It’s that time once again: CES 2026 is here.
Think of CES like a harbinger of what’s next in technology. Every January, the industry descends upon Las Vegas to pull back the curtain on the products that will power the upcoming year. Not only will you gawk at massive walls of bleeding-edge OLED monitors and oddball demos of all sorts of PC gear, but CES often serves as the grand reveal for new generations of processors—and the army of laptops you’ll find them inside.
This year is no different—but what is different is that for CES 2026, PCWorld’s crack team of PC experts will be blogging about the gaudy sights and fresh new tech goodies live as we see them. The show proper kicks off Tuesday, January 6, but many of the biggest blockbuster keynotes will take place on Monday, and CES Unveiled will even showcase a horde of goodies Sunday night. It’s a packed week, y’all, and the PCWorld team is here and primed to cover all of it.
Check out our early primers on what we expect from major PC chipmakers and the laptops of CES 2026, then bookmark this page and check back throughout the week for the hottest announcements and wildest sights from the show. Here’s hoping we don’t get too unhinged as the announcements, interviews, and briefings bleed into a week-long haze.
It’s Vegas baby. Let’s get weird! ~Brad Chacos
CES 2026 blog: New PC tech hot from Las Vegas!
Plugable helps cut down backpack clutter
This is the Plugable PS-6CC, a subtly smart peripheral that is really nothing more than a power strip for phones, tablets, and even PCs.
This $79.95 device takes up to 100W (from a laptop charger, say) at the end of the device and splits it between whatever devices are connected. As devices fill up, charging rates slow down. That power is then redirected to the other devices on the port.
You may already have a USB-C charger with multiple ports. But think about it: instead of toting multiple chargers, bring one, as well as several cables. By morning, everything will be charged and ready to go without a bunch of extra weight.
(Disclosure: Plugable supplied this power splitter and the related cables to PCWorld to evaluate. So far, everything works as intended!) — Mark Hachman
Y2K is back, right?
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Look at this funky little guy! Among the various graphics cards on display at Nvidia’s suite was Gigabyte’s Aorus RTX 5090 Infinity. It’s got a double flow-through design and an eye-catching curvy design totally unlike most other graphics cards out there. With its big round ends and the dark, textured middle section, it somewhat evokes the spirit of yesteryear’s boomboxes. Slap it on your shoulder and party like it’s 1999, or in your gaming rig and party like it’s 2026. —Brad Chacos
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Party like it’s 1999
Michael Crider / Foundry
AceMagic is showing off mini PC concepts that will look familiar to anyone whose birth year starts with a 1. These two concepts are planned to run on the same basic specs, going up to a Ryzen AI HX 470 processor, 64GB of RAM, and 4TB of M.2 storage. There’s no mention of price, of course — the memory crunch has everyone terrified to commit to a number. -Michael Crider
Godzilla keycaps are here to demolish your desktop
Michael Crider / Foundry
Godzilla keycaps. And because a giant monster always needs something to fight: Mecha Godzilla keycaps. Officially licensed from Toho, made from PBT plastic, and sold for about $80 USD for a full set. These are great for fans, especially if you like the Showa era aesthetic. -Michael Crider
Michael Crider / Foundry
Mobile Ryzen coming to desktop sockets? Not no.
I’m sitting in with Jason Banta, AMD’s vice president and general manager of client at AMD, and the topic is socketed desktop processors.
A socketed desktop processor means that you should be able to buy and install a replacement, right? That’s what I was thinking when I sat down. But mobile chips go directly to laptop makers.
AMD is for now leaving open the possibility that you’ll be able to buy a mobile Ryzen laptop part and drop it into a desktop socket. You’ve never been able to do that before…but in 2026, who knows? -Mark Hachman
AMD
The 10 best laptops of CES 2026
CES technically kicked off on Tuesday, but the PCWorld team has been running around for glimpses of the hottest new tech since Sunday. And honestly, we visited with a bunch of PC vendors before the holidays for secret in-depth briefings ahead of the show. That’s why we’re already able to pinpoint the 10 best laptops of CES 2026 on day two of the show. From laptops with refined dual-stacked monitors, to the return of Dell’s XPS brand, to wonderfully repairable ThinkPads and fire-breathing gaming laptops, we’ve zeroed in on the best of the best of show.
