Like an estimated 7.7 million people, I watched Barack Obama’s inauguration online. I chose to watch it on CNN.com and enjoyed the live feed of Facebook status updates coming through alongside the video. What interested me the most though was the one click button to use my Facebook profile to register with CNN.com Live.

The Obama campaign’s use of Facebook in 2008 has been well discussed and isn’t something I am going to cover here but what is worth discussing is the potential for Facebook’s latest (and potentially greatest) move in the race between Facebook, Google, and Yahoo to become the defacto registration database for the web. And for the last several months Facebook has been selectively beta testing Facebook Connect with some major and minor online players.

Initial user numbers show that more people were online on Election Day and night but bandwidth usage yesterday may have broken some records. Was yesterday the breakthrough moment for live online video usage?

More here.

Microsoft is unveiled its new Xbox gaming console during a half hour infomercial on MTV at 9:30 EST tonight. The program was long on cool graphics capabilities and new features but the interesting news is where Gates is going with the Xbox.

A recent article from Newsfactor Technology News highlighted how Microsoft is using the Xbox to bring the PC into the living room as “a digital entertainment hub” that enables gamers to IM, as well as access music and photos online through a broadband connection.

As the broadband pipe gains in access speeds and household penetration Microsoft’s move to get a PC hybrid into the living room will look smarter and smarter.

Links:
http://www.mtv.com/games/video_games/xbox/index.jhtml
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=010000007BR0