>>> we're back. if you're like a lot of people, it is just more stuff. you don't know how to use like the old vcr that has flashed 12:00 since the first time you plugged it in. but if you're really into electronics and technology, this is the best time of year. the consumer electronics show in las vegas is underway. the question is, will the hottest stuff on the market in an economy that is stone cold ever get purchased? lester holt is there. >> reporter: it is one the industry comes to 200 the next best thing. this year it is tvs that allow to you have rentals without a box. and wireless electricity that could make power cords a thing of the past. but the biggest buzz this year is not about the future of technology but the future of the industry. >> i think it is a little bit down. fewer people. there's a lot of uncertainty in the industry. >> reporter: organizers braced for an 8% drop in attendance at this year's ces as company tighten their budgets. >> it is quiet. scary quiet. >> reporter: the electronic industry is coming off a rough 2008 that saw a 26% year to year drop in sales. big screen tvs have taken a hit, cheaper favorites like video games continue to sell well. insiders stay next big thing may in fact be very small and affordable. microsoft ceo steve predicts the windows mobile operating system will get a lift this year as more americans turn to do everything smart phones. >> within five or six years, this will be it. >> reporter: the newest thing in computers, net books. tiny stripped down portable pcs designed only for web surfing and e-mail and cost just a couple hundred dollars. useful and convenient, but will american consumers see any of this as must have? >> almost everything here is nonessential to your life, right? it is finding ways to really connect with consumers and convince them of needs that maybe they don't even know they have. >> reporter: that may require not a technological leap but a leap of faith by cautious consumers. lester holt, nbc news, las vegas. >>> not all orders from the commanding general are greeted with unmitigated joy in the u.s. military, but this one was. general ray odierno who runs the show in iraq has signed a special waiver allowing beer in a combat zone for the super bowl. depending on their unit commander, personnel would be allowed two beers over a 24-hour period on game day, which is really more like game night. the game airs in iraq at 2:00 a.m. normally, getting caught