Stay tuned in the coming days for roundups of our favorite monitors of CES and all the gear that knocked our socks off in Vegas. We aren’t done yet! -Brad Chacos
A sobering sight
Too busy to see if they were protesting a specific company, but it’s interesting to see data privacy treated as a fundamental problem to solve. –Mark Hachman
Mark Hachman / Foundry
That’s a concept I can get behind
Farming is big tech now. Some of the biggest right to repair law wins for consumers have come from farmers suing John Deere for locking down their systems with extreme prejudice.
Brad Chacos / Foundry
But I still wasn’t emotionally prepared to see Robocop’s front loader* at the Bobcat booth among all the usual tractors and whatnot. I can envision this toiling autonomously in the towering trash fields outside Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City, nary a human in sight. — Brad Chacos
*AKA the Bobcat RogueX3 concept loader.
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Asus Wi-Fi 8 concept router is a critical hit
Michael Crider / Foundry
This Asus Wi-Fi router looks like a 20-sided die. That’s it. That’s all I’ve got.
Okay, not quite. Asus is showing off this next-gen Wi-Fi 8 router design at CES 2026, even though it’ll be long time before that spec and hardware are ready for consumers. When it does, Asus says that ti will have double the speed and double the coverage of existing networks, with better support for dense crowds of people and devices.
ut I have to admit, the Dungeons and Dragons nerd in me loves the idea of placing this thing out in full display, instead of hiding it under my desk like my current wifi router. You can even mount it to the wall if you want. And yes, it’s capable of a mesh network layout…if you get two, presumably your wi-fi signal will roll with advantage. -Michael Crider
Just look at those eyes
I may not know much about robots, but I know I wouldn’t tangle a Pacific Rim-sized behemoth whose chest stands 10 feet tall!
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Big boi greeted visitors to the ZEROth robotics in North Hall, where I found a much less intimidating lil boi. Hey, it’s Wall-E!
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Actually, this is ZEROth’s W1, “a mobile robot built for real work in real environments.” This autonomous 28kg tiny guy can carry over 110lbs (50kg) of gear for you across all sorts of terrain, including grass, gravel, slopes, and whatever uneven ground you need to throw at it, thanks to those tank treads and big puppy dog eyes that serve as the W1’s sensors.
But I’m just pumped I got to meet Wall-E in the flesh… er, bolts. It’s available for preorder now for $4,999. — Brad Chacos
‘We already have a Mars rover at home’
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Now THIS would be seriously handy in a zombie apocalypse. Jackery is known for its wide array of solar, power, and charging technologies, but the Jackery Solar Mars Bot combines all three to super-cool effect — and super practical effect if you’re working in a region without reliable electricity.
Billed as “a mobile solar-storage bot that finds the sun, charges itself, and delivers power wherever you need it,” the autonomous bot did just that in an active demo on the floor. A bright light in the corner of the booth simulated the suns rays and periodically repositioned itself to point at different points of the floor. Jackery’s Solar Mars Bot identified where the light was beaming each time with mosquito-like quickness, then calmly scooted over to the new location before settling down to soak in those delicious rays.
The swing arm atop the bot has four solar panels that can fold out for maximum power draw, and the side pops open to reveal a bevy of ports to keep all your devices charged. Imagine how baller you’d feel bringing this along for a camping trip with your buds! – Brad Chacos
This robot came to play
CES 2026’s North Hall is where you’ll find more advanced gear, like smart city solutions, enterprise AI tech, and automation — and that means robots. LOTS of awesome robots.
I’m just a gamer with a fancy blog so I’m not equipped to tell you whether one robotic hand is more advanced than another, or if those shelf-stacking bots are truly autonomous. But I CAN tell you that I watched Sharpa’s autonomous ping pong bot more than hold its own in a VERY intense match against a human opponent, thanks to its ludicrous 0.02s response time.
