Bill Gates to address CES

The veil of secrecy surrounding Microsoft's X-Box console may well be lifted at next month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is scheduled to make a keynote speech at the Las Vegas Hilton on January 5, the day before the show kicks off.

An unidentified source who's seen X-Box in action told trade mag CTW, "X Box will blow people away - it's a phenomenal piece of kit." The source added that Microsoft have still not made a firm decision regarding the console's final specifications. Microsoft themselves remain tight-lipped.