Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz has bowed out, citing a “scheduling conflict,” according to Karen Chupka, senior vice president of conferences and events for the Consumer Electronics Association.

She declined to offer further details.

The loss of Bartz is a noteworthy one. Yahoo skipped last year’s CES keynote circuit and onlookers were hoping Bartz would this year shed light on the company’s plans for its media properties, which are seeing their funding increase as Yahoo shuts down other divisions. The company also has some interesting projects underway that related to Internet-enabled TVs.

Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs will seemingly take Bartz’s place in the keynote lineup. The CEA added him yesterday at a press conference in New York.

Other keynote speakers at this year’s show include Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the CEA’s Gary Shapiro, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, Intel CEO Paul Otellini, Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasuvo and Hisense Chairman Zhou Houjioan.

The festival is meant to help promote the company’s D5000 camera, a digital SLR that also shoots 720p video – though entires will be accepted from any camera. Users are being asked to submit short films for the next six weeks with the theme “A Day Through Your Lens” at www.nikonfestival.com.

Actor Rainn Wilson, Internet personality Justine Ezarik (iJustine) and photographer Chase Jarvis will help select one of two winning films, which will be announced in January. The second winner, as selected by visitors to the site, will pocket $25,000.

Contests surrounding UGC are nothing new, of course, but given Nikon’s big user base – both professional and amateur – there could be some interesting things coming from this. And there’s a lot of room for potential growth to the world of Web video even after the awards are handed out. 

Principal analyst Riddhi Patel predicts massive seasonal price cuts will spark buying, with 8 million units shipping in the fourth quarter – a 7.3 percent increase over the 2008 figures.

iSupply is looking for some good deals on Black Friday and beyond, predicting prices for HD sets will fall as low as $299 for some 32-inch models and $499 for 42-inch sets.

Deals aside, average pricing for 46- and 47-inch LCD sets should fall below $1,000, which will spur buying as well. And, it says, many consumer will want to upgrade their older LCD sets to premium models with LED backlighting, which results in a more vibrant picture.

It’s an optimistic prediction – and deal-watchers agree that LCDs will see some great holiday bargains this year – but given the still fragile state of the economy, take it with a grain of salt. Most folks are still hanging on tight to the money in their bank accounts – and it’s going to take some spectacularly low prices to loosen that grip. 

Now comes the Droid – and while it almost certainly will be just as ineffective at ‘killing’ the iPhone as the Pre and any other challenger, there’s a definite buzz building around this new device from Verizon and Motorola. More importantly, that buzz extends beyond the tiny world of cell phone geeks.

Running Android 2.0, an updated version of Google’s mobile operating system, the phone blends a physical keypad with a touchscreen and offers one of the most impressive screens yet for a cell phone. It also comes with a 5Mp camera and flash. And, the key selling point, it has Verizon’s reliable network backing it up, rather than AT&T’s spotty 3G coverage.

It sets a high bar, but is it enough for you to buy one? If you’re a Verizon customer approaching the end of your contract, are you going to renew with the carrier and give the Droid a shot – or hop over to AT&T and join the cult of iPhone? Sound off in the comments. 

AT&T CruiseCast – an in-vehicle TV service the company created with RaySat Broadcasting Corp. – has halted new activations and it current customers will soon be able to get a refund for their installation (and de-installation) costs, as well as equipment and service.

CruiseCast launched in June at the rather staggering price tag of $1,300, plus a $28 monthly charge. It had promised customers 22 satellite TV channels and 20 satellite radio channels.

Live video in the car is a boon for parents, but with competition from portable media players (not to mention the still weak economy) and the high up-front and monthly charges, this one faced long odds from the beginning.

AllThingsD reports the company has been talking with networks about a $30 per month plan that would deliver programming via the popular software. The service would not be tied to specific hardware (such as Apple TV or the rumored tablet).

Apple is hoping to launch the service early next year, but so far no network has signed on – not even Disney-owned ABC, where Steve Jobs is on the board of directors. The nets are said to be cautious, as they don’t want to upset their cable system partners (and the subscription fees they generate).

