{"video_id":"Teq5jrLAb_M","title":"AMD Dethroned ITSELF","channel":"TechLinked","show":"TechLinked","published_at":"2026-02-03T14:53:29Z","duration_s":529,"segments":[{"start_s":0.92,"end_s":6.32,"text":"Did you think I was kidding when I said I'd see you again tomorrow? When the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":3.96,"end_s":11.72,"text":"dealer offers more tech news, I always say hit. AMD showed up to CES this year","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":9.04,"end_s":17.2,"text":"and chose violence against itself. The company announced the Ryzen 7 9850 X3D,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":14.88,"end_s":21.04,"text":"the new fastest gaming CPU, which is kind of awkward because the CPU is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":18.96,"end_s":26.56,"text":"taking that illustrious title from the 9800 X3D, which is also an AMD chip. The","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":24.32,"end_s":31.92,"text":"company claims about 7% uplift in performance over the already fast 9800","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":28.72,"end_s":34.12,"text":"X3D. Very meh. And it's pretty much meh","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.92,"end_s":39.52,"text":"across the entire road map this year. But hey, FPS is actually FPS. Any port","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":37.2,"end_s":44.28,"text":"in a storm. Laptops did not get left out. AMD refreshed their laptop CPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":41.64,"end_s":47.96,"text":"lineup with the Ryzen AI 400 series, including business-focused silicon","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":46.04,"end_s":52.04,"text":"that's supposed to make spreadsheet crunching enterprise class, which I","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":50.24,"end_s":56.36,"text":"think means your boss won't yell at you for using Teams on 25 separate Chrome","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":54.2,"end_s":61.04,"text":"tabs. Of course, it wouldn't be CES without AI being duct taped onto","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.64,"end_s":65.08,"text":"everything. AMD unveiled the Ryzen AI Halo for developers, a mini PC designed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":63.36,"end_s":69.84,"text":"specifically for AI development jam-packed with their latest Ryzen AI","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.68,"end_s":74.92,"text":"Max Plus CPUs to compete against NVIDIA's DGX Spark. They also released","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":72.16,"end_s":79.6,"text":"the Ryzen AI P100 series, an embedded processor range made specifically for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":77.32,"end_s":84.92,"text":"physical AI. Because if there's one takeaway from CES 2026, it's that even","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":82.12,"end_s":88.64,"text":"your fridge will have an LLM by Q3. Great. I've I've always wanted a fridge","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":86.64,"end_s":93.08,"text":"that can hallucinate. Stupid sexy fridge. Intel's CES spotlight has been","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":90.96,"end_s":97.64,"text":"on its Core Ultra Series 3 chips, codenamed Panther Lake. Wow. Why did you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":96.04,"end_s":102.4,"text":"guys write that in there? The first major PC processors built on","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":99.8,"end_s":106.32,"text":"Intel's new 18A process node, aimed at boosting AI, graphics, and general","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":104.68,"end_s":111.36,"text":"performance along with efficiency in laptops and handhelds. Panther Lake's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":107.92,"end_s":114.32,"text":"top SKUs pack up to 16 CPU cores and 12","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":111.36,"end_s":119.56,"text":"XE3 GPU cores, with Intel claiming up to 60% better multi-threaded performance","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":116.76,"end_s":123.68,"text":"and battery life that can push around 27 hours in certain scenarios, all while","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":121.64,"end_s":129.52,"text":"underscoring Intel's pushback toward being full-stack in-house silicon maker.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.48,"end_s":131.88,"text":"But James, what about the gaming, James?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":129.52,"end_s":135.2,"text":"Tell us about the gaming. All right, all right, calm down.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":133.08,"end_s":141.28,"text":"Unfortunately, Intel didn't show off the rumored Arc B770 GPUs at CES, but they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":137.96,"end_s":143.28,"text":"did unveil XeSS 3, the newest version of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":141.28,"end_s":147.0,"text":"their upscaler that supports multi-frame generation. On top of that, they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":144.6,"end_s":151.68,"text":"unveiled the new Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics found in the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":148.76,"end_s":156.32,"text":"higher-end X7 and X9 chips, a major upgrade on past iGPUs. Intel's claiming","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":154.6,"end_s":163.24,"text":"strong gaming performance here, about 73% faster on average than AMD's Radeon","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":159.28,"end_s":163.24,"text":"890M in early demos,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":163.8,"end_s":170.96,"text":"and performance sometimes even rivaling discrete laptop GPUs. Plus, it's going","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":168.36,"end_s":174.24,"text":"to use the aforementioned XeSS 3, so the sky's the limit for this little guy.