Glass, that seemingly mundane material that's virtually everywhere, moved center stage in the 21st century. It protects many of our favorite mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs, while never getting in the way of visual enjoyment. Leading the charge is Corning, a nearly 150-year-old company that makes Gorilla Glass. Think of it as glass on steroids. It's incredibly strong, durable and protects the displays of hundreds of millions of devices around the world.

The company tipped its plans to unveil the third generation of its super-thin, super strong, transparent mix: Gorilla Glass 3 at CES 2013 in Las Vegas next week. Not much is known yet about the material, though the company said it's a "new glass composition with durability enhancements."

Previous editions of Gorilla Glass combined pure sand and proprietary chemicals to create something called "aluminosilicate." Corning purifies and melts down that material and then uses a special "fusion draw" process to pull out sheets that are roughly a half-millimeter thick. To make the glass super strong (or as strong as its eponymous mascot), the company dips the glass into another chemical where weak ions are exchanged for tinier and therefore stronger ones.

How much of that whole process changes for Gorilla Glass 3, we simply don't know. However Corning will be on the show floor at CES 2013 with more details and some cool new demonstrations that promise to show off Gorilla Glass 3's "toughness."

Corning is also branching out and will unveil a new line of, naturally, fiber-optic cabling products. According to an official statement from Corning, these "fiber-based, device-to-device connectivity solutions ... significantly extend the data transmission range past the limits of copper-based cables."

"These new innovations build on the increasingly important and continually evolving role of highly engineered glass technologies in delivering improved product performance and functionality through touch capabilities, protective cover glass and device connectivity," said Corning CEO Wendell P. Weeks.

We'll get more details on all of Corning's latest glass innovations from the floor at CES 2013 next week.

While you're waiting, check out Corning's stunning "A Day Made of Glass" video, produced last year to promote Gorilla Glass 2. The update made its debut at CES 2012.

Images courtesy Corning