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CES 2026: Everything revealed, from Nvidia’s debuts to AMD’s new chips to Razer’s AI oddities  | TechCrunch

CES 2026: Everything revealed, from Nvidia’s debuts to AMD’s new chips to Razer’s AI oddities  | TechCrunch

CES 2026 is winding down in Las Vegas, as the consumer tech industry and everyone swarming around it begin their return flights home. Over the past few days, we saw a slew of announcements from mainstays like Nvidia, Sony, and AMD, along with smaller companies and startups vying for attention through the Unveiled event (CES’s showcase for new products) and across the show floor. 

As has been the case for the past two years, AI was at the forefront of many companies’ messaging, though the hardware upgrades and oddities that have long defined the annual event still have their place on the show floor and in adjacent announcements. This year, physical AI was particularly prominent, taking the place that agentic AI held last year as the show’s buzzy topic. That focus on physical AI came alongside a big focus on robotics, with robots demonstrated all over the show and showcased in numerous press events. 

To relive the reactions and thoughts from our team on the ground, you can go back in time via our live blog right here. Otherwise, let’s dive into some of the biggest and most notable announcements from CES. 

Equity sums up the highs, and lows, of CES 2026 

If audio or video are more your thing, then head right to the latest episode of our Equity podcast, which goes into detail about what we thought about the show, or watch the full episode below on YouTube. 

Nvidia reveals AI model for autonomous vehicles, showcases Rubin architecture

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered an expectedly lengthy presentation at CES, taking a victory lap for the company’s AI-driven successes, setting the stage for 2026, and yes, hanging out with some robots

The Rubin computing architecture, which has been developed to meet the increasing computation demands that AI adoption creates, is set to begin replacing Blackwell architecture in the second half of this year. It comes with speed and storage upgrades, but our senior AI editor Russell Brandom goes into the nitty-gritty of what distinguishes Rubin

And Nvidia continued its push to bring the AI revolution into the physical world, showcasing its Alpamayo family of open source AI models and tools that will be used by autonomous vehicles this year. That approach, as senior reporter Rebecca Bellan notes, mirrors the company’s broader efforts to make its infrastructure the Android for generalist robots

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AMD’s keynote highlights new processors and partnerships 

AMD chair and CEO Lisa Su delivered the first keynote of CES, with a presentation that featured partners, including OpenAI president Greg Brockman, AI legend Fei-Fei Li, Luma AI CEO Amit Jain, and more. 

Beyond the partner showcases, senior reporter Rebecca Szkutak detailed AMD’s approach toward expanding the reach of AI through personal computers using its Ryzen AI 400 Series processors. 

The standout oddities of CES

Let’s face it, by this point in the show the major announcements have been made, products have been showcased, and it’s time to eye some of the most brow-raising reveals from CES. We started our list of what stood out to us as odd and noteworthy, but we’re open to more suggestions! 

Highlights from CES breakout sessions

CES isn’t all hardware showcases and show floor attractions — there are plenty of additional industry panels and speakers drawing eyeballs. We kept tabs on a few notable highlights, ranging from Palmer Luckey pushing retro aesthetics, to why the “learn once, work forever” era may be over, to previews of the new Silicon Valley-based series “The Audacity,” to the expansion of Roku’s $3 streaming service, to All-In host Jason Calacanis putting a $25,000 bounty on an authentic Theranos device

Ford’s AI assistant debuts

Ford is launching its assistant in the company’s app before a targeted 2027 release in its vehicles, with hosting managed by Google Cloud and the assistant itself built using off-the-shelf LLMs. As we noted in our coverage of the news, however, few details were offered around what drivers should expect from their experience with the assistant. 

Caterpillar, Nvidia partner on automated construction equipment

As part of the ever-present push for AI’s impact on the physical world, Caterpillar and Nvidia announced a pilot program, “Cat AI Assistant,” which was demonstrated at CES Wednesday. This system, coming to one of Caterpillar’s excavator vehicles, is happening alongside another project to use Nvidia’s Omniverse simulation resources to help with construction project planning and execution. 