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":173.12,"end_s":179.32,"text":"We're really rooting for him. Apparently, Intel's working on hardware-specific variants of their","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":177.16,"end_s":183.72,"text":"chips for handhelds, which had some outlets claiming that Intel murdered AMD","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":181.32,"end_s":187.12,"text":"with its Arc B390 mobile graphics. It's so crazy that Intel has transformed from","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":185.56,"end_s":190.08,"text":"the superpowered villain into the scrappy underdog I find myself rooting","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.76,"end_s":196.0,"text":"for. They're like the Piccolo of the tech world. They're probably raising NVIDIA's son, Gohan. Speaking of NVIDIA,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":193.96,"end_s":201.88,"text":"they mostly doubled down on software and display tech, showing off big DLSS 4.5","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.08,"end_s":207.0,"text":"upgrades and unveiling G-Sync Pulsar gaming monitors. DLSS 4.5 is the next","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":205.04,"end_s":210.64,"text":"evolution of NVIDIA's AI upscaling and frame gen tech, rolling out a sharper","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":208.96,"end_s":216.0,"text":"second-gen transformer model with cleaner edges and less ghosting. Plus, a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":212.96,"end_s":218.08,"text":"new dynamic 6X frame generation mode","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.0,"end_s":224.72,"text":"designed to push busting refresh rates like 240 Hz at 4K. Full 6X frame gen is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":222.56,"end_s":229.2,"text":"coming later this spring on RTX 50 series cards, while the improved super","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":226.48,"end_s":234.48,"text":"resolution is already landing on all RTX GPUs via a new driver update. NVIDIA","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":232.28,"end_s":238.76,"text":"says over 250 games and apps support DLSS frame generation right now. Over in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":236.72,"end_s":242.68,"text":"monitor land, NVIDIA's G-Sync Pulsar displays are launching around tomorrow,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":241.12,"end_s":246.04,"text":"packing variable refresh rate plus innovative backlight strobes and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":244.32,"end_s":249.6,"text":"adaptive brightness tech to drastically cut motion blur and give clarity","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":247.76,"end_s":253.48,"text":"equivalent to that of a monitor with four times its base refresh rate. You","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":251.52,"end_s":258.239,"text":"got it? G-Sync Pulsar is debuting with partners like Acer, AOC, Asus, and MSI.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":256.72,"end_s":263.32,"text":"And if you want to meet this episode's partner, watch this. Y'all know me, I","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":261.079,"end_s":266.96,"text":"drive truck. I spend my life on the road, crossing borders, chasing","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":265.08,"end_s":272.28,"text":"deadlines. And the last thing I've got time for is SIM card hassles. So I use","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":270.0,"end_s":276.4,"text":"Saylite. I download the eSIM one time, and it keeps working mile after mile,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":274.36,"end_s":279.92,"text":"border after border. With global and regional plans, I don't worry about","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":278.04,"end_s":283.92,"text":"roaming fees piling up while hauling loads through new places. It'll be great","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":281.88,"end_s":289.04,"text":"for trucking hot new tech to display at CES 2026 in Vegas. I stay connected. No","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":286.88,"end_s":293.64,"text":"hunting for Wi-Fi at truck stops, and no falling for sketchy SIM sellers. It","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":291.04,"end_s":297.48,"text":"works on iOS or Android phones, and if something comes up, 24/7 support is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":295.8,"end_s":302.08,"text":"ready to help. For a driver who needs directions, dispatch updates, and peace","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":299.6,"end_s":306.96,"text":"of mind on the open road, Saylite just makes sense. Get an exclusive 50%","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":304.64,"end_s":311.16,"text":"discount on Saylite eSIM data plans today. Download Saylite app and use code","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":308.96,"end_s":314.04,"text":"techlink at checkout, y'all. I think the Quick Bits are up to something. I caught","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":312.68,"end_s":319.52,"text":"them trying to sneak into Riley's luggage. They're so quirky. They just love