Brad Chacos / Foundry
It was mesmerizing. Very few balls made its way past the cybernetic defender, and it also managed to keep the ball religiously in play — often sneaking shots past its meat bucket rival. Just look at the pose on it! Sharpa’s autonomous ping pong bot came ready to win, baby, and the crowd was going wild. — Brad Chacos
I don’t want to live on this planet anymore
A vendor selling a pay toilet lock used AI slop to generate an image of the Rat Pack walking through Las Vegas, with Frank Sinatra holding his groin like a toddler who needs to use the bathroom. It’s easily the worst thing I’ve seen at CES 2026. — Michael Crider
Michael Crider / Foundry
I think I love this weird controller
Brad Chacos / Foundry
I expected to hate GameSir’s Swift Drive controller when I saw its press release last week.
Like, I loved the funkiness of it — a gaming controller with a small force feedback steering wheel plopped dead center?! — but I was sure it would feel like an abomination in my hands.
I was absolutely wrong.
In a demo, the Swift Drive’s wheel managed to feel just right. Twisting the wheel with your thumbs actually feels good, turning easily but with the precise amount of pushback to avoid feeling loose. The force feedback also impresses, letting you feel bumps in the road (and the pain of flipping your car over, I’m ashamed to admit). As a firm believer in specialized sim racing controls, not shoehorned-together controller ideas, I’m genuinely shocked at how natural the Swift Drive feels in my hands. I might have to pick on of these up for my Forza adventures when it launches sometime in Q2. -Brad Chacos
😎
Brad Chacos / Foundry
😎 — Brad Chacos
Move over, Tom Cruise. There’s a new Top Gun in town.
Speaking of simulators (sorry, just flexing that I GOT TO TOUCH A FREAKING MCLAREN FORMULA 1 CAR) check this majestic beast out.
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Built by Play for Dream and Wrights Brothers Tech, this modern fighter cockpit simulator pitches and yaws as you man the cockpit controls, and can be paired with either a VR headset (as shown here) or a wall of monitors for total Top Gun-style immersion. I tried it and it truly felt like I was racing through the skies — an exhilarating sensation. — Brad Chacos
Pinball wizard
Virtually everything runs on processors these days. Case in point: Stern Pinball is here with a full array licensed pinball machines to play on the floor.
Brad Chacos / Foundry
And yeah, that was a blast, but the most intriguing part of the booth was a station that revealed the inner workings of Stern’s Star Wars machine (hey, they know their nerdy CES audience). Check out the little board that powers all the beeps, boops, and flashing lights! — Brad Chacos
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Robot arms at the ready
Teradyne Robotics is showing off a fascinating demo of fully independent, articulated robotic arms performing complex tasks, like adjusting a Rubics Cube or wiggling their fingers while the arm waves back and forth. It’s the first time I’ve seen something like it in person and it makes my mind boggle a bit, tbh.
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Of course, it’s powered by a PC — but not one you or I are likely to buy. When I mentioned I work for PCWorld, the rep enthusiastically grabbed the workstation powering these setups: A single Nvidia Jetson Orin 64GB, which handles real-time image processing from a paired camera to control the arms in real time. When I waved my hand near the arms they shied away! — Brad Chacos
Timeli personal security: A cool alternative to pepper spray and cell phones
I’m not the target market, but it only takes 10 seconds to understand why many women—or really, anyone—may want to carry the Timeli personal security device. The all-in-one handheld hardware integrates a flashlight, video camera, cellular service, GPS, alarm, and two-way communication to give its owners greater security and peace-of-mind when walking through dark public spaces.
With a button-press you can activate the flashlight and live video recording. If you begin to feel uneasy or sense pressing danger, a second button press–this time the SOS button–activates an alarm and then you connect to a live-monitoring emergency service, which can see what you see through the camera.
At this point, you can chat with the dispatcher to discuss a response if necessary. They know where you are thanks to the integrated GPS. If nothing else, you’ll have someone to chat with until you feel safe.
Jon Phillips/Foundry
First, this is a great alternative to pepper spray, which requires the user to actively confront the bad guys, and doesn’t always do the job. Second, it’s a great alternative for women in the habit of walking back to their cars on their phones, just so someone will know where they’re heading and whether they’re safe. With Timeli, the user can integrate that communication with a flashlight, alarm, and video camera.