Hands-on with Clicks Communicator

Image Credits:TechCrunch

One of the buzziest reveals of the show is the debut phone from Clicks Technology, the $499 Communicator, which brings back BlackBerry vibes with its physical keyboard, plus a separate $79 slide-out physical keyboard that can be used with other devices.

Check out our full rundown from the show floor here, but the Communicator makes a good first impression, per Consumer Editor Sarah Perez:

“In our hands-on test, the phone felt good to hold — not too heavy or light, and was easy to grip. Gadway told me the company settled on the device’s final form after dozens of 3D-printed shapes. The winning design for the phone features a contoured back that makes it easy to pick up and hold.

“The device’s screen is also somewhat elevated off the body, and its chin is curved up to create a recess that protects the keys when you place it face down.”

LG’s home robot CLOiD makes a sluggish first impression

CES 2026: Everything revealed, from Nvidia’s debuts to AMD’s new chips to Razer’s AI oddities  | TechCrunch
Image Credits:TechCrunch

A big part of LG’s CES presentation was dedicated to its robotics efforts, with home robot CLOiD as a prominent figurehead. And how did the robot fare once it was off the press conference stage and out in the wild? We’ll let Senior Writer Lucas Ropek’s impressions speak for themselves

“Unfortunately, at the presentation I saw, CLOiD didn’t do a whole lot. I saw the bot very gingerly take a shirt out of a basket and place it into a dryer. I also saw it pick up a croissant and (again, very gingerly) place it into an oven. In addition to the live performance from the bot, the presentation was intercut with highly produced videos of the bot in a number of hypothetical scenarios where it might prove useful to potential users.” 

eufyMake UV printer is an Etsy maker’s dream 

Long used in industrial settings, UV printers that can print ink directly onto objects have been prohibitively expensive for individuals to own. But the eufyMake E1 is set to launch for $2,299 later this year, which makes bulk printing on things like mugs, water bottles, and phone cases a bit more attainable for individuals. Lucas Ropek has more first impressions here.  

A new way to find and purchase office space

MyCommuters has a novel take on creating office space by helping companies find locations that are beneficial to them and their employees. The platform pulls together different datasets to examine commute time, expenses, and other factors to identify an ideal spot for an office, not just the easiest thing to spot that’s on the market. Sean O’Kane has more reporting on the idea that drove founder Guillaume Acier to start the company here

Check out the Skylight Calendar 2

Image Credits:Sarah Perez

This family planning tool caught our eye on the show floor, not just for its calendar and planning capabilities, but for its AI capabilities that are able to sync calendars from different sources; create new to-dos based off of messages or photos, appointment reminders; and more. Check out our full impressions here

Boston Dynamics and Google partner on Atlas robots 

Hyundai’s press conference focused on its robotics partnerships with Boston Dynamics, but the companies revealed that they’re working with Google’s AI research lab rather than competitors to train and operate existing Atlas robots, as well as a new iteration of the humanoid robot that was shown onstage. Transportation editor Kirsten Korosec has the full rundown

Amazon’s AI-centric update with Alexa+ is getting the kind of push you’d expect at CES, with the company launching Alexa.com for Early Access customers looking to use the chatbot via their browsers, along with a similar, revamped bot-focused app. Consumer editor Sarah Perez has the details, along with news on Amazon’s revamp to Fire TV and new Artline TVs, which have their own Alexa+ push. 

On the Ring front, consumer reporter Ivan Mehta runs through the many announcements, from fire alerts to an app store for third-party camera integration, and more. 

Razer joins the AI deluge with Project AVA and Motoko 

In the past, Razer has been all about ridiculous hardware at CES, from three-screen laptops to haptic gaming cushions to a mask that landed the company a federal fine. This year, its two attention-grabbing announcements were for Project Motoko, which aims to function similarly to smart glasses, but without the glasses. 

