CES tidbits and dispatches

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at CES

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Some noteworthy dispatches and tidbits from CES so far:

• James Niccolai of the IDG News Service writes about Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's assertion that the PC, the television and the smartphone are the "three screens" that will shape the future of consumer electronics. Ballmer says that Microsoft's vision is to have its Windows OS be the constant that links all three screens together in the future.

WowWee's Cinemin Stick mini-projector

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• NWW's Keith Shaw files a dispatch detailing his observations at CES so far, with the biggest news being Cisco's big push into the consumer market. He also describes his experience with WowWee's new mini-projectors(pictured left), which we previewed in our CES gadget gallery.

• Keith is also keeping track of some of the more enterprise-related gear at CES over at his Cool Tools Happy Blog.

• Sony's new VAIO P Series laptops are creating some buzz. What makes these new computers so intriguing is just how small and light they are, measuring in at eight inches wide and weighing in at a mere 1.4 pounds. The laptops are also powered by the Intel Z520 Atom processor, which is being used by a lot of laptop manufactures to cut down on the power their devices consume.

• Panasonic has been doing its best to make a big splash at CES this year by announcing that its new plasma HDTVs will be able to stream videos rented from Amazon.com. Additionally, Panasonic has unveiled the 3D Full HD Plasma Home Theater System, which the company proudly touts as the first home entertainment system to offer 3D FHD images.

• PC World's Daniel Ionescu is not a fan of Motorola's new "green" phones that are made out of recycled plastic bottles. Speaking of, this idea for an eco-friendly phone is, uh, interesting.