CES 2026 is in full swing in Las Vegas, with the show floor now open to the public after a series of high-profile keynotes and previews. AI remains the dominant theme, as it has for the past two years, but the event still delivers its signature mix of hardware innovation, quirky gadgets, and forward-looking industry discussions. Nvidia’s keynote, led by CEO Jensen Huang, was a standout, featuring a deep dive into the new Rubin architecture, set to replace the Blackwell series later this year. Rubin brings significant speed and storage improvements, designed to meet the growing demands of AI workloads. Nvidia also unveiled the Alpamayo family of open-source AI models, aimed at accelerating the development of autonomous vehicles. The company continues to position its infrastructure as the “Android” for general-purpose robotics, with a clear push to bring AI into the physical world. AMD’s keynote, delivered by CEO Lisa Su, highlighted the company’s Ryzen AI 400 Series processors, which are designed to bring more powerful AI capabilities to personal computers. The event featured high-profile partners including OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, and Luma AI’s Amit Jain, underscoring AMD’s growing role in the AI ecosystem. Among the more unusual highlights were several standout gadgets. The Clicks Communicator, a $499 smartphone with a physical keyboard reminiscent of BlackBerry devices, drew immediate attention. It includes a detachable $79 slide-out keyboard compatible with other devices. Early hands-on impressions praised its ergonomic design and solid build quality. Another standout was the Skylight Calendar 2, a smart planning tool that uses AI to sync calendars across platforms, generate to-dos from messages or photos, and send appointment reminders—offering a seamless, intelligent organizational experience. In robotics, Hyundai and Boston Dynamics announced a new collaboration with Google’s AI research team to train and operate Atlas robots, including a new version shown on stage. The partnership marks a shift from working with competitors, signaling a strategic move toward open, advanced AI integration. Ford also made a move into AI with the debut of its new AI assistant, set to launch in its app first, with a full vehicle rollout expected in 2027. Built using off-the-shelf LLMs and hosted on Google Cloud, the assistant is still shrouded in mystery, with few details on its capabilities. Caterpillar partnered with Nvidia on “Cat AI Assistant,” a pilot system for one of its excavators, and is also using Nvidia’s Omniverse for construction project planning and simulation. Amazon expanded its Alexa+ ecosystem, launching Alexa.com for early access users and revamping the Alexa app. The company also introduced new Artline TVs and updated Fire TV, all with stronger Alexa+ integration. On the Ring side, new features include fire alerts, a third-party app store for camera integrations, and expanded smart home capabilities. Razer entered the AI space with two bold concepts: Project Motoko, a wearable device that functions like smart glasses without the frames, and Project AVA, an AI companion that appears as a physical avatar on your desk. For the first time, Lego appeared at CES, unveiling its Smart Play System—interactive bricks, tiles, and Minifigures that can communicate, play sounds, and respond to commands, with Star Wars-themed debut sets. CES 2026 also featured thought-provoking breakout sessions. Palmer Luckey championed retro aesthetics in tech, while discussions explored the end of the “learn once, work forever” era. The new Silicon Valley series “The Audacity” was previewed, Roku expanded its $3 streaming tier, and Jason Calacanis offered a $25,000 bounty for an authentic Theranos device. While AI dominates the narrative, CES remains a stage for innovation in all forms—where bold ideas, nostalgic designs, and futuristic visions collide.