Then there’s Project AVA, which puts the avatar of an AI companion on your desk. We’ll let you watch the concept video for yourself. 

Lego Smart Bricks mark the company’s first CES appearance 

Lego joined CES for the first time to hold a behind-closed-doors showcase of its Smart Play System, which includes bricks, tiles, and Minifigures that can all interact with each other and play sounds, with both the debut sets having a Star Wars theme. Senior writer Amanda Silberling has all the details here

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Indivisible Comal County – Public Meeting

Indivisible Comal County – Public Meeting

Hello Indivisibles!!!

This is our monthly public meeting, and everyone is welcome. If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, curious about what we do, or looking for a way to get involved locally, this is the moment to come through.

We’ll walk through who we are, what we stand for, and the work ahead of us here in Comal County. You’ll get updates on ongoing projects, volunteer opportunities, youth organizing and the issues shaping our community — and you’ll meet people who care about building something better right here at home.

Date: Monthly on the first Monday

Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Location: McKenna Center

Address: 801 W San Antonio St, New Braunfels, TX 78130

Show up, get connected, and help shape the future of our county.

Volunteer with ICC at the MLK Annual March

Volunteer with ICC at the MLK Annual March

Indivisible Comal County will be participating in the New Braunfels Martin Luther King Annual March on Sunday, January 19.

Volunteers and supporters will march together from Prince Solms Park to the New Braunfels Civic Center as part of the city’s annual MLK Day observance honoring the life, work, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Following the march, Indivisible Comal County will host an information table inside the MLK community celebration at the New Braunfels Civic Center. This is an opportunity to connect with neighbors, share information about local civic engagement, and build community.

This is a public, family-friendly event. No fundraising or campaigning will take place.

Volunteers Needed

Indivisible Comal County is looking for volunteers to participate in the march and help staff our information table after the march.

• Parade marchers

• Table volunteers to share ICC information and greet attendees

No prior experience is required. Instructions and details will be provided to registered volunteers.

How to Get Involved

Sign up to volunteer through our MLK MARCH VOLUNTEER SIGNUP FORM HERE

Registered volunteers will receive follow-up details closer to the event, including meeting time, location reminders, and role-specific information.

Trial begins for Stanford students for occupying offices in pro-Palestinian protest

Trial begins for Stanford students for occupying offices in pro-Palestinian protest

SAN FRANCISCO – A trial began Friday for five current and former Stanford University students who occupied the university president’s offices during a pro-Palestinian protest in 2024 — in a rare instance of demonstrators facing trial for actions from the wave of campus protests that year.

Authorities initially arrested and charged 12 people after demonstrators barricaded themselves inside the president and provost’s offices for several hours on June 5, 2024, the last day of spring classes at the university in California’s Silicon Valley.

One defendant, a 21-year-old man, pleaded no contest under an agreement that allows eligible youth to have their cases dismissed and records sealed if they successfully complete probation. He testified for the prosecution that led to the grand jury indictment in October of the 11 others on felony vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass charges.

Six of the 11 accepted pretrial plea deals or diversion programs, while the five on trial pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutors accused the demonstrators of spray-painting on the building, breaking windows and furniture, disabling security cameras and splattering a red liquid described as fake blood on items throughout the offices. The university is seeking $329,000 in restitution.

Avi Singh, an attorney representing Stanford student Germán González, said González decided to exercise his right to a jury trial.

“Germán González and the other four defendants are exercising their constitutional right to have a jury trial, and demand the district attorney prove everything that is required for a conviction,” including whether they planned to trespass and what their intent was, he said.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said last year when announcing his decision to charge the group that the protesters went too far when they damaged the building.

“Speech is protected by the First Amendment. Vandalism is prosecuted under the penal code,” he said.