them. Laptops. It wouldn't be CES","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":317.84,"end_s":322.8,"text":"without oodles of laptop announcements. Some are powerful, some are innovative,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":321.12,"end_s":326.96,"text":"and some are just a little wacky. For example, Asus has teamed up with Kojima","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":324.8,"end_s":330.72,"text":"Productions on the limited edition ROG Flow out with Death Stranding-themed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":328.56,"end_s":334.2,"text":"art, but probably won't help you bottle your pee. That's a Death Stranding","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":332.52,"end_s":338.48,"text":"thing. Other laptop highlights include Samsung's Galaxy Book 6 series, which","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":336.2,"end_s":342.4,"text":"they claim has an up to 30-hour battery life, Acer's Swift Edge with a giant","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":340.44,"end_s":346.72,"text":"haptic trackpad, and Schenker's semi-modular Panther Lake Element 16","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":344.72,"end_s":350.24,"text":"that's made to be easy to upgrade and keep for the long haul. Oh god,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":348.4,"end_s":355.48,"text":"FRAMEWORK, LOOK OUT! THEY'RE COMING for you! LEGO is also modular, and they showed up","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":353.24,"end_s":360.72,"text":"to CES this year to show off their new LEGO Smart Play system, a platform that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":358.28,"end_s":364.68,"text":"packs serious tech into regular old LEGO bricks. At the center is a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":361.96,"end_s":370.28,"text":"standard-looking 2x4 smart brick hiding a tiny custom 4.1 mm ASIC, complete with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":367.84,"end_s":374.44,"text":"sensors, RGB LEDs, a speaker, wireless radios, and inductive charging. Using","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":372.36,"end_s":379.2,"text":"magnetic smart tags and a low-latency BrickNet mesh, builds can react to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":376.96,"end_s":383.04,"text":"movement and interaction in real time with synthesized sound effects. The best","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":381.32,"end_s":386.76,"text":"part? The whole thing runs without needing a connection to a cloud server,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":384.68,"end_s":390.4,"text":"and it gets its firmware updates via a companion app. They specifically didn't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":388.96,"end_s":393.92,"text":"want AI. They leave that to the fridges. Amazon","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":392.28,"end_s":398.56,"text":"rocked up to CES with a snazzy new trailer from Ring. Literally, a trailer.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":396.8,"end_s":403.28,"text":"A literal trailer. A Ring mobile security trailer. It's a solar-powered","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":401.04,"end_s":407.84,"text":"LTE-equipped surveillance system with six cameras attached to it that allows","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":405.12,"end_s":411.52,"text":"for full 360° coverage basically anywhere you want to park it. Alongside","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":409.56,"end_s":415.72,"text":"that, they also rolled out new Elite multi-camera systems, a Sidewalk","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":413.36,"end_s":419.56,"text":"connected car alarm, and a lot of smart sensors, all conveniently stitched","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":417.72,"end_s":422.72,"text":"together by Amazon Sidewalk. All in all, it seems like most of this would be","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":421.16,"end_s":426.28,"text":"genuinely useful, as long as you're cool with your neighborhood being one big","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":424.32,"end_s":430.56,"text":"mesh network for Amazon and Ring that you are automatically opted into.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":431.76,"end_s":437.72,"text":"Remember the Chaos Communication Congress? Well, another hacker torched a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":435.4,"end_s":442.36,"text":"white supremacist dating site, literally described as Tinder for Nazis, live on","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":440.28,"end_s":445.96,"text":"stage at that same event while dressed as the Pink Ranger. Using an AI chatbot","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":444.76,"end_s":450.88,"text":"trained to flirt using {quote} traditional values, the hacker known as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":448.28,"end_s":455.72,"text":"Martha Root lured users into chatting, harvested data, then ran a Python script","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":453.24,"end_s":459.56,"text":"to delete WhiteDate and other related platforms in real time. The audience","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":457.6,"end_s":465.24,"text":"cheered as the servers vanished to the shadow realm. Yeah. Get this LLM in my","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":462.2,"end_s":467.72,"text":"fridge. And CES 2026 has had a wild mix","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":465.24,"end_s":471.36,"text":"of health tech. For example, C2's