— but the pregame party kicked off last night with CES Unveiled, giving us our first look at what we can expect to see in tech this year. Though there's a lot of oddball gadgets on display (like iGrow, a laser-based hair growth helmet) there's plenty of pretty, practical and just plain fun tech coming too. Here are my 10 favorites from CES so far!

1. CHiP Robotic Dog

I promise I'll get to the practical stuff later, but this seriously cute robotic pet really stole the show for me. Maker WowWee Robotics calls CHiP the "ultimate AI Robotic Dog," and I think they may be right: CHiP has an AI-based personality that will adapt as you play with him, plus he can recognize you, respond to commands (using the SmartBand wireless controller), play fetch and soccer, and you can even use an app on your mobile device to teach him new tricks. He's programmed to be able to avoid obstacles, but has a sturdy polycarbonate frame so he's not likely to suffer serious harm in case of accidents. Think of him as a playful pup that you won't have to clean up after.

CHiP will retail for $200, be available this week for pre-sale online and hit store shelves in the third quarter of this year.