Protests sprung up on university campuses across the U.S. with students setting up camps and demanding their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies that support its war efforts against Gaza.

About 3,200 people were arrested in 2024 nationwide. While some colleges ended demonstrations by striking deals with the students, or simply waited them out, others called in police when protesters refused to leave. Most of the charges were dismissed.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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‘Out of His Mind’: Trump Goes Off Script, Launches into Rambling ‘Wife’ Story and Leaves Viewers Wondering Who He’s Talking About

‘Out of His Mind’: Trump Goes Off Script, Launches into Rambling ‘Wife’ Story and Leaves Viewers Wondering Who He’s Talking About

President Donald Trump‘s latest offhand remark has viewers questioning Melania Trump and what goes on at home in the White House.

Trump is well-known for rambling on during briefings in the Oval Office, at public speaking engagements, or his GOP retreats, where he often refers to Melania as “first lady” and rarely ever calls her his wife.

‘Out of His Mind’: Trump Goes Off Script, Launches into Rambling ‘Wife’ Story and Leaves Viewers Wondering Who He’s Talking About
Donald Trump mentions Melania Trump during a GOP speech, and the internet is confused. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

‘WTF’: Trump Rips Into Melania, Tells the Crowd How Little She Thinks of Him, and Follows With a Line That Exposes the Cracks In Their Marriage

House Republicans were gathered for a party agenda meeting on Jan. 6 at the Kennedy Center when Trump took the stage and delivered remarks that quickly veered off course. While rambling about 401(k)’s, he abruptly pivoted into a familiar monologue about his first presidency, declaring it “the best economy in history.”

“My first term was a tremendous success,” he boasted, before saying the only truthful thing he said during his rant. “But again, nobody wants to talk about that. This term is blowing things away.”

After briefly bringing things back to 401(k)’s and gloating about the stock market, he then goes into a storytime bit about a cop who approached him.

“There’s a policeman, and he comes up and he’s guarding me along with lots of other people. He said, ‘I want to thank you. My wife thinks I am the worst investor in the world. For the last year, she thinks now I’m better than Mr. Warren Buffett, sir. She said you’re smarter than Mr. Warren Buffett, sir. She said, ‘You’re a better investor than Mr. Warren Buffett, sir.’”

No one was quite sure what Trump was talking about as he spouted grandiose statements about his imaginary successes, and one almost has to hear him twice to follow what he’s talking about, which some social media never did ascertain.

The video was shared on Threads with the incorrectly quoted caption that claimed, “Trump: ‘Melania said, you’re a better investor than Mr. Warren Buffett, sir.” Fans were convinced Trump’s “wife” reference was about Melania Trump.

Two confused viewers wondered, “Melania calls him sir? Out of his mind” and “Why would his wife call him ‘sir?’”

Another who believed it to be true added, “Kinda like he says he calls her ‘First Lady’ all the time.”

“Any statement by him that uses ‘Sir’ is an obvious lie. Melania probably doesn’t even take to him,” some else gibed.

“Notice how his audiences don’t laugh and clap much anymore. Even the diehards are bored with his narcisstic carny act,” another observer noted.

However, Trump wasn’t actually talking about the first lady. He was quoting a supposed police officer who the president claims thanked him for doubling his 401(k).

In another part of Trump’s speech, he mentioned Melania, revealing her disdain for a few things he does in public. As he attempted to impersonate a trans athlete lifting weights — which he often does at his MAGA rallies — he also noted that the first lady doesn’t like his dancing.

“By the way, my wife hates when I do this” he revealed. “She said, you know, she’s a very classy person. She said, ‘It’s so unpresidential.’ I said, ‘But I did become president.’ She hates when I dance.”

Then he brought up the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was paralyzed from the waist down. He claimed his wife asked him, “‘Could you imagine FDR dancing?’”

“There’s a long history that perhaps she doesn’t know,” Trump rambled. “Because he was an elegant fellow. Even as a Democrat, right? He was.”

