While CES is primarily a consumer-focused event and outside our usual coverage, it remains a valuable showcase for new gadgets and emerging trends. This year, however, a noticeable drop in consumer enthusiasm suggests we may be reaching a point of tech saturation, where new technology lacks a genuine element of surprise.
Beyond this shift in consumer sentiment, pricing poses another significant challenge, exacerbated by current economic uncertainty and the anticipated cost implications of the looming RAM chip shortage.
The Endless TV Evolution
Do we really need another TV after the tenth one in the house? (The answer is apparently “yes?”) TVs are getting bigger, thinner, brighter, faster, smarter, sharper and more “nosy” as these connected devices continually extract a lot of user data for who knows what purpose.
I recently bought an art tripod to make my new TV look like a gallery piece. Beyond art-frame TVs and streaming digital art, we’ve now entered the realm of wallpaper screens (like the LGW Wall Paper OLED TV), making painting walls obsolete. People keep finding new ways to integrate TVs into life. Projectors are also impressive—check out the XGIMI Titan Noir Max. Maybe one day your house will have wall-to-wall screens keeping you glued to content wherever you go. Don’t like the colour of the walls? Click to change.
AI: In Everything, Ready or Not
Artificial Intelligence is ubiquitous—it’s being built in to everything, whether you want it or not! However, caution is necessary, especially with AI in children’s toys. We need to be vigilant about how these devices spy and gather intelligence on our kids. What if toys start giving commands that supersede parental authority? Impossible?
The proliferation of AI in toothbrushes to fridges and clothing raises a significant question: where is the limit? Furthermore, it seems to be overlooked that AI consumption requires energy, a resource that is not infinite.Not to mention the increased cybersecurity threats from more connected devices. For now it seems like the wild west of AI.
Robots: The Next BIG Thing in Consumer Tech
The rise of robots is accelerating. I don’t know when they’ll handle all the house and yard work, but whoever invents the robot that takes out the trash will surely win the market. Robotics is the next AI-powered revolution, and I anticipate it becoming the bulk of consumer-grade technology in the future. AI-powered robots will likely take on most of the thinking and work for humans. Will sleeping in the same house with robots become a scary scenario? How will bad people use robots?
You can search to explore the latest advances of robots but the household vacuums and lawnmowers seem to be today’s primary door crashers. Smart home tech continues to expand. The Alexa and similar devices continue to listen to everything you say in your home and continue to do more. AI powered lights, recording devices, weather, cameras and all sorts of appliances. IKEA is also getting into the smart home game. Maybe finally we will have The Jetson’s lifestyle.
Drones: Taking Flight
Drones are improving by leaps and bounds. Take a look at the Antigravity A1 8K drone. You can find some good coverage from The Drone Girl.
Our video production team utilizes drones, as demonstrated at a recent ChannelNEXT event video clip (below). We thought about flying a drone inside the convention centre during the conference but this is apparently a no-no.
Unwelcome commercial applications include drones identifying private property improvements for taxation, disrupting flight zones, and general spying. However, drone warfare remains the most frightening potential use we can envision. I think drone delivery may eventually become a big commercial use case, but I can already see the porch pirates already learning to redirect drone shipments.
Health Tech: The Most Intriguing Category
For me, Health Tech was the most interesting category at CES. Nelson Advisors did a great roundup of devices. The direction of this tech is intriguing, especially when integrated with AI for knowledge-bases, notifications, and real-time doctor communication. Imagine 24/7 health monitoring. Now, imagine your life insurance being automatically declined if you don’t use a health monitoring device.
Autonomous Automobiles and The Robocar
The CES 2026 exhibition was loaded with autonomous vehicles, or “Robocars,” prompting speculation about the future of transportation, particularly the potential replacement of Uber-type drivers by Robotaxis. Modern cars are increasingly laden with technology, allegedly extracting over 250 pieces of data about the vehicle’s operation and driving habits. This raises a fundamental question: will individuals continue to purchase cars, or will vehicles become investment assets rented out to ride-sharing platforms while the owner is otherwise occupied?
Personally, I remain skeptical about self-driving technology and have no plans to adopt it soon. Will the cameras work in bad weather like snow or rain? I worry that the plethora of driver-assistance features—such as lane tracking, facial movement monitoring, and parking cameras—are fostering driver complacency. This trend seems to be lowering the bar for driving skill, potentially allowing even younger people to “drive.” While these systems may improve the performance of bad drivers, it begs the question of why those with poor driving skills were licensed in the first place. There goes the fun of driving, but on the other hand we may have to worry less about bad drivers.
Computers
Computers, laptops and tablets continue to evolve with AI, making them easier to use, more secure, thinner, faster and more sustainable. Since I live in the computer world, I am always bombarded with updates so nothing was really new to me at CES.
We will be recognizing the best computers and other hardware at our annual Awards Gala on Feb 5, so we will showcase what the industry thinks is best.
Lenovo always brings out cool stuff, but most system makers are delivering outstanding products. Interesting is the Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition with its modular design to allow easy repairs. ASUS also showed some great affordable laptops and dual screens.
We are always talking about computers on www.e-channelnews.com throughout the year.
If there is one thing I hope you can remember is that every year you keep the same computer, you are reducing its carbon footprint by about 35%. So keep it for as long as you can and explore how you can boost the lifespan and performance of your laptops.
Phones
A phone for your phone? “Clicks” showcased this device that looks like a BlackBerry for when you do not need the full phone. Huh?
I am an iphone user so I really cannot comment on other phones. I am however frustrated that I am forced to adapt to the new changes whenever Apple updates their OS. Who asked me if I wanted a glass look and feel?
Toady, cybersecurity is the paramount concern for all mobile phones. The loss of a device without a backup presents a significant problem. However, a far greater risk, and a “whole new world of pain,” emerges from using these devices without adequate consideration for cybersecurity issues. Our increasing reliance on mobile phones is not only exposing our personal data but is also fundamentally altering human behaviour.
What more do you really need in a new smart phone? For the average user, it seems current models have more than enough.
Are you as excited as you were about the latest tech gadgets? It feels like that excitement is fading year after year. I used to say, “I’ll take one” now I say “do I really need one?”.
