As we head into the 2011International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we spoke with a few technology industry analysts and combed through fresh predictions from research firms to see what the hot technology trends would be for 2011.

IT Techknowledge Research Analysts Mike Feibus said consumers and technology companies will make 2011 the year of companion devices. Things to look out for, according to Feibus, are lots of experimentation with tablet design, smaller screens, larger screens and even hybrid versions with swivel screens and keyboards -- the Dell Inspiron Duo tablet/netbook, for instance.

Scott-Page chief research officer Peter Kastner said with tablets essentially going from zero in 2009 to a projected 50 million in 2011, tablet makers will be vying for differentiation. Kastner says we'll see device makers mix and match their favorite operating systems, touch screen interfaces, processor technology, rich media capabilities and features such as built-in cameras and keyboard technologies. Another area is in providing easy access to application stores where consumers can download their own favorite programs and customize their tablet experience.

Even as many experts are calling tablets a "companion" device meant mostly for consuming content,there is growing debate from some like Tim Bajarin, an industry analyst from Creative Strategies, who recently wrote that he believes tablets will eat into laptop sales in 2011.

Despite all the tablet buzz, laptops continued to top holiday wish lists, according to a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association. And a late-2010 report by IDC showed that PC sales are projected to grow steadily over the next 4 years, reaching nearly 400 million units by the end of 2011 and rising to about 550 million units by 2014. Gartner estimates that 1 million PCs were sold each day in 2010, and that sales are expected to reach 1.5 million a day by 2014.

For more on Gartner's predictions, see here:

For more on IDC's predictions, see here: