Bill Gates, guitar hero by proxy in Vegas (LOL)

via cbc.ca

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In a night of beginnings and endings, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates rocked. Well, almost.

In his keynote speech Sunday night that officially kicked off the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Gates was challenged by Microsoft's president of entertainment and devices, Robbie Bach, to a game of Guitar Hero 3. But before either could strum their plastic Xbox 360 guitars, Bach played his ace card by calling out a ringer — Guitar Hero 3 champion Kelly (TipperQueen) Law-Yone, who shredded through the opening notes of Welcome to the Jungle by Guns 'N Roses.

Not to be outdone, Gates trumped Bach with his own ringer — the Guns 'N Roses guitarist Slash, who emerged onto the stage in his trademark top hat playing the licks live on a real guitar.

The foursome closed out Gates's address, his 12th and final CES opener, as a packed auditorium laughed and cheered.

Gates's speech was light on news and heavy on humour. Along with several product managers, Gates — who steps down from his full-time duties at Microsoft in July to concentrate on his philanthropic endeavours — announced a few tidbits, including the Canadian availability of the Zune MP3 player. The device, which Bach said has grown into a "viable alternative to the iPod," will be available in Canada in the spring.

The Microsoft chairman also announced that ABC and Disney television shows, including Desperate Housewives and Lost, will be available for download over the company's Xbox Live service, as will movies from MGM.