As much as we all love technology, it can be hard to concentrate, especially if there are casinos, all-you-can-eat buffets, and hot sunshine just tempting you to tear yourself away from your IT world. The folks at the CES show know that it's hard, so they're sure to keep you comfortable with air conditioning, feed you free American junk food, and bribe, er, convince you to get the most out of the show by offering incentives.

Sound interesting? It gets better. The 2006 International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards offer a contest for audience participation. Visit the booth for the Scientific American Innovations People's Choice Award on January 7, and register to win a ZAP zebra electric car. The winner will be announced at 5pm at the Innovations showcase, leaving you plenty of time to hop in your electric car and cruise the Las Vegas strip. To visit all the Vegas IT shops, of course.