The Consumer Electronics Show is, well, for consumers, but there are a few things you as a developer should keep an eye on. New technologies, devices and concepts could all potentially help you make more money in the future, and who doesn’t appreciate more money?

Your Home 2.0
CNET is reporting that Google’s Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, said homes in the future can use Android to “talk” to one another. Of course, Google owns Android and you’d expect them to say that (as CNET points out), but think about it on a different level.

No matter what operating system becomes the standard for home systems, the opportunity for application developers is endless. Imagine an ecosystem where apps truly do control every aspect of our lives. What types of apps would you create for a fridge? Or a TV? Would they be the same as smartphone or desktop applications? Definitely something to keep an eye on.

Longer battery life
Motorola unveiled a smartphone that it claimed has a 21-hour battery life! Imagine the possibilities? And the best part is that it’s not a brick or shaped like an earlier cell phone (you know, the kind favored by Wall St. execs in the 1980s). GigaOM offered a view of this smartphone messiah, and although the company hasn’t proven the 21-hour claim, a report said it will get even the most active user through the day.

If phones had that sort of battery power, what could your application do? Could it perhaps rely less on back-end systems? Have better graphics? Better performance?
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Social TV
Social media apps have been available on televisions for quite some time, but what if MySpace actually had its own channel? Justin Timberlake took his role in “The Social Network” a bit too seriously with his investment in MySpace (which now grants him co-ownership of MySpace, one of the original social networks) and announced MySpace TV at CES. Panasonic TVs will include the new technology that will, as Timberlake described, “take television and entertainment to the next step by upgrading it to the social networking experience.” Hmm, didn’t GetGlue already do that?

Either way, social television is not something to forget about this year. This will increase the platforms available for social applications and could perhaps help the TV app market get off the ground.

Goodbye CDs, hello hands-free car entertainment
Car tech is also an area that you should be thinking about in 2012. Many car navigation systems now include social applications, and some GPS handsets are also integrating with smartphones and other handheld devices.

There are a ton of things going on in the car technology space, which you can see from CNET’s CES coverage, but it is also interesting to note that, according to Automotive News, CD players may be a thing of the past, forcing drivers to use their smartphones, iPods and handheld devices for music instead.

What does this mean for you? Well, it could mean more liability and a responsibility to make certain applications “sleep” at certain speeds, but it also means being able to use new technologies. Gesture technologies are going to be essential in the mobile app of the future. Why? Because many states have hands-free restrictions for using smartphones in vehicles, and this could be the way around them.

Smart TVs
As stated above, it appears 2012 will mean no more passive television viewing for you!

These app ecosystems are definitely important, particularly with the possibility of an iTV later in the year. Google TV, according to Wired, is featured on many of the connected TVs. However some television makers are going at it on their own. These proprietary app stores will not be something you want to support right away, but definitely something to watch as people begin to purchase these models and actively participate in this ecosystem.

What do you think is the coolest technology or gadget coming out of CES? Anything make you nervous or excited for the future? Share your ideas with us!