Hold the phone

OK, so we missed the Bill Gates keynote and PC fashion show. Our flight came in too late to get tickets (yes, it was an E-Ticket attraction). And anyway, the PC fashion show was apparently upstaged by Bill's retirement video parody. We'll find the winners on the show floor and share them with you tomorrow.

One thing for sure: this show, like the industry it showcases, is all about style. From Panasonic's monster 150" plasma display (the new world champ) to the hot new MOTORAZR2 V8 with its tiny silver Bluetooth headphone (see photo), tech gear is trying its darndest to look cool, and make its owners do the same. (click here for a video clip on how aluminum and other metals in the design give the phone its appeal.) It's sleek, it's sexy, and you don't have to knock down a wall to get it into your house.

Style in the gadget business is long overdue. These things started delivering more than spreadsheets and email long ago, and consumers (especially young ones) are counting on the form to follow the function.

Can it go too far? No such thing, not in Las Vegas. One of the most talked about toys in the show is a new leopard print Taser from Taser International. That's right, leopard print, with an MP3 player built into the hoster. Hot, hot hot.