Trump wasn’t done babbling yet and recalled what else Melania told her wayward husband.

“But she says, ‘Darling, please. The weight lifting is terrible.’ Now I have to say this, the dancing, they really like. She said, ‘They don’t like it, they’re just being nice to you.’ I said, ‘That’s not right. The place goes crazy. They’re screaming, ‘Dance, please!’”

One of Trump’s most provocative public “dance” occurrences was in October 2024. The president was at a town hall in Pennsylvania, and after refusing to take any questions, he spent more than thirty minutes swaying back and forth on stage as music played. 

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Bill Gates donated record $8 billion to Melinda French Gates’ foundation as part of their divorce settlement | Fortune

Bill Gates donated record  billion to Melinda French Gates’ foundation as part of their divorce settlement | Fortune

Melinda French Gates has transformed her relatively young Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation into one of America’s largest private foundations almost overnight, in part due to her split with ex-husband Bill Gates.

As part of the pair’s high-profile divorce announced in 2021, Gates agreed to make a $7.88 billion donation—one of the largest ever—to French Gates’ private foundation, according to a tax filing, as previously reported by the New York Times’ DealBook.

Gates’ donation skyrocketed Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation’s assets by more than 1,000% to about $7.4 billion in 2024, according to a tax filing. That’s up from $604 million at the end of 2023.

French Gates’ Pivotal Philanthropies now finds itself in the ranks of philanthropy power players, just over a year after Gates and French Gates separated their philanthropic efforts in May 2024. Among those power players is Mackenzie Scott, who donated $7.2 billion to various organizations in 2025 alone. Scott has donated $26 billion since 2020, just after her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The multibillion-dollar Gates donation to Pivotal is part of a previously promised $12.5 billion that French Gates said would be disbursed thanks to her “agreement with Bill.”  These funds have been fully paid out, and Gates’ donation makes up part of the money, a spokesperson for Pivotal Philanthropies confirmed to Fortune.

After resigning in May 2024 as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, now the Gates Foundation, French Gates said the $12.5 billion would be used “on behalf of women and families.” French Gates, who has a net worth of $17.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index previously told Fortune billionaires like herself “owe something back to society.

It’s unclear where the additional $4.6 billion was allocated. The funds could have been given to French Gates’ LLC, Pivotal, which does not file a tax return, according to DealBook

Founded in 2022, Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, which aims to “accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people” operates within a group of organizations that also includes Pivotal Initiatives Fund for policy and advocacy work as well as Pivotal Ventures, which focuses on direct investments and partnerships, according to Pivotal’s website. While Pivotal Philanthropies is bound by strict 501(c)(3) rules governing minimum payouts, self-dealing restrictions, and detailed reporting requirements, as an LLC, Pivotal Ventures operations aren’t subject to strict reporting, giving it more freedom, flexibility, and anonymity than a nonprofit.

One organization that has already benefited from Pivotal Philanthropies’ previous donations is Durham-based nonprofit Rewriting the Code, which supports young women working in or looking to enter tech careers. The organization, now in its 10th year, according to founder Sue Harnett, received $5 million from Pivotal Philanthropies in 2025.

Thanks in part to the funding from Pivotal, Harnett has grown her organization from one employee in 2019 to 26 as of this year. In 2026, the company is looking to focus on helping computer science students and women early in their tech career get trained for a world where AI is ubiquitous. 

The funding from Pivotal has been instrumental to continuing these programs, and importantly, keeping them free for the women who need them, said Harnett.

“It’s transformative,” Harnett told Fortune. “It has allowed us to serve thousands more women than we ever could. It’s allowed us to build up a staff that has a variety of talents that we really need to be able to serve the women of our membership as well as we possibly can.”

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Free agent outfielder Max Kepler suspended 80 games by MLB following positive drug test

Free agent outfielder Max Kepler suspended 80 games by MLB following positive drug test

NEW YORK – Free agent outfielder Max Kepler was suspended for 80 games on Friday following a positive test for a banned performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s drug program.

