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That's because two U.S. carriers now have 4G networks up and running, with a third slated to get its own 4G network off the ground by midyear. And as you might expect, this year's (CES) in Las Vegas has showcased smartphones and designed to take advantage of these newly operational high-speed wireless networks. In addition to hardware, there was also an update to the Android operating system that is optimized to work on tablet computers.

While there are a lot of terrific products to highlight from this year's , the following five really caught our eye and should be a good indication of where the gadget world is headed in 2011.

AT&T's LTE network

While this isn't really a product that you can touch or see, it will be to your favorite device starting this summer. AT&T still hasn't given a specific timetable for when and where its first 4G services will launch, but the carrier assured attendees yesterday that it will have LTE-capable smartphones and tablets ready for sale when the 4G network goes live.