The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the event
that's supposed to set the tone in technology for the oncoming
year.   Things have changed in recent years though. Technology
has become less about whiz-bang gadgets and more about the
Internet-powered apps and services we use. Twitter. Instagram.
Snapchat. Dropbox. And so on. You don't really need 2 million
square feet in the Las Vegas Convention Center to show off a
bunch of apps.  Last year, Microsoft famously pulled out of CES,
and it was the first time in recent memory that its CEO (either
Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer) didn't deliver the opening keynote.
Instead, we got a very bizarre presentation from then-Qualcomm
CEO Paul Jacobs that included a cameo by Big Bird and a lip
syncing Adam Levine.  Also missing last year? We didn't get a
single blockbuster product announcement from one of the major
tech companies. Instead, companies like Samsung, HTC, and Nokia
waited to hold their own events to announce new flagship
products later in the year.