Timeli costs $300, and includes a 12-month subscription to the UL-certified security monitoring dispatch service. After that, you pay $10 a month for the subscription. –Jon Phillips
Bucket list item, complete
Brad Chacos / Foundry
OMG OMG OMG. I’m a massive Formula 1 (and specifically Lando Norris) fanboy. So are a surprising number of tech engineers — Formula 1 pushes the edge of what’s possible with mechanics, physics, and data, both in real time and via complex simulations. Deloitte handles a lot of that data processing for McLaren, this year’s Constructors and Driver Championship team, and they’ve got the car front and center in LVCC’s Central Hall to flex their championship-winning cred.
I know several GPU engineers who get together to compete in ultra-realistic iRacing sims just to feel that cutting edge themselves. Me? I just physically touched a McLaren F1 car when the attendant was looking the other way. Let me repeat: OMG OMG OMG —Brad Chacos
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Lollipop Star: Sorta gross. I love it
Is it just me, or does Lollipop Star seem like someone came up with a clever portmanteau, and then reverse-engineered a shipping product? I can’t say this merger of lollipops and pop stars is actually good, but mad props to the initiative.
So, yeah, it’s an actual lollipop you stick in your mouth. But it also plays licensed pop music through the same bone conduction technology that’s been kicking around audio wearables for years. You stick some conventional foam earbuds in your ears, press a button on the lollipop, and then start sucking away. The Lollipop Star I dared to test-run played a rap song by Ice Spice – but I bailed on it quickly because the lollipop itself was insanely sweet (11 grams of carbs total if we’re counting).
I give Lollipop Star a B grade for concept; an A+ for packaging; a C+ for celebrity partnerships; a D for audio quality; and an F for candy taste. But it also earns an A+ for one the weirdest CES products I’ve ever seen. I didn’t enjoy it. But I will never forget it! — Jon Phillips
Jon Phillips/Foundry
De-coding the Core Ultra Series 3 processors
One of the knots I’ve been trying to untangle is what the difference is between the two types of Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) processors: the “plain” chips, and the higher-performance “H” models. They’re listed in our launch article.
My initial reaction was that they’re divided by the thermal design power, or TDP. But Intel tells me that both core count and cache size are the real differentiator, and neither attribute is listed in the materials revealed to the press. I’ve updated how to tell the difference in my separate story on Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 naming scheme. — Mark Hachman
Panther on the prowl
Brad Chacos / Foundry
Panther Lake is stalking the Las Vegas strip mere hours after Intel’s big Core Ultra Series 3 launch. You can find all the juicy details in our Panther Lake reveal coverage. — Brad Chacos
A noob’s journey through CES day 1
Fun fact: I’ve been to 5+ CES events and never actually attended CES itself — the big, glitzy show at the Las Vegas convention center. Most PC vendors have private booths set up in other hotels across the Strip, so I usually spend my days darting here and there, studiously avoiding the mass of humanity around the LVCC. Today, the CES show floor opens for the first time of 2026 — and I’ll be there. This is our first time doing a CES blog, so I thought it’d be fun to try to chronicle my journey through gigantic TV walls and autonomous robots here, so you guys can join me in a noob’s first CES.
The doors open at 10 a.m. Pacific. First, I need a shower and some breakfast. Catch you soon! — Brad Chacos
Brad rocks out on LiberLive C2 smart guitar
Sorry, retro gaming fans: PCWorld’s Brad Chacos isn’t shredding on a next-gen Guitar Hero controller. Nope, that’s a real guitar, albeit an electronic one that doesn’t need anything so pedestrian as strings.
Michael Crider / Foundry
The LiberLive C2 is the company’s second-gen instrument, which replaces strings on the fretboard with buttons to let you play the chords when you flick the paddles where one would normally strum. A combination of programmable buttons and two force-sensitive magnetic paddles lets you play the full range of sound available on a real six-string (though purists might attack me for that heresy). You don’t need an amp, either — the collapsible body includes its own tweeter and upgraded 3.5-inch woofer speakers.
LiberLive didn’t say when the upgraded model or its accompanying software and digital tools would be out. But the price for the C1 version is $450.
