LAS VEGAS, United States -- Despite the absence of big names like Apple for several years, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is still considered a reliable barometer for predicting tech trends that will change our lives in the upcoming years.

This year, connected devices, drones and smart cars are expected to take central stage at the world's largest consumer technology trade show, which opens to media on Monday, but officially runs Wednesday through Saturday.

"CES is the most important innovation event in the world," Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), organizer of the show, said in an interview with Xinhua.

"We have better audio than ever before. The immersive audio, high definition audio is a new experience. The video -- 4K Ultra HD -- is now expanding with HDR ... Then there is the newer categories like driverless cars, the connected cars, the drones, robotics, 3D printing as well as the Internet of Things (IOT)."

Nowadays, everyday items like cars, home security systems and kitchen appliances are increasingly being connected to the Internet and made "smart", a term commonly known as the IOT.

People pass a CES sign during preparations for the 2016 International CES trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 3, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]