Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer last night delivered his last keynote speech ahead of the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show today, discussing motion control for the desktop, an update for Windows Phone and Microsoft’s latest operating system.
The tech firm, which has delivered several of the opening speeches at the Las Vegas conference over the years, brought little that was new to the crowd who had gathered from early in the day to get a spot at Microsoft’s swansong.
The tech giant said last week that it would take a break from the show in 2013, as the timing of the show does not fit in with its product release schedule, and chief executive Steve Ballmer’s keynote certainly hammered the point home.
Mr Ballmer confirmed its motion control system for the Xbox, Kinect, would be coming to Windows in February, and also showed off some Windows 8 devices to the crowd. But what it lacked in shock announcements, it made up for in enthusiasm.
“We have a chance in the next year to really raise our game, our product line, to the next level, across phones, PCs, tablet, TVs, the Xbox,” he said.
Kinect has sold 18 million units since its launch, the Microsoft head said, and would launch for Windows on February 1st.
There was also a recap of some of the announcements around 4G LTE networks and Windows Phone devices, including the Nokia Lumia 900, which Nokia had earlier announced for the AT&T network in the US, and the HTC Titan 2.
Mr Ballmer said he was “excited and upbeat” about where the Windows Phone system was, claiming it was the first smartphone system that put people first.
The 2012 International CES officially opened today, with more than 140,000 people expected to pass through its doors before it closes on Friday evening. The Consumer Electronics Association said the conference was heading for one of its most successful, beaten only by the 2008 event.
There was plenty to keep tech fans occupied over the past few days.
Yesterday afternoon, Samsung, Sony and Panasonic made announcements, with a heavy focus on connected TVs and new ways to control media.
Echoing some of the themes of competitor LG, Samsung said it would bring face recognition, motion and voice control to its TV range, allowing you to turn the TV on or off, adjust the volume or activate some apps. The company plans to build it into its high end TVs from this year, including the new 55-inch Super OLED TV.
The company is also working to future proof its TVs. From this year, its range will have the ability to upgrade to take advantage of new technology through a slot in the back of the TV. The Evolution Kits to do this will follow in 2013.
The Galaxy Tab 7.7, which is expected to debut on Verizon’s 4G LTE network and features a Super AMOLED display, was also unveiled, as was a redesigned series 9 notebook, Samsung’s Series 5 range of ultra books, and a Series 9 monitor.
Sony was also quick to get in on the upgraded displays and smart TVs, with its new display technology dubbed “Crystal LED Display”. Sony has a prototype on display at CES and said the display is the industry’s first 55-inch Full HD self-emitting display using LEDs as a light source.
The company also said it was working on a 4k TV, which has about four times the image quality of the current HD standard, and announced Bluray DVD players that would upscale images to 4k.
“We always strive to be the best, because Sony creates and delivers more entertainment experiences to more people than anyone here at CES,” said Sony chief executive Sir Howard Stringer. “That’s not just my usual hyperbole – we can all count.”
He told attendees that there were 900 million Sony devices in people’s hands globally, with more than 300 million new network connected devices coming into the market over the next three years.
“Consumers today are entering a new world that we only dreamed about as kids,” he said. “Sony has a stake in every part of the digital revolution.”
Integrated and cloud services were also a big part of Sony’s offering, synching across phones, tablets, games devices and TVs through Sony’s entertainment network.
The company also unveiled some new mobile handsets, including the 4G LTE Xperia Ion, Sony’s first such handset.
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