For rapper 50 Cent, bringing his own line of high-end headphones to market is a natural byproduct of the music-making process.

The musician showed off his new SMS Audio headphones at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Wednesday. The first models, the wireless Sync by 50 headphones ($399.95) and wired Street by 50 headphones ($299.95), are hitting stores now and are available at www.SMSby50.com.

"This whole project is an extension of my passion for music," says the 36-year-old New York native, born Curtis Jackson. "I didn't like that I would make music and then have people listen to it on headsets that don't have the capabilities of actually sounding like it does to me."

50 Cent also gives credit to longtime producer Dr. Dre and his Beats By Dr. Dre headphones as an inspiration. Branching out into headphones is an example of "the way the music business is changing," he says. "In the past, musicians would be happy with a tour T-shirt or a chain or a lighter. Now it's being able to have things that really speak to their lifestyle and the masses."

Among the special touches he wanted in the headphones: wireless connectivity without compromise. "A lot of wireless technology utilizes Bluetooth, which was originally creted for telecommunications and compresses the (music) file. You lose sound quality."

The Sync by 50 headset delivers full-range loss-less music wirelessly. The noise-cancellation headphones also have an on-board bass boost and volume control. You can sync four pairs of the headphones to one music source.

And the polymer material the headphones are made of is extremely durable, he says, grabbing a pair and twisting them. "Durability was a big concern for me. I wanted to make sure it was made out of something that was tough enough to be banged around. I've had headsets from other companies that have broken."

Some proceeds from the headphone sales go to anti-hunger charity Feeding America. "It's not a Third World issue. We have the issue here," he says. "I decided to be more vocal about it."

As for music, 50 Cent says he has an album just about finished. "We should actually be done right now," he says. "I have some songs done with Dr. Dre that are not yet finished."

Having made his pitch, 50 Cent is ready to hit the show floor. "CES is like taking a look at the future," says the actor/record label overseer and entrepreneur who most famously made $100 million when Coca-Cola bought Vitamin Water maker Glaceau, which marketed his Formula 50 drink. "Some of these companies don't have the proper marketing vehicles to bring it to the forefront. So they may feel like it requires my assistance."

The stars aligned for the International Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday, headlined by the appearance of pop star Justin Bieber.

The singer paid a visit to the Las Vegas Convention Center to introduce mRobo, the latest robot from Vietnamese company TOSY Robotics.

The mRobo Ultra Bass is a speaker-meets-Transformer, allowing users to upload as many as 500 songs and play them with a remote.

When the music starts playing, the mRobo sprouts a head, arms and legs and begins dancing to the beat.

It will be available this fall for $199.99.

Apple will hold a media event in New York City on Jan. 19 concerning an "education announcement in the Big Apple." Invitations to the gathering, which will take place in Manhattan's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, went out today.

Apple didn't offer any additional details on the event, but the education tie-in could well involve textbooks.

Video game streaming service OnLive will be incorporated into Google TVs.

OnLive CEO Steve Perlman announced the deal today in a post on the official Google TV blog. "Video games just took a huge leap into the future," he says.

Google TV owners can now download the app and watch gameplay, cheer for players and watch clips. "But hang in there, OnLive is working closely with Google to enable full gameplay with OnLive gamers from around the world on Google TV," Perlman says. "More Google TV devices are coming, with OnLive built right in."

OnLive and Google are demonstrating the cloud gaming service playing games on Vizio's Google TVs.

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For now the only means of getting Google TV means owning one of Sony's Google TV displays or its compatible Blu-ray Disc Player or Logitech Revue unit. But LG and Samsung are on board, too.

"OnLive's groundbreaking instant-play service truly demonstrates the versatility and power of Google TV," said Google TV's Shanna Prevé in a statement.

OnLive's cloud gaming services lets you play video games originally released for proprietary consoles and PCs on TV and computers without installing the entire game software. OnLive also allows for games to be played on mobile Android devices, with upcoming support for Apple iPads, iPhones and iPod Touch devices. Android support for the Windows desktop app is in the works, too, Perlman says.

Earlier this week at CES, OnLive also announced that it would release a new iPad app for using Windows 7 programs such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

Ultrabooks have been a hot topic at the International Consumer Electronics Show, but not far behind has been the continued push of tablets.

One of the more interesting tablets on the show floor is the Sony Tablet P, a foldable device that features dual 5.5-inch touchscreens.

When folded, it appears to be easy to pop into a jacket pocket and carry around. It weighs less than a pound, and is slightly more than an inch thick when closed.

Sony says the dual screens bring unique advantages when functioning together. For example, users can read e-mail on the top screen while typing on a virtual keyboard on the bottom. It also seems to be a great fit for fans of electronic books.

