Green, gaming, 3D and remotes for the iPhone.

These were the themes behind products leading the way in CEA’s second annual i-stage competition, and it’s no surprise why. Consumer interest in eco-friendly products, innovative gaming solutions and a reinvigorated 3D movie market have all been major tech stories this year. The Apple ecosystem continues to inspire developers, and a number of i-stage contestants built in apps and social features that could be supported on iPhone.

Unlike last year, when the audience favored the endearing presentation of Minoru 3D webcam over the judges’ selection of the accomplished application Boxee, this year’s audience agreed with the judges, picking Regen Inc.’s ReNu, a family of stylish solar-powered products, as the standout winner in the competition.

Other “wows” came throughout the day, especially from runner-up The eDGe, which married the netbook with the eBook. Judge Natali Del Conte of CBS and CNET TV praised The eDGe for providing just the right amount of functionality without too many distractions to pull her away from a great read.

Del Conte and her fellow judges injected a welcome amount of humor into the competition, especially when Natali discussed her do it herself in-home tech solutions.

The judges also handed out a few cautionary tales based on their own personal experiences. Jeff Pulver, founder of Pulver.com and co-founder of Vonage, stressed the importance of consumer privacy throughout the day, and questioned whether some products could be used to steal content.

Ross Levinsohn, no stranger to content pitches as former head of Fox Interactive, was wowed by the advances in green technology.

And Blake Krikorian, a man behind his own successful startup, the Slingbox, warned contestants that focusing on too many features only weighed down their wow factor. He repeated to several contestants the need to find a focus and drive their message home. Del Conte echoed the sentiment, asking for an elevator pitch she could give to her viewers on TV.

The judges had stern criticism for some of the contestants — namely identify your market niche and do your competitive research — but also made it clear that it was a huge accomplishment just being selected for the contest. All in attendance were more than pleased that innovation is still alive and i-stage gave it a home for continued development.

Our 11 competitors are spending the day in rehearsals, hoping to fine tune their presentations, which will be unveiled publicly for the first time tomorrow when our judges arrive onsite.

Who’s taking home the prize money? Who gets to debut at CES? You can follow all the action as it happens on CEA’s Twitter feed and contribute to the discussion using hash tag #istage.

Good luck to all of our finalists!

Products include 3D and environmental technologies, new platforms that bring together converging markets, and accessories that facilitate connectivity.

The 2009 i-stage finalists, listed by company and product name, are:

• Cubicvue LLC, CubicVue 3D Filter
• Entourage Systems Inc., The eDGe
• Immerz Inc., KOR-FX
• Meld Technology, WholeHomeHD™
• Regen Inc., ReNu™
• Tenrehte Technologies, PICOwatt
• Thinkeco Inc., the modlet
• Thinkoptics Inc, iWavit™
• Valencell, Healthset®
• Zagg Inc., ZAGGbox
• zero1.tv Gmbh, VooMote

i-stage will be held during CEA Industry Forum on Monday, October 19, at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, AZ. Register for i-stage by purchasing Monday-only tickets or attend the full CEA Industry Forum for networking, research and business development sessions with hundreds of leading electronics manufacturers, buyers and press.

Last year’s winner, Boxee, went on to receive over $10 million in venture capital and was named by BusinessWeek as one of the “20 Most Important Inventions of the Next Ten Years.”  Other finalists continue to make the news and rise up the retail charts, including the Minoru 3D webcam, the IPEVO Kaleido for digital photos, and Occipital’s expanding product line.

Boxee

There’s no doubt the secret to their success was developing a truly great product at the perfect time and getting amazing early exposure for it. You may remember that part of their i-stage prize, in addition to a check for $50,000, was a booth at the 2009 International CES where they were able to demonstrate their product to thousands of attendees as well as generating media attention on an international scale.

We congratulate Boxee on their continued success!

As president of Fox Interactive Media, Levinsohn managed all day-to-day operations for the company and under his leadership, the FOX Network of sites became one of the largest on the Internet with record setting growth of more than 140 million monthly users. He also oversaw a partnership with Google, which will yield the company nearly $1 billion in advertising from the search and monetization leader. Levinsohn is currently a managing partner of Fuse Capital, where he continues to evaluate digital media investments.

Named to Forbes’ “E-Gang,” and listed among the 25 most influential people in mobile technology and innovators who changed the face of travel, credentials bringing Krikorian to the i-stage panel are many. Because aside from his own products, his firm id8 also advised Microsoft, AMD, AT&T, Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung and Time Warner on product strategy. What advice will he have for your great ideas?

Sir Ken Robinson, PHD, has not only worked with governments and Fortune 500 companies in Europe, Asia and the U.S. in the development of economic innovation, but will also serve as our mid-day keynoter during the i-stage competition, addressing the challenges facing businesses in the new global economies. Register to attend i-stage by purchasing a Monday-only ticket or joining us for the full CEA Industry Forum.

And of course, for those hoping to influence who takes home $50,000 worth of prizes and gains critical funding for their new line, make sure you register for either Monday-only tickets to i-stage or the full CEA Industry Forum. It’s your best opportunity to view game-changing apps, devices and services on their way to the International CES and network with hundreds of leading electronics manufacturers, buyers and press.

She knows her stuff, be it social media or gaming, and she’ll be the first gatekeeper for all gadgets wanting to graduate to the stage at the International CES. Will you be her pick or pan?

Enter i-stage by July 31 for a chance to win your share of $50,000 in prizes, a free booth at CES, and, of course, critical feedback from our entire judging panel. Still need a reason to compete? Check out 10 ways i-stage will help you make your mama proud.