With COVID Christmas firmly in the rearview mirror, the tech world's gaze turns to a virtual Las Vegas, with the annual CES trade show going online for the 2021 edition.

Although CES doesn't officially get started until next week, plenty of companies have already been making announcements and unveiling new products.

The latest company to showcase its 2021 products is Sharp. It used the CES fringe event, Techfluence, to introduce a suite of new smart kitchen appliances.

Perhaps the most eye catching for day-to-day consumers was the company's first foray into smart microwaves. They offer Wi-Fi connectivity and Alexa voice compatibility—a blessing for when you're in the midst of cooking a complicated meal.

Using Alexa, you can defrost meat, start/stop the microwave, add time, and set the type of food you're cooking.

You'll also find Alexa integration with third-party apps, such as the support for Orville Redenbacher’s Microwave Popcorn.

Peter Weedfald, Senior Vice President of SHCA, said:

At Sharp, we remain committed to our brand promise of Simply Better Living. We create products that are simple to use, better than the competition, and support your choice to live a healthier lifestyle.

The microwave comes in two sizes; 1.1 cu ft ($150) and 1.4 cu ft ($170). The larger supports 70 voice commands, the smaller model supports 30.

Expect to see a steady flow of CES news over the next few days. We already know that Samsung will officially unveil the new Samsung S21 on the final day of CES, and there are major announcements to come from Razer, Hisense, LG, Sony, P&G, and many more.