Better Offline CES 2026: Part Seven (Thursday)
5 snips
Jan 9, 2026 
Chloe Radcliffe, a comedian and actress, adds humor and sharp observations on the CES floor. Garrison Davis shares quirky insights from the show while Rob Pegoraro offers a seasoned perspective on emerging tech trends. They discuss the lack of major brands this year, the allure of novelty in Eureka Park, and the questionable hype around AI advancements. The group critiques the industry's automation approaches and the ethical implications of surveillance tech, wrapping up with thoughts on CES’s diminishing whimsy and meaningful consumer impact.
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Episode notes
Robots Lookateen But Underperform
- LG's home robot Cloyd is physically impressive but functionally slow and limited in realistic tasks.
- Demonstrations framed small, staged actions as breakthroughs while masking practical shortcomings.
Cloyd Demo: Slow, Staged, and Incomplete
- Garrison watched Cloyd take 90 seconds to load a shirt and struggle folding a towel for minutes.
- The demo relied on staged scenarios like pre-prepared croissant dough and limited milk handling.
Big Booths Are Shrinking
- Major manufacturers (Samsung, Nikon, Sony) reduced or shifted CES presence, making the show feel smaller.
- The absence suggested structural changes in who exhibits and why CES matters.
