Microsoft chairman Bill Gates gave the opening keynote for this year's WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference), which is where the PC industry gathers to adopt technology trends, or not. It's a slow process.
The main themes this year include ultra-mobiles (with the Origami/UMPC), Rally technologies and Pika, which you probably haven't heard of. Rally is a bundle of stuff for connecting things automatically, and includes Link Layer Topology Discovery, PnPX (Plug and Play eXtensions) and the Wi-Fi Alliance's Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Pika is the code-name for the latest Windows Media Center Extender Technology, which lets you send stuff (including HD movies) from a PC to another device -- but so far, the only Pika device seems to be the Xbox 360.
Gates also showed the Windows Home Server, which appeared at CES in January. Basically it's just networked storage for home users, but it can automatically back up and restore attached PCs. Hardware suppliers will include HP, Gateway, LaCie and Medion.
Linda A. Epstein has blogged the keynote with pictures at tabletpc2.com. She even mentions the Pussy Cat PC.
