “speaking channel numbers, station names, show and movie names” using natural language.

It’s everything you’d expect a Siri-powered Apple TV to be.

Accompanying the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 back in November was a new service from Activision called Call of Duty Elite, which allows gamers to do all sorts of fancy things outside of the game such as monitor their stats, customize their classes, view action reports from previous matches, and more.

Activision promised the service would make its way to the iPhone with an official Call of Duty Elite app, and today, it’s available to download for free from the App Store.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – Sphero is a fun little gadget indeed. Paired with your iPhone, you can make the Sphero roll this way and that. You can also change its color on the fly. And if you own a cat, well, just watch the video and let your imagination do the work.

The Sphero was at CES last year, but only as a rough prototype. They just started shipping in December, so if you’d like to pick one up, you can do so on Amazon or on Sphero’s website for $129.

Go get one, your kitty will think its purrr-fect.

Corning is at CES in Las Vegas this week to unveil its next-generation Gorilla Glass, which it promises is as tough and scratch-resistant as ever, designed to withstand the “unexpected abuses of everyday life.” It’s likely to take over its predecessor in future iOS devices, helping Apple make slimmer yet stronger iPhones, iPads, and iPods.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – Like many TV makers at CES, Apple’s rumored entry into the HDTV market was the specter in the room at Samsung’s Monday afternoon press conference. However, unlike other makers who are flailing around blindly trying to add new bullet points to their spec sheets in the face of Apple entering the industry, Samsung’s next-gen Smart TV has a plan… and it’s just compelling enough that you wonder if Samsung has been tipped off on just what the iTV will entail, and is preparing in kind.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – Oh the irony! Microsoft showed off some of its best software in years at its final keynote at CES.

But just as Microsoft seems to be getting its act together, it is pulling out of the U.S.’s largest technology show.

Steve Ballmer didn’t dance around like a monkey. Bill Gates didn’t make a cameo, and there was only one of the goofy, funny videos that Microsoft is known for.

Overall it was a letdown, despite software that looks like it might really give Apple a run for its money.

Today’s iOS 5.1 beta 3 makes some interesting references to Siri’s Dictation feature. On both the iPod touch and iPad, a new Dictation text file has appeared under the keyboard settings window. This new document is not present in the same place on the iPhone 4S, suggesting that this reference does indeed foreshadow what’s to come.

The text file outlines iOS Dictation’s privacy details. While Siri Dictation is currently an iPhone 4S-only feature, it’s plausible to assume that Apple is working to bring the feature to other iOS devices.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 — Over the past year, Nokia has been making steady incremental improvements to reshape the company’s image by showing the world that greatness doesn’t come to those who merely copy what the best company is doing. Greatness is achieved by setting yourself apart from the competition by taking a radically different path than everyone else. Apple has known this fact for decades and have used it become the most admired company in the world, and during Nokia’s press conference today it was readily apparent that the only company that should be viewed as a truly worthy adversary to Apple in the mobile market is Nokia.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 — I’ve personally been waiting a very long time for this sort of thing, disappointed by idle promises and vaporware. This set of LEDs paired with audible announcements isn’t exactly what I’ve been waiting for, but I’ll take it. Question is, does Lance already have a pair?

Good news for Apple shareholders: stock reached an all-time high during mid-day trading today, peaking at $427.75 per share. The last record was set in October of 2011 at $426.70 per share. Despite some slightly tumultuous times on Wall Street after Apple failed to meet analyst expectations with its fourth-quarter earnings report, Apple stock has continued to climb to new heights year after year. The company will announce its earnings from the first-quarter of 2012 (or the 2011 holiday season) on Tuesday, January 24th. Apple also released its proxy statement for 2012 to investors this afternoon, in which it is revealed that CEO Time Cook received a total of $376,180,000 in compensation for 2011.

The same company that brought top-shelf game titles to the Mac is soon planning to bring many of those same games to the iPad. Today, though, OnLive has announced an app that lets you view and use Windows 7 applications on your iPad. It’s free, and it’ll hit the App Store this Thursday.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – Professional audio and music equipment maker Behringer wants to sell you an iPhone sound bar, but if that doesn’t interest you, they’ve got 49 other new just-announced-at-CES consumer electronic products that just might.

Apple has posted its 2012 proxy statement for investors. In the document, Apple reveals the compensation that its executives earned last year alongside more background information.

Notable facts from the document include CEO Tim Cook’s 2011 compensation, totaling an impressive $376,180,000.

The Looxcie camera is a neat little gadget by itself, able to clip onto an ear and record 30-second video bursts of your life. Now it has a fantastic little streaming app that you can use to stream those clips and even allows two-way voice communication. Hello, ultra-portable broadcast team.

Apple has seeded a new beta this afternoon for iOS 5.1 to registered developers in the iOS Dev Center. Those who have been running the second iOS 5.1 beta can download this newest update through iOS 5’s over-the-air update feature in the Settings app.

While iOS 5.1 beta 3 (Build 9B5141a) doesn’t seem to bring anything particularly revolutionary to the table, it appears that the “Enable 3G” toggle has been enabled for quickly disabling 3G data.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 — “We feel like Airplay is going to be the next media,” Product Manager Gavin Reeg said during Klipsch’s 30 minute press event. Then it was VP of Product Development Mark Casavant’s turn (pictured above), and he made it very clear: their future is in Apple’s Airplay.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – Pioneer is bringing the smartphone experience to the car.

Pioneer’s new AppRadio2 head unit, announced here at CES, promises to be able to run dozens of apps when it ships in the spring, including access to 45,000 internet radio stations.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Last night the Cult of Mac staff was given a sneak peek at the latest and greatest products at the CES Unveiled event. Here is a small sample of what was shown.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 — Toshiba’s Excite X10, a tablet the company calls the world’s lightest and thinnest, is finally landing on U.S. shores, and we got our first hands-on experience with it at CES last night as Toshiba readies to release it here in a few months.