Better Offline CES 2026: Part Two (Tuesday)
4 snips
Jan 7, 2026 
Join Ed Ongweso Jr., a tech culture commentator, Ed Niedermeyer, an automotive analyst, Gare Davis, creator of a tech commentary project, and Henry Casey, a CNN tech reporter, as they dive into cutting-edge highlights from the CES floor. They candidly critique the underwhelming performance of smart glasses and question the ethics of consumer robotics. Discussions reveal the absurdity of marketing tactics, especially for household robots, and the worrying implications of AI children's toys. Expect humor and insightful critiques in this lively tech roundtable!
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Cutting Edge Means Alpha Now
- CES increasingly showcases unfinished, janky “cutting edge” products that ship in alpha rather than finished form.
- Ed Zitron and guests note this trend reflects a broader industry tolerance for spectacle over polish.
Age Tech Doubles As Surveillance
- Many booths pushed "age tech" and companion bots that collect rich personal and home data.
- Ed Ongweso Jr. warns this creates surveillance vectors under the guise of caregiving and companionship.
Homes Break General-Purpose Robots
- Consumer robotics remains mostly a dead end beyond simple devices like Roombas.
- Ed Niedermeyer and others argue homes are chaotic environments where robust, general-purpose robots fail economically.