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The 4-G tablet runs on Google's Android operating system and features a suite of Sony services such as Video Unlimited and Reader Store. It's also PlayStation Certified, so users will have access to a broad range of classic games.

The Tablet P is an interesting device, as long as Sony can get plenty of developers to tailor their apps for the dual-screen experience.

Sony says price and launch details are to be determined.

Computer mice continue to get smaller, but Logitech has taken this trend to another level.

Its Logitech Cube, on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, might be one of the smallest mice available.

Measuring 2 inches in length, the Cube features an input at the top for left-clicking and a button in the middle for right-clicking. Users can scroll by swiping the top of the mouse with their fingers.

The Cube connects to a computer using a Unifying Receiver, allowing users to keep it in their pockets and quickly use it on any device runnings Windows or Mac.

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A bonus function of the Cube is the ability to make presentations by picking up the mouse and pointing and clicking at slides. To go back, users turn the device over and left-click.

The Cube is tiny compared to most computer mice, so using it initially takes some getting used to, but it's surprisingly comfortable.

It ships later this month for $69.99.

Famous for its work creating video game accessories, Nyko is jumping into the tablet business.

The tech company unveiled its first accessories for tablets, specifically Amazon's Kindle Fire.

The first is a Power Case, which includes a built-in rechargeable battery. It also features a power button on the front to switch the Fire on and off, and an indicator along the bottom to gauge battery levels. It makes its debut this spring for $59.99.

Also arriving in the spring: a Fire Speaker Stand for $39.99 and a Power Kit for charging the tablet at home or in the car for $24.99.

Nyko showed plenty of love for Sony's upcoming PlayStation Vita, including a Speaker Stand, Power Kit and case for games and memory cards. All will make their debuts with the Vita next month.

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Finally, prepare for an invasion of licensed products featuring the Nickelodeon kids show Yo Gabba Gabba. The highlight: a clock/charging dock for the iPod, iPhone, Nintendo DS and 3DS featuring character Muno. It also comes equipped with animated arms and a collection of tunes from the show.

Thanks to an upcoming accessory, the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch could help users sleep better.

At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, tech firm Gear4 unveiled its Renew SleepClock, a device that tracks sleep patterns.

The clock does not require the user to wear anything special. Instead, the device features a sensor on the front that monitors periods of light and deep sleep based on breathing and body movements.

The device keeps a record of sleep patterns, organizing them by days, weeks or months. Users can view how many hours they spent in light sleep or deep sleep to determine how well they're snoozing.

Also, it will rouse users during a pre-set wake-up range to ensure they awaken from a light sleep.

The SleepClock makes its debut this March for $199.95.

Nothing catches your attention more than seeing a Samsung tablet and iPod Nano completely submerged in water.

Then demonstrators pull them out of their tank and turn them on.

How is this possible? A new technology called WaterBlock from HzO that keeps the insides of a device dry, even after it takes a plunge.

WaterBlock is a thin film nano-coating that covers the circuitry inside a smartphone, tablet or other device.

It's applied during the manufacturing process, and according to HzO, it makes the device waterproof from the inside without affecting performance.

To sample WaterBlock in action, an HzO representative turns on a Samsung smartphone and pops off the back cover. He then sets it down in a tank filled with water.

It's strange watching bubbles creep out from the phone as water seeps in, yet the phone is still on and functioning normally.

WaterBlock could make its way to smartphones and other gadgets as early as summer.

For actress Eliza Dushku, the title of CES ambassador is not simply honorary. It speak to what she truly is: a tech geek.

"I have a lot of gadgets because I travel a lot. I have an iPhone, and I still use a BlackBerry," says Dushku, best known for appearing on the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse. "I like the (portable speaker) Jambox from Jawbone — that pumps when I am on the road."

She has voiced characters in video-game releases such as Fight Night Champion and Wet. But these days, "I do a lot with social media," she says.

Dushku (@ElizaDushku) uses Twitter to alert her 1.1 million followers to gadgets she is into and charities that she is involved with, including a trauma healing and reflection center for former child soldiers in Uganda.

Her interest in technology drew Dushku and her boyfriend to last year's International Consumer Electronics Show. "We gave ourselves two days. But it is just so big, and there was so much happening."

Show operators approached her about returning this year as ambassador, and she accepted. "I'm here to help people navigate the floor and Twitter about it and host parties and talk to people about gadgets they like." She also did live, on-air spots for cable's Spike TV.

Next up for Dushku is a movie she's developing with her brother, Nate — and will star in — about her hometown of Boston. The two recently shot a documentary in Albania, and next year plan to shoot a film about photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

About the rumor she may be cast in Ghostbusters 3? "That is an Internet Movie Database rumor," she says. "I know (Ghostbusters writer/star Dan) Ackroyd, and I heard about. It would be fun."