The Macworld-iWorld Expo kicked off on Thursday at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with hundreds of hardware manufacturers and software publishers jostling for the attention of Apple Inc. aficionados.

Although the absence of Apple at the trade show was felt -- along with that of the company's anticipated iPad 3 -- Apple fans still made it there in hordes.

Start the slideshow to check out the coolest gadgets being showcased at the Macworld-iWorld Expo 2012.

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