Sandisk proves practical SSDs don’t need to be boring
Sandisk’s new internal drives may be newly colorless, but the company’s leaning in on whimsy for its portable SSDs. At the CES 2026 Pepcom showcase, the company was showing off portable SSD drives disguised as giant Crayola crayons, as well as FIFA-branded rainbow-esque whistles and portable drives.
We’ve already reviewed the Crayola SSD stick and found it an okay, fine performer but a whole lot of fun. I’d expect no less from the other products but you know what? I want ’em anyway. The PC world needs more color to break up the never-ending sea of black and gray — Brad Chacos
Ice ice baby
An ice sculpture in the desert??!! Something something global warming something something. — Brad Chacos
New Intel chips and Snapdragon chips and AMD chips and Nvidia…DLSS
CES doesn’t even officially start until Tuesday but the news is already coming hot and heavy!
We’ve already mentioned the launch of Qualcomm’s affordable Snapdragon X2 Plus chips and Intel’s long-awaited “Panther Lake” Core Ultra Series 3 launch here this evening. But wait, there’s more! Because it wouldn’t be Vegas without excess.
Tonight, AMD unveiled the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and new “Strix Halo” AI Max processors for desktops, a new AI max mini PC reference design for developers dubbed Ryzen AI Halo, and new Ryzen AI 400 chips for laptops and desktops alike. Whew!
Not to be outdone, Nvidia swooped in shortly after. No, we didn’t see the launch of RTX 50 series “Super” variants, but don’t be disappointed. Nvidia’s upgraded DLSS 4.5 tech helps midrange GPUs max out high-end 4K monitors with a new “Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation” mode that inserts up to six AI-generated frames between GPU-rendered frames to maximize visual smoothness up to and beyond 240Hz, and image quality enhancements for all RTX cards. And say goodbye to blurry graphics: Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar monitors aim to perfect motion clarity in high-speed 1440p gaming monitors. Yes please! — Brad Chacos
Watch AMD and Nvidia’s announcements live tonight with us!
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
Earlier today, Intel leaned hard into talk about AI (specifically local AI) during its CES 2026 keynote—now it remains to be seen if AMD and Nvidia follow. Nvidia of course gave its main keynote presentation earlier today, but it’s holding a second stream tonight specifically for consumer-related news.
We should get a peek of what to expect from AMD and Nvidia during 2026 in these upcoming presentations later today. And you can catch the streams live on the PCWorld YouTube channel with commentary and analysis at these times:
- 6:30pm Pacific / 9:30pm Eastern: AMD CES 2026 Keynote
- 9pm Pacific / 12am Eastern: Nvidia CES 2026 Community Update
Will there be any shocking reveals? Time will tell… -Alaina Yee
Meet Panther Lake, the Intel CPU inside your next laptop
Intel’s long-awaited Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” processors launched today, and their impact will reverberate throughout the PC industry — especially laptops. Major notebook vendors are already unveiling product lineups built around the new chips — the first built using Intel’s 18A fabrication technology — and with a power-per-watt improvement of 15 percent, it’s easy to see why. Hit the link above for the full Intel Panther Lake reveal by my colleague Mark Hachman, the CPU whisperer. — Brad Chacos
4k gaming monitors? That’s so yesterday
Sorry fellow nerds. Your 4K ultrawide is obsolete. Acer and LG are making 5K gaming monitors the hot new flex. — Brad Chacos
‘I’m not dead yet’ says Dell XPS
Last year, Dell announced it was dropping its iconic XPS, Latitude, and Inspiron brands in favor of iPad-esque names like Dell (no extras or superlatives), Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. We (and everybody else) said that was stupid. Because it was stupid. At CES 2026, Dell admitted its folly… at least a bit. While the trio of core names still exists, the Dell XPS is back baby!
Hit the link for full details on the delightfully identifiable Dell XPS 14 and 16, powered by Intel’s new Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” processors. — Brad Chacos
Samsung’s Galaxy Book 6 has Panther Lake and lasts for DAYS
I’m sorry WHAT?! With a “tuned” version of Intel’s new “Panther Lake” Core Ultra Series 3 processors inside, Samsung claims its new Galaxy Book 6 can achieve up to 30 hours of battery life.
O.
M.
G.
Hit the link for all the juicy details — including a look at the thermal cooling technology under the hood of this gorgeous new laptop. — Brad Chacos
(Ed note — An earlier version of this entry stated the expected battery run time as 40 hours. We regret the error.)
