I am not sure I have ever seen so many wide-ranging rumours for things that Microsoft might announce and demo at its keynote tonight at CES. There are some rumours that seem very likely to actually be true such as a version of Windows being shown off that runs on ARM processors, details of the next update to Windows Phone 7 and even some new Xbox product called Avatar Kinect.

There are a lot of other less likely rumours for what Microsoft will announce and I have my own ideas of things that Microsoft could announce.

Zune

Microsoft don’t have an event for which Zune announcements are best suited so it would make sense for Microsoft to outline its plans for what features it plans to add to its entertainment service over the coming year. I actually think that the 5th major version of the Zune software will be released in the next few months which is though to add some new features. The last major update for the Zune software was in September 2009 with two incremental updates since then. Other than an international rollout zune.net hasn’t received much in the way of improvements and features. Then there is the ever present rumour and speculation as to what Microsoft have planned for the next Zune device, the Zune HD2 as it is referred to by everyone but Microsoft.

I’ve shared my ideas on what Microsoft should do with Zune such as having playlists shared in the cloud so that they are available on any Zune device, making Zune more social by linking it with Facebook and Twitter and by bring more features to zune.net. Its thought and hoped that whatever the next dedicated Zune device will be it will be powered by Windows Phone 7 but without the phone functionality.

With CES being the largest consumer electronics show in the world sure it makes the most sense for Microsoft to at least mention its plans for its entertainment platform over the next year at the show.

Xbox

I believe the last time Microsoft spoke about the Xbox at CES was then they first showed off and announced the original Xbox (over a decade ago) so it is therefore a little odd for Microsoft to be talking about their games console and entertainment system at this year’s show. Unless of course they have something major to announce.

We know that Microsoft will be talking about Xbox because someone was able to sneak a few backstage shots of the guys practicing the keynote and it looks like Microsoft will be announcing a new product called Avatar Kinect which no one is really sure what it is.

I have long hoped that Microsoft would bring Kinect to other platforms, markets and industries which I have sated many times; I’d like to point out that the Xbox 360’s accessory is actually called “Kinect for Xbox 360” which makes me think that “Kinect for Windows” is very likely. So could it be that Avatar Kinect wont just be for Xbox but actually other Microsoft platforms too? This would be very exciting. With such a lot of buzz currently about the accessory for the Xbox it would make sense to talk about the product’s future and not just on the Xbox.

In December a rumour turned up suggesting that Microsoft would be bringing Silverlight to the Xbox by the end of 2011, I wonder then if Microsoft will talk about this at their keynote. This could have major implications for the Xbox by allowing developers to write any kind of app for the Xbox and the TV using the code for application on Windows, Windows Phone and the internet.

Another rumour is that Microsoft has been talking to some TV companies to bring TV channels to the Xbox 360, this could get a mention too.

Windows v.next

It sounds very likely that Steve Ballmer will be showing off the next version of Windows running on ARM processors in the keynote. However it is not thought much else will be shown off of Windows 8 (Microsoft have yet to refer to the next version of Windows as Windows 8).

Interestingly though Paul Thurrott has been tipped off that Microsoft will be providing a alternative “tiled” interface for Windows 8 which is expected to look like the Metro UI found on Windows Phone 7. he also been told that Microsoft will be pushing a new application format to be used in unconfirmed Windows Marketplace that was leaked back in the summer. It unlikely that either of these two new rumoured features of Windows 8 will be demoed in the keynote, however they might get a mention.

With my thinking of “Kinect for Windows” I wonder if alongside Windows running on ARM processors we will also be shown how Microsoft plan to allow people to control Windows by use of voice and moving through Kinect.

There have also been some more reliable rumours that Microsoft will announce Windows TV, a stripped down version of Windows for set-top boxes that uses Windows Embedded 7 and used the Windows Media Center UI. I’m not sure what to make of this rumour, I thought Microsoft was moving away from Windows in the living and focusing on the Xbox instead. Maybe there will be better integration between Windows TV and the Xbox or maybe Windows TV will be for people who have no interest in playing games. If Windows TV doesn’t feature Kinect controls then it will start off way behind the Xbox in terms of how “cool” it is.

Bing

I know its a consumer electronics show but I wonder is Microsoft will talk about Bing. I hope they do and I hope they announce when people use access the beta version of Bing which will use HTML5. I also hope that Bing gets some new features, especially in the expected Windows Phone 7 update.

Courier

What? I live in hope.

OK, so we wont see Courier but I wonder if we will elements of the cancelled project in any of the announcements and demo’s Microsoft make. I hope that elements of Courier find their way into the “tiled” interface for Windows 8. On the topic of cancelled things I hope to see or hear mention of more cloud integration for Windows Phone 7 with a more encompassing online backup for the phones as found in the KIN studio.

Windows Live

As much as I wish Windows Live Wave 5 would be talked about I severely doubt it. However we might hear about Windows Live Messenger being integrated into some TVs at the show.

I have been trying this year not to get my hopes up too high to then be disappointed by Microsoft’s keynote however with so many rumours about if only some are true then the keynote will be great. Plus I hope the company have something up their sleeve still to surprise us all with.

I am unlikely to still be awake for the keynote so wont be providing any live coverage but you can watch the keynote live at microsoft.com/ces. I am looking forward to waking up in the morning and watching the keynote, I will try and not go on any tech blogs or Twitter, we shall see if I can resist before having watched the whole keynote.