The Consumer Electronic Association has announced that Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, will be a pre-show keynote speaker at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show. The 2011 CES will take place in Las Vegas and run from January 6th through 9th. The Microsoft keynote will take place on January 5th at 6:30 PM, Pacific Time.

Microsoft recently squashed the plans for their highly-anticipated Courier tablet PC, leaving the only other marveling technology in their stable to be the KINECT system. Will Ballmer announce something revolutionary and completely out of left field? Time will tell as we learn more of Microsoft’s plans in the months leading up to the event.