Welcome to the 13th issue of IT Pro 20/20.

January always brings with it the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which serves as a showcase of emerging technology and helps set the tone for the coming year. Although 2021’s roadshow felt a little anaemic, as it was forced online for the first time, it still did the job of creating a much-needed distraction.

A part of this month’s issue covers some of our highlights of the event. CES is always a mix of technology that seeks to break the mould, and technology that reflects the zeitgeist. We saw plenty of the usual suspects, with new PC hardware, IoT technology, and new breakthroughs in TV design capturing the spotlight as they always do. Yet a great deal of technology also sought to capitalise on the pandemic, or at least the greater emphasis on remote work.

It’s important to remember that there’s plenty of innovation going on outside of CES. January also saw the release of the Raspberry Pi Pico, an even smaller addition to the already tiny family of miniature computers. The device is built from a new microcontroller technology, boasts a wide range of programmable I/O options, and supports a wide range of peripherals. We take a look at its design and use cases to see what all the fuss is about.

While the new year has brought with it shiny new toys to play with, many of you may also be feeling that same need for change in your careers. Ongoing economic disruption has made it more difficult to transition away from comfortable work and, likewise, has forced businesses to think carefully about what roles and skills they need in order to flourish. We’ve taken a look at the current market to help job seekers make sense of what skills are in demand, and help businesses create a future-proof hiring strategy.

The next IT Pro 20/20 will be available on 26 February – previous issues can be found here. If you would like to receive each issue in your inbox as they release, you can subscribe to our mailing list here.