CES buzzword of the year: Super

For the last few years, I’ve highlighted the most common buzzword tossed around at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
This year, the word most frequently used to describe hot new technologies at the show was “super.”
In 2010, when environmental and energy concerns burst on the scene, “green” was the buzzword or cliche used by companies at the show. In 2011, every technology seemed to be described as “smart.” In 2012, “ultra” was the most overused word to describe new products.
Here are some super examples from the show, which ended Friday:

• Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs called the company’s new Snapdragon 800 series processor “the first super premium processor for smartphones, tablets and computers.”
• Sharp Executive Vice President Kozo Takahashi said the company’s new LCD technology, Igzo, renders video in “super high definition.”
• Sharp calls its new display feature that boosts panel brightness by 50% its SuperBright technology.
• Sony CEO Kaz Hirai said the company’s new Xperia Z handset offers a “true superphone experience.” Sony Electronics President and COO Phil Molyneux also called the Xperia Z a “superphone.”
• An advertisement by graphics chip company Nvidia at the show describes the broad usage of its chips with the slogan “From Super Phones to Super Cars.”
• Mobile accessories company Dexim introduced its Super-Juice power case for the iPhone 5.
• Netflix announced that it is offering “super HD” streaming video for 1080p high-definition televisions. 

Photo: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer describes the company’s Windows RT devices as “super fast and fluid,” during Qualcomm’s keynote event.