The gadget industry made no mistake when it changed the name of its biggest annual trade show from the “Consumer Electronics Show” to simply “CES” – dropping any reference to actual, physical gadgets.

At this year’s CES, finishing up in Las Vegas Saturday morning (AEDT), the most consequential product announcement arguably had nothing to do with physical hardware. Well, other than the possibility it could help define the way a great deal of hardware is produced in coming years.