longevity mirror that scans your face","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":469.92,"end_s":475.88,"text":"and gives a quick snapshot of your health outlook. Mirror, mirror on the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":473.52,"end_s":479.68,"text":"wall, should I give 911 a call? We also got Lexy's autofocus smart glasses that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":478.0,"end_s":483.8,"text":"automatically change their prescription, alongside Allergen Alerts' Pocket Mini","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":482.0,"end_s":487.64,"text":"Lab that tests food for things like gluten and common allergens in minutes,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":486.0,"end_s":490.84,"text":"so you can eat out more safely. I've been looking for an excuse to eat out","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":489.0,"end_s":494.64,"text":"more safely. For the diabetics, there's Abbott's Libre Sense app that predicts","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":492.92,"end_s":499.52,"text":"how foods will affect your glucose in real time. Still, the best health tech","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":496.76,"end_s":503.96,"text":"at CES has got to be Moore's taint band-aid, which aims to track sexual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":502.0,"end_s":507.8,"text":"performance and sensations with a small wearable, turning intimate data into","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":506.16,"end_s":512.64,"text":"app-based feedback. Probably not the only feedback you're getting fed.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":510.12,"end_s":516.479,"text":"You know what I'm saying? Sex. And you should plant your taint back in your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":514.28,"end_s":519.24,"text":"chair tomorrow for even more CES coverage. I have to go have a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":517.8,"end_s":522.52,"text":"conversation with the Quick Bits about some of their frankly frightening recent","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":520.919,"end_s":525.8,"text":"behaviors. We get it, you wanted to go to Vegas, but you got to grow up","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":523.919,"end_s":530.12,"text":"eventually, you know? Running away, smelling Riley's underwear. Come on,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":527.52,"end_s":530.12,"text":"guys.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"Did you think I was kidding when I said I'd see you again tomorrow? When the dealer offers more tech news, I always say hit. AMD showed up to CES this year and chose violence against itself. The company announced the Ryzen 7 9850 X3D, the new fastest gaming CPU, which is kind of awkward because the CPU is taking that illustrious title from the 9800 X3D, which is also an AMD chip. The company claims about 7% uplift in performance over the already fast 9800 X3D. Very meh. And it's pretty much meh across the entire road map this year. But hey, FPS is actually FPS. Any port in a storm. Laptops did not get left out. AMD refreshed their laptop CPU lineup with the Ryzen AI 400 series, including business-focused silicon that's supposed to make spreadsheet crunching enterprise class, which I think means your boss won't yell at you for using Teams on 25 separate Chrome tabs. Of course, it wouldn't be CES without AI being duct taped onto everything. AMD unveiled the Ryzen AI Halo for developers, a mini PC designed specifically for AI development jam-packed with their latest Ryzen AI Max Plus CPUs to compete against NVIDIA's DGX Spark. They also released the Ryzen AI P100 series, an embedded processor range made specifically for physical AI. Because if there's one takeaway from CES 2026, it's that even your fridge will have an LLM by Q3. Great. I've I've always wanted a fridge that can hallucinate. Stupid sexy fridge. Intel's CES spotlight has been on its Core Ultra Series 3 chips, codenamed Panther Lake. Wow. Why did you guys write that in there? The first major PC processors built on Intel's new 18A process node, aimed at boosting AI, graphics, and general performance along with efficiency in laptops and handhelds. Panther Lake's top SKUs pack up to 16 CPU cores and 12 XE3 GPU cores, with Intel claiming up to 60% better multi-threaded performance and battery life that can push around 27 hours in certain scenarios, all while underscoring Intel's pushback toward being full-stack in-house silicon maker. But James, what about the gaming, James? Tell us about the gaming. All right, all right, calm down. Unfortunately, Intel didn't show off the rumored Arc B770 GPUs at CES, but they did unveil XeSS 3, the newest version of their upscaler that supports multi-frame generation. On top of that, they unveiled the new Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics found in the higher-end X7 and X9 chips, a major upgrade on past iGPUs. Intel's claiming strong gaming performance here, about 73% faster on average than AMD's Radeon 890M in early demos, and performance sometimes even rivaling discrete laptop GPUs. Plus, it's going to use the aforementioned XeSS 3, so the sky's the limit for this little guy. We're really rooting for him. Apparently, Intel's working on hardware-specific variants of their chips for handhelds, which had some outlets claiming that Intel murdered AMD with its Arc B390 mobile graphics. It's so crazy that Intel has transformed from the superpowered villain into the scrappy underdog I find myself rooting for. They're like the Piccolo of the tech world. They're probably raising NVIDIA's