Gadget Fun!

This year's Consumer Electronic Show (CES 2005) is running in Las Vegas and you can fill buckets with techie and gadget hype, as usual. However, there was also plenty of fun in Bill Gates' keynote:

Gates started out by giving an overview of Microsoft's digital media strategy, assisted by talk show host Conan O'Brien. Gates said Microsoft would continue to make it easier to unite digital experiences.

"If you look at today's living room, you have five remote controls and you still can't get your music where you want it," Gates said.

The presentation was marred by several technical glitches, including a Windows XP Media Center slide show that couldn't be launched and an Xbox game demonstration that abruptly ended with a blue-screen memory error.

"Right now, nine people are being fired," O'Brien joked after the first snafu. "Who's in charge of Microsoft?"

I only have one remote control so I must be low tech. But then I knew that. On the other hand, it never pops up a Blue Screen of Death.

More coverage over at CNET including this scary article:

Bill Gates is coming to your living room, whether you like it or not.

Bar the door and grab the 12 gauge!