Asus shows off the tech inside the tech at CES
Asus’ CES booth always has a lot of fun, geeky demonstrations of the technology inside their products, and 2026 is no exception. Here’s a peek at the ultra-slim motherboard inside one of its Zenbook laptops!
And here’s a look at the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM, a new high-end gaming monitor that uses LG’s fresh RGB stripe pixel Tandem WOLED display (teased earlier in the blog!) to improve text clarity — a notorious issue with OLED monitors. I was able to summon the right-click context menu so you can see that yes, the technology indeed improves fringing text compared to rivals. (I delved deeper into this issue in my Corsair Xeneon Flex review a couple years back).
Finally, Asus also had ridonkulously big mock-ups of the hot-swappable switches found in its ROG HE mechanical keyboard platform. I tried mashing them but alas, no springy action for these demo units.
I got a lot more pictures of cool tech at the booth, but I’m not sure how much of it is top secret, so stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes glimpses in the future. — Brad Chacos
MSI Pro Max, gaming power for grown-ups
Michael Crider / Foundry
MSI’s new Pro Max series aims to give you options for powerful hardware, without the gamer aesthetics. All-white PC components, pre-built desktops, and monitors have advanced specs with enough power for gaming, but with a look that’s a little more button-down. That 27-inch monitor is a 4K OLED with 120Hz of refresh, and the larger desktop can be configured with an RTX 5070 Ti. — Michael Crider
Michael Crider / Foundry
CES 2026: Some assembly required
CES doesn’t officially start until tomorrow, but we’ve been running all over the Vegas strip for the last two days covering tech that couldn’t wait. As often happens, some last-minute preparation has spilled over into the pre-show events. Walking through the Venetian meeting rooms doesn’t actually require a hard hat…but maybe it should. — Michael Crider
Michael Crider / Foundry
MSI’s RTX 5090 Lightning Z is the first 1000W GPU
During a press event today, MSI revealed the GeForce RTX 5090 LIGHTNING Z — bringing back the legendary brand to push GPUs to insane new levels. How insane? Well, an OC (overclocked) Mode pushes the power limits to a whopping 800 watts, and an Extreme Mode jacks that up to an utterly ludicrous 1000W. Insanity. No consumer GPU has ever pushed this level of power.
Seeing as how standard 5090s are going for close to $4,000 on the streets these days, expect this limited 1,300-unit run, overclocking-focused beast to cost more than your first beater car did when it hits the street…sometime. MSI’s tagged this with a “built to be perfect” slogan to match the insane 1000W output, after all. Stay tuned for a deeper article on the site soon! — Brad Chacos
LG’s 5K2K OLED gaming panel made me drool on myself
Around these parts I’m known as the monitor guy. I’m a fiend for fast, beautiful, farm-to-table gaming pixels — and at CES 2026, LG is pushing OLED gaming monitor panels to delightful new frontiers.
I’ll have a full write-up later when I’m able to find a spot to crash, but I wanted to whet your whistle with this — the world’s first-ever 39-inch 5K2K gaming OLED panel. Yes, “5K2K” as in “waaaaaaaaay more than 4K.”
This humble iPhone pic doesn’t do the panel justice — it’s gobsmackingly gorgeous in real life. I was drooling! Stay tuned for a full article later, where I’ll also dive into LG’s new Tandem WOLED technology, the world’s first OLED panel with a 240Hz RGB stripe pixel structure to improve text clarity (a common gripe with OLEDs), a 720Hz 1440p OLED, and more. Look for this new 5K2K panel to land in monitors from a variety of manufacturers sometime in Q2. — Brad Chacos
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus pushes AI PCs more mainstream
Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a 10-core version of the Snapdragon X2 Elite processor it launched this fall. It’s a quick tweak to the processor architecture that has had middling success in the PC space.
The argument is still the same: deliver better performance for lower battery life. The competition for the Plus is the Intel Core Ultra 7 256H. So far, we’re not hearing anything in terms of customers, however.
I really think that Qualcomm and Snapdragon deserve a seat at the laptop table, but Intel’s Core Ultra series just doesn’t allow much breathing room for the Snapdragon: The battery life and performance are stellar.
