The consumer electronics industry came unbuttoned in Las Vegas this week. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show, which kicked off Jan. 7, companies from around the world unveiled myriad devices boasting touch-sensitive technology, rather than traditional push-button controls.

Motorola, Sony, and LG Electronics all showed off touch-screen phones this week. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates touted a touch-screen computer, the Surface, akin to a flat panel TV for a tabletop. Even camera makers, such as Kodak , included touch-screen LCDs in their devices. Touch-screen tech has been in use for years, but the impetus to develop and weave it into consumer electronics gathered steam with the June introduction of Apple's iPhone. "The touch-screen industry is really getting hot," says Jennifer Colegrove, a senior analyst at iSuppli. "Since the iPhone came out, there are a lot of companies that did not have a relationship with touch screens before that decided, 'O.K., I want to make a touch screen, too.'"

Asus and iRiver are well-known brands in the U.S., thanks to Asus' line of PCs and iRiver's MP3 players. Here at CES, they both announced they're diving into the U.S. cell phone market with a series of unlocked GSM phones that will probably be sold through their existing PC retail channels.

iRiver's single GSM phone, targeted for the end of this year, has more than a little of the iPhone to it. Like the iPhone, the "iRiver GSM phone" (they don't have a flashy name yet) has a big, 3-inch, 480x272 touch screen and no keypad; you navigate by touching, flicking or swiping the screen. The icons in the Linux-based phone's UI even look like the iPhone's.

"The iPhone is definitely a sexy phone. It's also the perfect vehicle for bringing mobile porn to Americans, according to adult content producers at the annual AVN convention in Las Vegas.

And 2008 could be the year that pornography finally breaks through to the mobile user, thanks to new deals and advanced devices like the iPhone, said Ali Joone, co-founder and director of adult content firm Digital Playground."

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