MICROSOFT TO END ITS CES KEYNOTE ROLE

Microsoft's has announced that it will be ending its long-standing CES keynote role, and will no longer have a booth at the show as it's done for many years. Head of Microsoft's corporate communications, Frank X. Shaw, posted a rather direct note about it on the company's blog, and the CEA confirmed the move on its blog.

According to sources, Microsoft simply didn't feel it was getting a reasonable return on its investment with CES, and the reality is that the show hadn't aligned with its launches for a few years.

MOTOROLA MOBILITY'S XOOM TABLET DEBUTS

Motorola Mobility has officially announced the Xoom tablet at their CES event. The tablet boasts a 10.1 inch touchscreen has the specs to compete with the other tablets at CES. Specs include:

• Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS
• 10.1-inch widescreen HD display
• Dual-core 1GHz processor
• Full 1080p HD support with HDMI-out port
• 5-megapixel rear camera with 720p video capture
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat
• Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity (Verizon Wireless)
• 4G LTE compatibility with external modem attachment
• Available Bluetooth keyboard and dock accessories

The Xoom is expected to launch Q1 on Verizon for an unknown amount. [BGR]

RUMOR: WINDOWS 8 PEEK AT CES

WinRumors is reporting that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will reveal parts of Windows 8 during tomorrow night's CES keynote, mainly related to future slates they have planned. In addition, there should be new Windows Phone and Xbox announcements.

According to WinRumors, their strategy for revealing Windows 8 will probably be similar to what they did for Windows 7, where they revealed a few UI elements at All Things D, then unveiled everything months later. And further proving that Microsoft is interested in ARM-based processors, Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are all on board for Windows 8-optimized products. This also seems to be a concession of sorts by Microsoft: they're admitting that a full-blown, current-generation operating system isn't meant to run on a tablet/slate. Not yet, at least. The ARM-based version of Windows will likely be stripped down to its most elemental functions—whether that be for the living room or touch screen—and will be a very different experience from the desktop iterations. [Gizmodo]

RUMOR: WINDOWS TV COMING TO CES

According to an unconfirmed report in The Seattle Times, Microsoft is preparing to demonstrate a new home entertainment product set to combat Apple TV and Google TV. The rumored service will supposedly be demonstrated this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Said to be powered by a “stripped-down version of Windows tailored for set-top boxes and connected TVs,” a customized version of Windows Embedded is the likely candidate for this type of product. The devices are also said to feature a UI similar to the Windows Media Center interface, and will include a “polished and familiar TV-program guide that makes it easy to blend and navigate both online and broadcast content.” While no manufacturing partners were revealed in the report, an initial round of Windows TV boxes will apparently go on sale later this year for around $200. [BGR]

LEAKED: PALM PAD DEBUTING AT CES

It has been known for quite some time that Palm will be introducing its first iPad competitors in 2011, but FoxNews.com claims to have some new details about the tablet line dubbed PalmPad. Accompanying what appear to be drawings of the device, a purported spec sheet details several features of the upcoming webOS tablets. Highlights of at least one model include WiMAX compatibility for use with Sprint’s 4G network, an HDMI-out port, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera (oddly, also with an LED flash according to the report) and a USB 3.0 port. The report suggests there will be three versions of the PalmPad initially, though it doesn’t provide a firm explanation of the differences between models. It does state that at least one PalmPad will likely have a screen “nearly identical” to the iPad’s 9.7-inch display, and there will be a fourth “university version” of the PalmPad with an 8.9-inch screen that will not be on display at CES. FoxNews.com claims that the PalmPad line will launch with version 2.5.1 of Palm’s mobile operating system, webOS. While the source of these rumors doesn’t exactly have a solid track record — or any track record with Palm leaks, for that matter — we’re rapidly approaching CES and Palm isn’t exactly known for its ability to keep things under wraps. [BGR]