All About Content

This week has been all about International CES, the year’s largest consumer electronics trade show. It’s pretty much par for the Google course that anywhere it goes, it’s the headline attraction - but in this case the fact that Google and Yahoo are headlining this show ought to be noteworthy. CES is a consumer electronics trade show — something which neither company actually produces.

You can find comprehensive coverage pretty much everywhere on the Web — it was this week’s BIG DEAL. Yahoo News has a section devoted to CES coverage, featuring photos from Flikr.

Gates, Semel and Page keynote at CES

Video from CES at ZDNET

Some search-related highlights:
Yahoo Go - Yahoo Go, which will be offered by Nokia, Motorola, and Cingular Wireless. Yahoo Go will store all of a user’s useful information, such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and other contact information, and basically allow it to be accessed through any Internet interface imaginable. (Canada.com)

Google Pack - Google Pack, a downloadable package of Google-branded and third-party software, such as a Web browser and a media player, considered essential for most computer users. The availability of the software, first reported in the Wall Street Journal, could diminish Microsoft’s control of the computer desktop, seen by many as a key tool for driving people to use online services. (San Jose Mercury News)

Google Video Store - The service will act as a marketplace and lets the content providers decide in what capacity and for how much they want to sell their content, Page said. “Content producers are in charge and they can decide if they want the videos for rental, download or other things,” he said. (Linux World)

Motorola integrates Google icon - Motorola announced a partnership with Google to provide consumers access to Google content on Motorola handsets. Under the agreement, which was announced Thursday, Motorola will integrate a Google icon onto select devices that permits one-click access to Google search technology. These “Internet-optimized handsets” will be distributed some time in the first quarter of 2006 to select customers worldwide, according to Motorola. (Forbes.com)

The next version of Windows - New York Times technology reviewer David Pogue: If I seem to be laying on the “stolen from Apple” language a bit thick, you’re darned right. Ordinarily, I’m careful about making accusations like this, because I know I’ll get hammered by Apple bashers. But in this case, there’s not a shred of doubt: most of the features Microsoft demonstrated last night were pure, unadulterated ripoffs from Mac OS X. I could hear actual whispers of recognition from the audience around me. More about Windows Vista features, some actually original like thumbnail tabbed browsing for IE, here.

Other News:
Yahoo TV Demo a No Go
Gates Pitches CES Crowd on Vista’s Content Handling
InfoWorld interview with Steve Ballmer
Gates shares his vision of the digital lifestyle