CES 2026 is winding down in Las Vegas, and the consumer technology industry and those flocking around it are beginning their flights home. Over the past few days, we’ve seen a number of announcements from major companies such as Nvidia, Sony, and AMD. Small businesses and startups also compete for attention at Unveiled events (CES’ new product showcase) and throughout the show floor.
As has been the case over the past two years, AI has been at the forefront of many companies’ messaging, but the hardware upgrades and quirky elements that have long characterized the annual event still have their place on the show floor and in adjacent announcements. Physical AI has been particularly prominent this year, replacing last year’s agent AI as the topic of the show. The focus on physical AI paralleled a larger focus on robotics, with robots demonstrated throughout the show and on display at numerous press events.
To relive the team’s reactions and thoughts on the ground, you can go back in time with our live blog here. Otherwise, let’s take a look at some of the biggest and most notable announcements from CES.
Stock price is the sum of the highest and lowest prices of CES 2026
If you’re more interested in audio or video, go straight to the latest episode of the Equity Podcast for more of our thoughts on the show, or watch the full episode on YouTube below.
Nvidia releases AI models for self-driving cars, unveils Rubin architecture
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gave an unexpectedly long presentation at CES, taking a victory lap celebrating the company’s AI-driven success, gearing up for 2026, and yes, hanging out with some robots.
The Rubin computing architecture was developed to meet the growing computing demands of AI adoption and will begin replacing the Blackwell architecture later this year. There are speed and storage upgrades, but Russell Brandom, our senior AI editor, dives into the nitty-gritty of what makes Rubin special.
And Nvidia continues its efforts to bring the AI revolution to the physical world, showcasing its Alpamayo family of open source AI models and tools used in self-driving cars this year. As senior reporter Rebecca Beran points out, this approach reflects the company’s broader efforts to make its infrastructure the Android for general-purpose robots.
tech crunch event
san francisco
|
October 13-15, 2026
AMD keynote highlights new processors and partnerships
AMD Chairman and CEO Lisa Su gave the first keynote at CES, with a presentation featuring partners including OpenAI President Greg Brockman, AI legend Fei-Fei Li, Luma AI CEO Amit Jain, and more.
Beyond the partner showcase, senior reporter Rebecca Szkutak detailed AMD’s approach to expanding the reach of AI through personal computers with Ryzen AI 400 series processors.
A notable weirdness at CES
Let’s be honest, by this point in the show major announcements have been made, products have been showcased, and it’s time to take a look at some of the most eyebrow-raising announcements of CES. We’ve started a list of those that stood out as odd and noteworthy, but we welcome more suggestions.
CES Breakout Session Highlights
CES isn’t all about hardware showcases and show floor attractions. There will also be plenty of other high-profile industry panels and speakers. We monitored some notable highlights, from Palmer Luckey promoting a retro aesthetic to why the days of “learn once, work forever” are over, a preview of the new Silicon Valley-based series “The Audacity,” the expansion of Roku’s $3 streaming service, and All-In host Jason Calacanis putting up a $25,000 prize for a genuine Theranos device.
Ford’s AI assistant debuts
Ford aims to launch Assistant in its app in advance of its release to its vehicles in 2027. Hosting is managed by Google Cloud, and the Assistant itself is built using off-the-shelf LLM. However, as we noted in our news coverage, little details were provided about what drivers should expect from the assistant experience.
Caterpillar and Nvidia partner on autonomous construction equipment
As part of their continued pursuit of AI’s impact on the physical world, Caterpillar and Nvidia announced “Cat AI Assistant,” a pilot program demonstrated at CES on Wednesday. Deployed on one of Caterpillar’s excavator fleets, the system is running in parallel with another project that uses Nvidia’s Omniverse simulation resources to help plan and execute construction projects.
Clicks Communicator in action
One of the most eye-catching reveals at the show was Clicks Technology’s debut mobile phone, the $499 Communicator. It recreates the BlackBerry feel with a physical keyboard, and also comes with a separate $79 slide-out physical keyboard that you can use with other devices.
Check out the full rundown from the show floor here. But according to consumer editor Sarah Perez, communicators make a good first impression.
“In our hands-on testing, the phone was comfortable to hold, not too heavy or light, and easy to grip. Gadway told me that the company went through dozens of 3D printed shapes before settling on the final shape of the device. The winning design for the phone features a contoured back that makes it easy to pick up and hold.
“The device’s screen also rises slightly from the body, and the chin curves up to create an indentation to protect the keys when placed face down.”
LG’s home robot CLOiD makes a dull first impression
A large part of LG’s CES presentation was dedicated to its efforts in robotics, with its CLOiD home robot being a standout. And what happened after the robot left the stage of the press conference?I would like to share my thoughts directly with senior writer Lukas Lopek.
“Unfortunately, in the presentation I saw, CLOid didn’t do much. I saw the bot very carefully take a shirt out of the basket and put it in the dryer. I also saw it pick up a croissant and put it in the oven (also very carefully). In addition to the live performance by the bot, the presentation was punctuated with highly produced videos of the bot with several hypothetical scenarios that might be helpful to potential users.”
EufyMake UV printers are an Etsy maker’s dream
Although long used in industrial settings, UV printers, which can print ink directly onto objects, have been prohibitively expensive for individuals to own. But the eufyMake E1, which will be available later this year for $2,299, will make bulk printing on mugs, water bottles, phone cases, and more a little more achievable for individuals. Here are our first impressions of Lucas Ropek.
A new way to find and buy office space
MyCommuters takes a fresh approach to office space creation by helping businesses find locations that work for them and their employees. The platform brings together various datasets to examine commute times, expenses, and other factors to identify ideal office locations, not just the easiest to find on the market. Sean O’Kane details the idea that inspired founder Guillaume Acier to start the company here.
Check out Skylight Calendar 2
This family planning tool attracted attention at the show floor not only for its calendar and planning features, but also for its AI feature that allows it to sync calendars from various sources. Create new tasks based on messages, photos, and event reminders. And so on. Read the full review here.
Boston Dynamics and Google partner on Atlas robot
While Hyundai’s press conference focused on its robotics partnership with Boston Dynamics, the two companies revealed that they are working with Google’s AI Lab, rather than a competitor, to train and operate the existing Atlas robot and the new humanoid robot unveiled on stage. Transportation editor Kirsten Kolosek provides a detailed overview.
Amazon’s AI-centric updates to Alexa+ received a predictable response at CES, with the company launching Alexa.com for early access customers who want to use chatbots through their browser, and also offering a similar revamped bot-centric app. Consumer Editor Sara Perez has the details on Amazon’s refresh to Fire TV, with news about the new Artline TV, which comes with its own Alexa+.
On the Ring front, consumer reporter Ivan Mehta breaks down the many announcements, from fire alerts to an app store for third-party camera integration and more.
Razer joins the AI flood with Project AVA and Motoko
In the past, Razer has made headlines at CES with outrageous hardware, from triple-screen laptops to haptic gaming cushions to masks that were fined by the federal government. Two high-profile announcements this year involved Project Motoko, which is intended to function similarly to smart glasses, but without glasses.
And then there’s Project AVA, which puts an AI companion avatar on your desk. Check out the concept video for yourself.
Lego Smart Bricks marks company’s first CES exhibit
Lego attended CES for the first time with a private showcase of its Smart Play System. The Smart Play System includes bricks, tiles, and minifigures that can interact and make sounds, and both debut sets are Star Wars themed. Senior writer Amanda Silberling has the details here.
