Long before the rise of PC software, the Seattle region was known for another Bill, and another technology -- Boeing, and his airplanes. This morning in Everett, the company is preparing for the first flight of its next-generation commercial airplane, the 787 Dreamliner. You can watch a live webcast on this Boeing site. (Click on the webcast tab at the top, and you may need to reload to get it to work.)

Update: The plane took off without any visible problems. If you missed the webcast, we'll look for archived video for a follow-up post. In the meantime, you can follow the flight on a map through this live tracking feature. (Via Chuck Taylor.)

Update II: Post updated with CNN video above. And via Seattle Weekly, this video below shows what it looked like from the ground in the surrounding neighborhood.