Better Offline CES 2026: Part Five (Wednesday)
Jan 8, 2026
Karissa Bell, a tech journalist from Engadget, shares her insights from the CES floor. Jared Newman discusses industry trends while Chloe Radcliffe brings humor to the table. Ed Ongweso Jr. critiques the growing focus on flashy concepts over practicality. They tackle slow laundry robots, Pebble's nostalgic comeback, and innovative assistive tech. The panel debates the purpose of CES, highlighting both exciting advancements and the recurring issue of vaporware. Expect laughter, candid reflections, and an engaging exploration of tech's future!
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Robotics at CES Is Mostly Theater
- CES shows flashy robot concepts that generate headlines but rarely become real consumer products.
- Karissa Bell and Ed Zitron note many robotics demos are slow, theatrical, and unlikely to ship soon.
SwitchBot's Slow Laundry Demo
- Jared Newman watched a SwitchBot laundry robot that moved painfully slowly and only put items into a washer.
- The company expects to sell a version toward the end of 2026, unlike LG's concept which won't ship.
Limbs And Edge Cases Break Robots
- Physical interaction and limb manipulation remain hard technical problems for robotics.
- Panelists link repeated laundry-robot failures to the complexity of handling varied garments and edge cases.
