High-tech hot topics: CES product releases, Apple Mac App Store

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Hot topics in the tech blogs for the week ending January 7 include the opening of Apple's new Mac App Store, coverage of products released at CES, Facebook's private or public debate, Microsoft's keynote at CES and Google's preview of Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

Apple opens the Mac App Store
Apple unveiled approximately 1,000 applications, all ready to be downloaded and installed on Apple computers from its new Mac App Store. Bloggers were (as usual) divided on the PC software store model and wrote headlines including, "Apple's Mac App Store fundamentally changes PC software usage rights," "Why the Mac App Store Sucks" and "Why You Might Really Like the Mac App Store in the Long Run."

CES product releases
The blogs were awash with product announcements coming from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week. New tablets, smartphones, cameras, TVs, computers and gadgets were all on the menu and coverage of these products was featured prominently on all the major technology blogs.

Facebook's private or public debate
Technology bloggers debated whether Facebook will stay private or if it will be forced into an initial public offering after investment banking firm Goldman Sachs invested a reported $450 million in the company.

Steve Ballmer's Microsoft keynote at CES
Steve Ballmer's Microsoft keynote at CES was hotly discussed in the blogs, not for what he announced during his speech but for "What Microsoft's Ballmer didn't say." As ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley says, "He didn't offer any new Windows 7 sales figures" nor did he "address the slate market beyond what company officials have said already." He did however talk about Windows 8 on an ARM chip, Surface 2, and Xbox and Avatar with Kinect.

Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Google showed off a preview of its large screen only operating system, Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Google released a short video of the operating system in action, showing a tablet running a vastly improved user interface designed specifically for touchscreen devices.