I spent a chunk of yesterday morning rediscovering the big trends of CES 2012. It’s a strange experience, examining so much technology that feels — at once — extremely dated and very recent. With 10 years between you and an event, the macro trends really take shape. Some items are a clear part of a continuum that brings us to the present day. Even more often, however, these things prove to be a kind of evolutionary dead end.
Even so, there’s a lot we can learn in the moment. CES is billed as a bellwether for the year to come. It also demonstrates how the tech world responds to largely global trends, in a one-stop shop. And let’s be real, there’s really one key global tre …
