WELL THAT'S IT! No real gaming news, no new Xbox, no portable, and I'm not getting $1000. More pictures will come later, but I'm about to lose my battery. See ya'll later! 

7:37PM (PST) - Bill brings out Slash as his own ringer. Slash cheats: he doesn't play the GH axe, but his own.

7:35PM (PST) - Bill is going to try his hand at Guitar Hero III versus Robbie Bach to settle an outstanding $20 debt. As Bill jokes, "A little like Deliverance and Dueling Banjos". Kelly "TipperQueen" Law-Yone comes out to challenge Bill to Welcome to the Jungle. 

7:30PM (PST) - Bill brings out a device that has video technology that can recognize various photographic elements. It allows you to buy tickets to theaters you see, shows ads. It looks like a combo of a video phone and Google StreetView. It can tell you how far you are from landmarks. Very very cool technology. 

7:28PM (PST) - The GPS and voice-activated Windows Mobile allows you to speak into your phone to perform tasks. We watched them find a movie theater, and order tickets to the movie using just voice. 

7:27PM (PST) - Windows Moblle phones outsell Blackberry, iPhone, and most other phones on the market. MS expects to sell twice as many this year as last.

7:25PM (PST) - You can tell the car to pick a song, to make a phone call, to do a lot of things! The system will be upgradable too. If your airbag deploys, the car will ask you first, and then call 911.

7:22PM (PST) - A Lincoln MK-X is brought out on-stage to show the interactvity of the Ford Sync system. Your Zune (or other MP3 player) will be synched to the car. Your Bluetooth phone can do it too, and your contact list will be downloaded to the car.

7:20PM (PST) - Zune Social pages will allow your PC to track your activity on your Zune, and upload it so that your friends can track your music picks. You will also be able to post your Zune card on any social networking site (still in beta). 

7:18PM (PST) - Zune is the alternative to the iPod for people who want a more social experience. MS will start selling Zunes in Canada. 

7:17PM (PST) - Meidaroom (HDTV, DVR, interactive TV) has 1 million TV screens across the world. "DVR Anywhere": Record on one television, and play them on any TV in the same house. You will also be able to produce your own interactive shows (e.g.: If you're watching NASCAR, you can pick which cameras you want to watch.) British Telecom will offer the ability to use your Xbox 360 as your set-top box.

7:15PM (PST)  - MGM is bringing its library of movies to XBL. They will offer more than twice as much on-demand content than any other provider.

7:13PM (PST) - Robert Boch comes out to explain the future of gaming. 17.7 million Xboxes have shipped. They've made a billion more than Wii, and two billion more than PS3 last year. 10 million member mark has been passed on XBL, 6 months ahead of predictions. ABC and Disney will be bringing TV shows to XBL this month. 

7:11PM (PST)  - Bob Costas can't get Bill on the team for NBC's Olympic coverage. Ah well, Bill will enjoy them as a spectator.

7:10PM (PST) - Microsoft Silverlight is partnering with NBC as the exclusive partner for online video footage for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Every hour of the Olympics will be available for viewing. 

7:06PM (PST) - Bill is demoing Microsoft Surface by pretending to order a snowboard. He is able to customize the entire snowboard using Surface. Placing your phone on Surface allows you to upload the picture to your Windows Live Space.

7:05PM (PST) - Your Windows conncected phone can automatically upload your phone's pictures to your Live Space. 

7:02PM (PST) - Windows Live has the ability to create panoramic pictures by taking several images of the same location and creating a new panorama. Very cool! 

7:00PM (PST) - Bill introduces Mika Krammer to give the latest updates to Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, and Windows Live. 

6:54PM (PST) - The three keys to the "second digital decade": One:High definition (video and audio) becoming more prevalent. "3D environments will exist for most of the internet experience." Two: all of these services will be "service connected". Users will no longer have to bridge the devices. Three: The power of natural use interface. The keyboard and mouse will be phased out, touch screens will become more common, as will voice activated tech.

There is a picture on the screen behind Bill of what appears to be a new, never-before seen telephone:

6:51PM (PST) - Bill reports that the transition of power is, in fact, going very smoothly. He reports on his plans to continue, after the retirement, to use the "power of software" to acheive the aims of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

6:48PM (PST) - Jon Stewart won't allow Bill to co-anchor The Daily Show. Hillary Clinton doesn't want Bill Gates as her running mate, nor does Barack Obama. Al Gore tells Bill he gets his "is this an inconvenient time?" joke. Bill powers down his office on his last day using the "Clapper". Oh, and Bill drives the Ford Focus with the on-board MS technology.

6:44PM (PST) - Bill says that this July will be the first time since he was 17 that he won't have his full-time job with Microsoft. He debuts a video "he and his friends" put together. A comedic "documentary" Brian Williams of NBC News, Steve Ballmer (MS CEO), Christine White (his executive assistant). We see Bill playing with his Chewbacca dolls. Matthew McConehagy is Bill's personal trainer. We see Bill cutting a track with Jay-Z in the studio. Jay Z on Bill's rap skills, "Not so much..." Bono shows up, on the phone with Bill as he plays Guitar Hero! Bill auditions for Steven Spielberg. Steven: "Oh BIll, the things money can't buy..." George Clooney claims he "can't play Bill Gates." Bill on the phone with Jon Stewart.

6:41PM (PST) - Bill gives a history lesson on the "First Digital Decade". 

6:39PM (PST) - Bill Gates is introduced and takes the stage to the sounds of "Do You Believe in Magic?" Bill is wearing all purple this year.

6:33PM (PST) - Gary Shapiro (president and CEO of CEA) takes the stage to welcome the audience. In his words, "In my opinion, these are the best four days of the year...four days PACKED with opportunity, and I encourage YOU to make the most of it!" 

6:30PM (PST) - We are being treated to a montage of pictures of last year's CES. Apparently, the producers of CES are quite taken with the show...

6:27PM (PST) - Members of the press were asked to keep all flash photography to the first 60 seconds of the speech. So at 61+ seconds, shit's gonna get real blurry! 

6:25PM (PST) - Oh my God! Oh my God! The Keynote will begin in five minutes (as per an announcement on the P.A.) 

5:25 PM (PST) - We've made it inside! Not only are we in, but we are sitting in the "VIP" area (yeah, it's the press area too, but I like to think we got it because we're so very important...)

4:20PM (PST) - Still in line. But Major Nelson did just walk past us. He smelled like apples and money... 

3:40PM (PST) - The 2008 International Consumer Electronics show officially "kicks off" tonight with a keynote speech from Microsoft CEO and Hank Scorpio wannabe Bill Gates. This is probably Big Biily's last hurrah for the CES world, as he announced last year that he would be stepping down from the day-to-day operations of Micosoft this year.

Rumor and speculation are high here at the Venetian hotel and casino as to what Mr. Gates will announce. Will we finally learn about the Xbox 360 "Ultimate" with its built-in HD-DVD, wi-fi capabilities, massive hard drive and quiter fan? Will he tell us about a Microsoft handheld gaming device? Will he hand out $1000 bills to everyone in attendance?

No one (other than Bill and his speechwriter) know at this point. But in a few short hours the whole world will know the secrets.

But for now, it's lines, lines, and more lines. Folks started lining up at two o'clock for the 6:30 speech, and that's where we stand. Or sit. Or something. Anyway, more to come as we learn it. For now, enjoy these pictures of, what else, lines!

The general admission line in the Venetian.

The press line at the Venetian. (Aren't we fancy?)