Consumer Electronics Show set to kick off in Las Vegas.

The future is coming, and we're about to get a glimpse.

The Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in Las Vegas this week.

The city will be packed with techies eager to show off all sorts of shiny gadgetry to a public eager to shake off the recession doldrums.

With a touch of irony, the biggest presence at this year's CES will be a company that's not even there.

Apple, which has led the league in tablets, apps and smartphones for a couple of years now, will be the leader that other consumer companies follow.

So, expect lots of tablets, lots of smartphones and a ton of apps.

Laptops will get thinner and more powerful for those of you who do business on the road, and the tablet business, recently said to be a non-starter, will be in full bloom as companies like Samsung and Vizio prepare to take on the iPad.