Deducing the top trends at a massive trade show like CES is more art than science. I’ve been doing it for 15 years and have generally followed the same process: Collect as much information as possible under embargo in advance of the show, limit show meetings to breaking news and relationship-building, and try to read everything the PCMag team publishes. There's also a longstanding tradition of asking every other journalist I meet if they've seen anything “cool.” After all, there's an infinite amount to cover, and scoops age quickly under the omnipresent glare of 24/7 media. This year, of course, things were different. There were no flights to Vegas or overpriced hotel rooms. There were no endless lines to get into press conferences or a tightly thronged show floor. (Wheelie bags? Seriously people?!) There were no vendor dinners where makers, marketers, technologists, and spin doctors could share a meal and seek common interests. And there was no collegial collaboration among competing journalists. This year’s CES was a series of Zoom calls and streamed video feeds.