In a sign that CES continues to grow despite the struggling global economic situation, 94 companies will exhibit in the new Eureka Park TechZone at the 2012 International CES. The dedicated area was created partnership with the National Science Foundation, Startup America Partnership, CNet and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), showcasing innovative start-ups and entrepreneurs. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the 2012 International CES, the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology, is scheduled January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

In the months since GameStop began accepting trades on the iPod, iPhone and iPad, the company has seen strong consumer enthusiasm for the program. GameStop customers are taking advantage of this new option to put money in their pockets or use store credit to pay for video games, consoles and pre-owned gaming tablets and mobile devices by scoring trade credit. Customers can receive up to $180 for an iPod Touch, up to $300 for an iPhone and up to $400 for an iPad.

With 2011 coming to a close and CES 2012 just around the corner, opinion-based website SodaHead.com asked its community to vote on the top new gadgets of the year. Not surprisingly, Apple took the top two spots, as the iPhone 4S was the winner with 39% of the vote, followed by the iPad2 with 25%. Rounding out the top five were the Kindle Fire (17%), Nintendo 3DS (12%) and the Nook Table (7%). The full list can be seen below the video showcasing Nintendo’s hands-free 3D device.

Epic Games’s Chair Entertainment has had great success with its Infinity Blade franchise, which now includes a hit novella from Brandon Sanderson, a soundtrack, and two games. The developer decided to offer some tips and tricks to help gamers make the most of Infinity Blade II. Check out the advice below this behind-the-scenes video of how they made the game from Geremy Mustard.

James Cameron made Avatar to take advantage of 3D technology, but the Oscar-winning filmmaker also made sure that the film would play well in 2D. And although he originally said the experience was designed for a large screen, Avatar has been a hit on mobile devices. The movie comes pre-installed on the T-Mobile Samsung Virbant Galaxy S. Now Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Lightstorm Entertainment are bringing a first-of-its-kind interactive version of the film called Avatar iTunes Extras Special Edition beginning on Tuesday, December 20. The director talks about the movie in the video below from the 3D Entertainment Summit.

GamerLive.TV (www.gamerlive.tv), one of the top independent video game and technology online news sites, today announced that it has signed a content syndication and distribution deal with Tribune Media Services (TMS), a global content-licensing agency and business unit of Tribune Company, to provide video game reviews, previews and features. Officially starting this week, TMS (www.tmsfeatures.com) will syndicate GamerLive.TV editorial content to its publishing partners.

Rocksteady Studios’ critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham City game has expanded to the portable space. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have released the Batman: Arkham City Lockdown App for Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch platforms for $5.99. The app brings the Batman: Arkham City franchise, one of the most highly acclaimed and bestselling games of 2011, to the App Store for the first time featuring stunning graphics and original combat gameplay created exclusively for Apple devices.