At the Consumer Electronics Show, there are a lot of good ideas every year for products that might revolutionize our lives. And every January technology public relations people come out of the woodwork to pitch new products that their clients are introducing at the show.

I'm usually skeptical when these people approach me as a swarm. I don't mind when they have a good product and have properly done their homework, but many of these PR people know very little about the technology media.

Perhaps that's also why we see so many so-called "breakthrough products," even though we've seen similar products every year for the past five years.

If you've been following the news, you've probably heard about the big stories - 3-D TV, Google phones including the Nexus One, tablet computers, and heads-up displays on your next automobile. They're all cool, and they'll all probably change our lives at some point. My life has already been changed by a tablet computer that I've been using for several years. It's just not as cool as the current generation.

But if you walk the floors of CES after reading the stories, you might be surprised to see that these hot items don't take up the majority of the show floors. Instead, you'll find lots of other products that don't make news reports.

So let's pull back the curtain and reveal the real stars.

Everybody needs a new pair of headphones. It doesn't matter who you are, there's a style to meet your needs, from high-fidelity "earbuds" in your choice of colors to noise canceling headphones.

Not good enough for you? Fashion seems to be the big thing this year. How would you like your headphones - with fancy graphics, radiant crystals or bling? And since the news has come out that earbuds are as tough on our kids' ears as Bruce Springsteen concert seats in the front row was to us, there are new earbuds that reduce pressure on the ear drum. (Besides, as I found out last year when attending my first Springsteen concert in years, they've replaced the front row with standing room general admission).

Other products that have come out of the woodwork with CES include an uncountable number of apps for iPhone and Android phones, from weight loss apps to price comparison to mapping. It's a good thing one company just announced a stylus to press the iPhone screen without pressuring your index finger.

And of course, this year, like every year, there are plenty of iPod and cell phone accessories, from cases to chargers. As the main devices become more bare-bones every year, the number of accessories grows. Each one has its own unique appeal. I'm glad we have such a choice.

So, the next time one of your buddies says, "Wow, I just went out and bought a new 52-inch 3-D HDTV with widgets, an Internet connection and built in Blu-ray player," you can say, "Big deal. I just picked up that new set of headphones that David mentioned that have style inspired by sneakers. Beat that!"

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