I also saw several notebooks built around the Snapdragon X2 Elite, the foundation for the X2 Plus that Qualcomm launched this past fall: the Asus VivoBook S16, ZenBook A14 and A16, plus the HP Omnibook Ultra and EliteBook X — and an Asus all-in-one. — Mark Hachman
Relaxing Iron Man hugs
Bodyfriend makes wild full-body massage chairs. I didn’t have a chance to try the 733 model on display myself, but hey, if you have like $10,000 burning a hole in your pocket and want some snuggles from Iron Man, this looked pretty cool. I wish I had the opportunity to climb in but it was in hot demand! — Brad Chacos
Provec’s killer shades sold me on ‘solid-state electrochromic sunglasses’
I’m both an outdoor aficionado as well as a diehard “cool shades” guy. I really, really like what Povec Optics is doing with their new C1 Sunglasses.
The C1 may look like any other pair of sports shades, but they’re not: Povec calls these “the world’s first solid-state electrochromic sunglasses.” I’m not going to try to Google what all that means when it comes to sunglasses, or the claim’s validity.
But I can tell you these things are rad. There’s a touchstrip on the side of the frame. Move your finger towards the back of your head and the tinting transitions to darker hues; move it towards the front, and things brighten up, all damned near instantaneously. You can see the effect in the images above and below — these were the same pair of demo glasses. They’d be a godsend while I’m hiking through the New Hampshire woods, cycling around the neighborhood, or zooming my car around the topsy-turvy White Mountains.
Since these clearly target active types, they’re both very lightweight and boast IP65 water resistance, and a single charge (via USB-C) can last up to 28 days at 4 hours per day.
Provec’s C1 isn’t cheap at $249, but that’s not too much more than a nice high-end pair of shades will set you back anyway. I’m going to hound Provec for a review sample once I’m out of Vegas so I can let you know if the practicality is as tantalizing as the promise. —Brad Chacos
I hugged an owl and I liked it
Yo a giant owl and I wrapped our arms around each other… for a good cause!
It’s not only technology companies manning booths at CES Unveiled. The US Forest Service and the National Waste and Recycling Foundation are here, handing out stickers, pamphlets, and free owl hugs to spread the word: Don’t forget to turn your batteries in.
You can’t just chuck your batteries in the trash, even though you do. (C’mon, you know you do.) And as a dude whose apartment burned down a few years back, I’m all about avoiding random blazes. Here’s what the group’s Battery Safety Now website says:
“Battery fires are happening more often. They’ve destroyed homes, burned down garbage trucks and recycling centers, and—tragically—taken lives. When a facility goes up in flames, trash and recycling services can be shut down for weeks or even months. The good news? Battery fires are easy to prevent.”
Remember kids: Only YOU can prevent battery fires. And if you play your cards right, you’ll even get a hug from an owl wearing clothes. (What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right?) — Brad Chacos
This robot is not Wall-E
Michael Crider / Foundry
This is, most decidedly, not Wall-E. It’s a small tank-like robot with movable, expressive eyes, that is absolutely not, in any way, the Disney-owned intellectual property, Wall-E. The W1 robot from Zeroth can allegedly carry up to 50 kilograms as it follows you around, presumably someplace without stairs. I was not able to find info on price or release date, or whether any lawyers had me in the crosshairs just for looking at this thing.
A monitor that fixes dyslexia? The Lili Screen says yes
Mark Hachman / Foundry
Lili is here at CES 2026, claiming that its Lili Screen is the first computer monitor specifically designed for computer users with dyslexia.
It’s a 27-inch, 1440p screen with a refresh rate of 75 Hz. The key to alleviating dyslexia, according to Lili, is a user-configurable flicker, which the monitor produces in combination with a user-specified brightness setting. The Lili Screen will ship in January for $649.
A Reddit thread on the related Lili Lamp linked to this rather irate blog post (https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=35144). It seems quite skeptical of the basic technology without naming Lili directly. Basically, it’s an interesting product but deserves the full scrutiny of hands-on testing. -Mark Hachman
Dephy Sidekick: Like Deus Ex, but without implants
You gotta love the wild stuff at CES Unveiled. Like kinda-sorta-bionic ankles!