Kepler tested positive for Epitrenbolone, a substance that led to a suspension in 2018 for boxer Manuel Charr. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced the following year that a positive test for the substance caused it to disqualify 90-year-old cyclist Carl Grove from a world record he had set at the 2018 Masters Track National Championship.

Epitrenbolone is a metabolite of Trenbolone, which is contained in some products used in body-building stores and had been used in products to promote cattle growth. Kepler is the first player suspended by MLB for the substance since public announcements of the penalty details began in 2005.

There was no immediate comment from the players’ association or his agency.

Kepler accepted the suspension without contesting the discipline in a grievance, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.

Kepler, who turns 33 next month, is an 11-year major league veteran who spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies after playing his first 10 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He became a free agent after the World Series.

Fourteen players were suspended last year for positive tests, including two under the major league program. Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar was banned for 80 games on March 31 and Philadelphia Phillies closer José Alvarado for 80 games on May 25.

Even if Kepler doesn’t have a contract by opening day in March, MLB and the union usually allow a suspended free agent to serve his penalty as long as he is attempting to reach a deal with teams.

Kepler hit .216 with 18 homers and 52 RBIs last year after agreeing to a $10 million, one-year contract. He was slowed in 2024 by left patellar tendinitis and had core surgery after the season to repair a sports hernia.

Kepler grew up in Germany and signed with the Twins at age 16 in 2009. He has a .235 average with 179 homers and 560 RBIs in his big league career.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Vouchers, Patriotism and Prayer: The Trump Administration’s Plan to Remake Public Education

Vouchers, Patriotism and Prayer: The Trump Administration’s Plan to Remake Public Education

Linda McMahon, the nation’s secretary of education, says public schools are failing. 

In November, she promised a “hard reset” of the system in which more than 80% of U.S. children learn. But rather than invest in public education, she has been working to dismantle the Department of Education and enact wholesale changes to how public schools operate.

“Our final mission as a department is to fully empower states to carry the torch of our educational renaissance,” she said at a November press conference. 

To help her carry out these and other goals, McMahon has brought at least 20 advisers from ultraconservative think tanks and advocacy groups who share her skepticism of the value of public education and seek deep changes, including instilling Christian values into public schools.

ProPublica reporters Jennifer Smith Richards and Megan O’Matz spent months reporting and reviewing dozens of hours of video to understand the ideals and ambitions of those pulling the levers of power in federal education policy. They found a concerted push to shrink public school systems by steering taxpayer dollars to private, religious and charter schools, as well as options like homeschooling. The Education Department did not respond to a detailed list of questions from ProPublica. 

They also found top officials expressing a vision for the remaining public schools that rejects the separation of church and state and promotes a pro-America vision of history, an “uplifting portrayal of the nation’s founding ideals.” Critics argue the “patriotic” curricula downplay the legacy of slavery and paper over episodes of discrimination. 

Since its establishment in 1979, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has served as an enforcer of anti-discrimination laws in schools and colleges around the country. It’s the place parents turn to when they believe their schools failed to protect children from discrimination or to provide access to an equal education under the law. 

The Trump administration laid off much of the office’s staff in its first months and prioritized investigations into schools that allegedly discriminated against white and Jewish students and accommodated transgender students. McMahon and the department have framed this as a course correction in line with efforts to be more efficient and curb diversity, equity and inclusion policies from prior administrations. It has left little recourse for those seeking to defend the rights of students with disabilities, students of color and those facing sex discrimination. 

In this video, Smith Richards and O’Matz explain how McMahon and her advisers are reenvisioning the nation’s educational system and what that could mean for the future. 

Watch the video here.

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Trending on the Timeline: Renee Nicole Good and Trump’s Plans

Trending on the Timeline: Renee Nicole Good and Trump’s Plans

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