Streaming video online is coming of age quickly. Netflix has seen incredible success with its “Watch Instantly” option – signing deals to stream via select Blu-Ray players, the Xbox 360 and (starting later this month) the PlayStation 3. Amazon offers a similar service and even YouTube has had a few successful experiments with long-form content as well.

Then, of course, there’s Hulu, which has found a solid audience online and is now exploring ways to further monetize itself.

With the large installed base of iTunes and the many outlets it services (including the iPhone and desktop PCs), there’s some promise in this. And with the influx of internet-enabled television sets hitting the market and predicted to grow fast, the time could be right for Apple to make a play in the field.

There are, of course, lingering questions. Even if Apple gets the major networks on board, would the service be equivalent to cable offerings? What about premium channels? Would programs be aired in conjunction with their broadcast premieres or would they be time delayed, as they are with FLO TV?

It’s an intriguing idea, though – and it sure would be interesting to see how Apple would distribute it. Hopefully, we’ll learn more at the company’s January event.

The Droid will go on sale Friday, Nov. 6 for $200. It comes with a touchscreen, physical keyboard, the ability to simultaneously run several applications and a 5MP camera- with flash.

Beyond the usual social network synching, there’s also a free GPS program on Droid that offers turn-by-turn directions and live traffic updates. That’s a big advantage over the expensive GPS apps on other systems.  Unfortunately for Verizon, it won’t be exclusive to Droid for long – and may eventually appear on the iPhone.

Best Buy is already taking orders for the phone (allowing you to skip the rebate process at Verizon). And Engadget has a quick first-impressions piece up about the system after a few hands-on hours with it.

Alfred Poor, an analyst with GigOM Pro, says there could be between 28 million and 46 million 3D-ready TVs in homes by 2013 – with up to 2.5 million selling in the next year alone.

It’s a pretty bold prediction. Right now, there’s only one set on the market and it’s prohibitively expensive at nearly $10,000. Panasonic, Sony and other manufacturers will roll out models next year, presumably at slightly lower prices, but beyond the price pain there are other hurdles they’ll need to convince consumers to clear.

3D HD sets still require users to wear special glasses. These not only add to the expense, but people typically feel a bit foolish wearing them – and some complain of headaches. They’re great if you’re sitting in a chair, but it remains to be seen if they’re as effective when you’re lying prone on a couch, beer in one hand and half-eaten bag of chips on your chest. And, unless you’ve got several extra pairs of the glasses , showing off the TV to a large group of friends will be nigh on impossible.

Of course, content providers – particularly the broadcast networks – haven’t signed on to promote the technology yet either. That’s likely to change within the next year or so, though. 

The gaming showcase at the 2010 show will be 50 percent bigger this year, according to organizers, taking up some 13,000 square feet. Microsoft and Sony (natch) will be on hand, as will smaller companies DDR, Guillemot and Iron Will Creations.

CES was actually the birthplace of E3, but don’t expect the gaming trade show to move back into its parents house. Select game publishers will have hotel suites to show off imminent games, but won’t announce any new titles of note. At best, we might learn a few more details about Microsoft’s upcoming Project Natal – but that would come during Steve Ballmer’s Jan. 6 keynote.

The 2010 CES will take place January 7-10 in Las Vegas. 

Chase Carey, deputy chairman at News Corp. (which owns part of the online streaming service), dropped a major hint that the Website could begin charging for content as early as next year.

“It’s time to start getting paid for broadcast content online,” he told Broadcast & Cable. “I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”

The upside here for consumers is he doesn’t see a pay wall going up around the entire site. Instead, he pictures special features (such as, say, unaired “American Idol” auditions) as the best place to begin testing a pay model.

It’s a risky strategy. Online audiences have finally started to show a willingness to view ads with television programming after years of resistance. Asking them to begin paying more to watch elements of shows they can watch for free at home will be a bigger hurdle – and could steer some of the audience back to the pirate sites Hulu has been drawing people away from.