After the end of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft will leave the event. Through this decision, Microsoft joins Apple and Facebook, companies that have decided they are popular and strong enough to organize their own show off events. This means that the traditional CES speech from Microsoft’s CEO has been the last in the event. Taking full advantage of the departure, Microsoft’s last speech at CES focused on Xbox, Windows 8 and Windows Phone.

Part of the main reasons why people went to CES was to see and witness live a speech and presentation experience by some of the most powerful men in the IT business: Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Apple’s Steve Jobs. But their times have passed, however even though replaced by Steve Ballmer for Microsoft and Tim Cook for Apple, their booths remained a must-see during the event.

Although officials with CES say that Microsoft’s departure will not affect the event down the road, this year’s edition has surely brought in a lot of people. The opportunity and fatality of witnessing the last Microsoft speech at CES are appealing enough.

To get back to the story, Steve Ballmer, current CEO of Microsoft, held a 70 minutes speech focused on Xbox, Windows 8 and Windows Phone software developments and strategies for 2012. Joining him on the stage were actor Ryan Seacrest, co-host of the event. Several things are to be reminded:

Microsoft’s motion-sensing Kinect technology will be available for Windows PCs in a few weeks. Steve Ballmer mentioned that they have developed it to such extent that users will be able to do more with the technology than just gaming.

Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone will be available for sale in all Microsoft’s retail stores across the United States in just a few months. Ballmer pointed out that the phone will be sold unlocked.

Nokia Lumia 900, the phone producer’s first Windows Phone, will become available later this year at AT&T.

A beta version of Windows 8 will be available for testing in late February. At the same time, the Windows 8 store will be released.

Microsoft has signed a partnership with Fox which will allow users to watch “Glee”, “Family Guy” and “Bones” on the Xbox and with Comcast for its Xfinity TV service.