Like so much of the emerging technology at this year's CES, Microsoft's Surface tabletop computer has to been seen to be fully appreciated. The device is still a little ways off from landing in the hands of consumers (and, once it does, will likely be well out of most of our price ranges). However, the Surface's commercial applications are beginning to become more and more clear.

At his keynote last night, Bill Gates demonstrated how the device might be used by sporting good stores to let customers design their own snowboards. At today's show, the company showcased a few further business scenarios, including one featuring wine companies, and another involving cell phones.

In this video, a Microsoft representative demonstrates the latter, choosing T-Mobile to showcase the possibilities of just such a scenario.