Ubuntu is ready, and hardware manufacturers need to recognize that fact in the wares they demonstrate at CES next year.

2. Linux-Friendly Technologies

Broadcom on Monday will announce that it has, citing the growing numbers of customers that use the open-source operating system.

"There is no question: Linux has become a major platform for communications devices and technologies," said Michael Hurlston, senior vice president and general manager for Broadcom's WLAN line of business. "Our decision to open source the drivers for Broadcom's 802.11 chipsets is in response to our growing base of customers using Linux and is the first of what we expect to be many open development success stories."

With this move, hardware makers everywhere should be seeing the writing on the wall: Linux users are now too numerous to ignore. Even if the technologies themselves are not based on Linux, it's time for all hardware, software and services to be made Linux-friendly through the necessary drivers and other support.