Steve Ballmer

Microsoft's final Consumer Electronics Show keynote on Tuesday was criticized for not delivering much in the way of interesting news, but the software giant just might be the sleeper hit of CES. Alongside big trends at this year's show such as Smart TVs, new display technologies, apps, and Ultrabooks, new handsets from HTC and Nokia running Microsoft's Windows Phone software are impressing the crowds at CES.

Some things really should be left in Vegas.

Yes it would make a big difference to Microsoft. But have a little sympathy for the guy. Let him finish saving the world as penance for Windows 3.1. And for being the IT world's Satan all those years.

Also, MC Hammer challenges Google at search, Android 4.0 arrives, iPad 3 rumors swirl, and the US avoids cyberwar with Libya.

Shares of Microsoft were flat Friday after the company reported record first-quarter revenue.

This year's Web 2.0 Summit will focus on the critical role that online data plays in the Internet economy and on how its use and misuse can make the difference between success and failure in markets like online gaming, Web advertising, search, social media and mobile.

Steve Ballmer has been CEO of Microsoft since 2000, and Big Cheese since 2008, as Microsoft dropped from Evil Empire to also-ran, seen Apple outstrip it in value and take the lead in markets that were always core businesses to MSFT, while Google took those that haven't.

Windows Phone's overall share of the smartphone market dropped by 66 percent between 2010 and 2011, according to IDC. 'Mango' edition introduced this morning may continue that trend.

Microsoft no longer biggest tech company, but makes its case to partners with big sales numbers.

The Microsoft CEO will return to the Consumer Electronics Show keynote stage in January.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer launched the much-awaited Office 365 on Tuesday, after a beta program of about nine months, as the company responds -- some critics say belatedly -- to the rising popularity of cloud-based applications for collaboration and communication.

Plus: Mac Defender gets meaner.