The Dephy Sidekick straps onto your legs and claims to provide a boost to your walking efficiency, easing the strain on your overused calves. Dubbed the world’s first ankle wearable, Dephy says the Sidekick “is lightweight, intuitive, and designed to help you move farther, faster, and with less effort.” And it kinda makes you look like Robocop from the knee down!
Fortunately, Lifehacker’s Beth Skwarecki (who writes awesome fitness and health articles) had a pair strapped on when I visited the booth, so you can see how it looks IRL. They’re chonky, but like the Cyber Fidget, in a good way — kinda like gunslinger holsters for your calves.
It’s hard to get a bead on how well the Sidekick sidekicks without trying them out ourselves, but becoming a cyborg cross-country runner doesn’t come cheap. Even though Dephy explicitly states this is lifestyle device, “not a medical device,” the Starter Pack costs a cool $4,500. The rep I spoke to suggested it could provide a lot of relief to people with walking pains and troubles. I suggest staying tuned for reviews, because if the Sidekick pulls off what it claims (and another rep pointed out that Dephy is part of Nike’s Project Amplify), improving your quality of life may very well be worth the cash. -Brad Chacos
The Cyber Fidget is tailor-made for grown up nerds
I’m tooling around CES Unveiled, where you’ll find row after row of vendors hawking their wares and showing off rad product demos. Very few of these have anything to do with PCs — but you’ll always find some deeply interesting gadgets to poke and prod.
Case in point: The Cyber Fidget.
I was lured in by the killer ’80s retro vibes, but found myself ensnared by the sheer variety of buttons to poke and programs to try. You can even make your own wallpaper in a browser by connecting the Cyber Fidget to a computer! It’s satisfyingly chunky, and grown up nerds (like yours truly) can tinker with the code in this puppy too.
The Cyber Fidget website describes it as “A pocket-sized, machined-aluminum gadget you can fidget with and program. Wi-Fi + Bluetooth, OLED display, LEDs, speaker, mic, slider, buttons, and micro‑SD — built on ESP32.” That means it’s “open and hackable.” Woo!
I’m thinking “Sign me up!” as I read that, especially after holding it in my own two hands. If you’re thinking the same, you’ll be able to back the Cyber Fidget on Kickstarter soon. -Brad Chacos
Ozlo Sleepbuds: The night-time earbuds you’ve been dreaming of
Why wait to meet with a manufacturer in person if they’ll send you their hardware two weeks before the show? Ozlo offered to send me their Sleepbuds in advance of our CES meeting, and OMFG, these slumber-time earbuds are impressive.
The Ozlo Sleepbuds may look like regular earbuds, but they’re so low-profile, they’re comfortable enough to wear all night as a side sleeper. The idea is to stream a “masking” sound (think white noise) to drown out much more disruptive sounds like snoring or city ruckus.
Jon Phillips/Foundry
I scoffed before trying them, but they perform as promised during a recent San Francisco rain-and-wind storm that was battering my windows and skylights. Slept like a baby. On my side. As I always do.
You can also stream your favorite content (podcasts, music, whatever) and the Sleepbuds’ sensors will detect when you’ve fallen asleep, and then switch to your masking sound. The hardware does not use active noise cancellation, but I found it’s so good at noise suppression, I had to lower the volume to hear my dog’s “I need to go out!” whimpers. You can buy them now, on-sale, for $274. — Jon Phillips
White Castle²
On the Vegas strip, White Castle is literally a White Castle. Back to tech shortly but 🤯 — Brad Chacos
Jensen welcomes the crowds to Las Vegas
CES 2026 hasn’t kicked off yet, but the signs are everywhere — literally. Not gonna lie, seeing a 100 foot-tall digital display of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang smiling benevolently down at the crowds from a gigantic techno-pedestal, in front of high-end Forum Shops dedicated to former Roman emperor Julius Caesar, feels a bit on the nose.
Don’t be surprised if AI is the major theme of the show yet again, and Huang certainly is the kingmaker in that field. Look for Nvidia’s livestream keynote to go live at 1p.m. Pacific Time on January 5. –Brad Chacos