son, Gohan. Speaking of NVIDIA, they mostly doubled down on software and display tech, showing off big DLSS 4.5 upgrades and unveiling G-Sync Pulsar gaming monitors. DLSS 4.5 is the next evolution of NVIDIA's AI upscaling and frame gen tech, rolling out a sharper second-gen transformer model with cleaner edges and less ghosting. Plus, a new dynamic 6X frame generation mode designed to push busting refresh rates like 240 Hz at 4K. Full 6X frame gen is coming later this spring on RTX 50 series cards, while the improved super resolution is already landing on all RTX GPUs via a new driver update. NVIDIA says over 250 games and apps support DLSS frame generation right now. Over in monitor land, NVIDIA's G-Sync Pulsar displays are launching around tomorrow, packing variable refresh rate plus innovative backlight strobes and adaptive brightness tech to drastically cut motion blur and give clarity equivalent to that of a monitor with four times its base refresh rate. You got it? G-Sync Pulsar is debuting with partners like Acer, AOC, Asus, and MSI. And if you want to meet this episode's partner, watch this. Y'all know me, I drive truck. I spend my life on the road, crossing borders, chasing deadlines. And the last thing I've got time for is SIM card hassles. So I use Saylite. I download the eSIM one time, and it keeps working mile after mile, border after border. With global and regional plans, I don't worry about roaming fees piling up while hauling loads through new places. It'll be great for trucking hot new tech to display at CES 2026 in Vegas. I stay connected. No hunting for Wi-Fi at truck stops, and no falling for sketchy SIM sellers. It works on iOS or Android phones, and if something comes up, 24/7 support is ready to help. For a driver who needs directions, dispatch updates, and peace of mind on the open road, Saylite just makes sense. Get an exclusive 50% discount on Saylite eSIM data plans today. Download Saylite app and use code techlink at checkout, y'all. I think the Quick Bits are up to something. I caught them trying to sneak into Riley's luggage. They're so quirky. They just love them. Laptops. It wouldn't be CES without oodles of laptop announcements. Some are powerful, some are innovative, and some are just a little wacky. For example, Asus has teamed up with Kojima Productions on the limited edition ROG Flow out with Death Stranding-themed art, but probably won't help you bottle your pee. That's a Death Stranding thing. Other laptop highlights include Samsung's Galaxy Book 6 series, which they claim has an up to 30-hour battery life, Acer's Swift Edge with a giant haptic trackpad, and Schenker's semi-modular Panther Lake Element 16 that's made to be easy to upgrade and keep for the long haul. Oh god, FRAMEWORK, LOOK OUT! THEY'RE COMING for you! LEGO is also modular, and they showed up to CES this year to show off their new LEGO Smart Play system, a platform that packs serious tech into regular old LEGO bricks. At the center is a standard-looking 2x4 smart brick hiding a tiny custom 4.1 mm ASIC, complete with sensors, RGB LEDs, a speaker, wireless radios, and inductive charging. Using magnetic smart tags and a low-latency BrickNet mesh, builds can react to movement and interaction in real time with synthesized sound effects. The best part? The whole thing runs without needing a connection to a cloud server, and it gets its firmware updates via a companion app. They specifically didn't want AI. They leave that to the fridges. Amazon rocked up to CES with a snazzy new trailer from Ring. Literally, a trailer. A literal trailer. A Ring mobile security trailer. It's a solar-powered LTE-equipped surveillance system with six cameras attached to it that allows for full 360° coverage basically anywhere you want to park it. Alongside that, they also rolled out new Elite multi-camera systems, a Sidewalk connected car alarm, and a lot of smart sensors, all conveniently stitched together by Amazon Sidewalk. All in all, it seems like most of this would be genuinely useful, as long as you're cool with your neighborhood being one big mesh network for Amazon and Ring that you are automatically opted into. Remember the Chaos Communication Congress? Well, another hacker torched a white supremacist dating site, literally described as Tinder for Nazis, live on stage at that same event while dressed as the Pink Ranger. Using an AI chatbot trained to flirt using {quote} traditional values, the hacker known as Martha Root lured users into chatting, harvested data, then ran a Python script to delete WhiteDate and other related platforms in real time. The audience cheered as the servers vanished to the shadow realm. Yeah. Get this LLM in my fridge. And CES 2026 has had a wild mix of health tech. For example, C2's longevity mirror that scans your face and gives a quick snapshot of your health outlook. Mirror, mirror on the wall, should I give 911 a call? We also got Lexy's autofocus smart glasses that automatically change their prescription, alongside Allergen Alerts' Pocket Mini Lab that tests food for things like gluten and common allergens in minutes, so you can eat out more safely. I've been looking for an excuse to eat out more safely. For the diabetics, there's Abbott's Libre Sense app that predicts how foods will affect your glucose in real time. Still, the best health tech at CES has got to be Moore's taint band-aid, which aims to track sexual performance and sensations with a small wearable, turning intimate data into app-based feedback. Probably not the only feedback you're getting fed. You know what I'm saying? Sex. And you should plant your taint back in your chair tomorrow for even more CES coverage. I have to go have a conversation with the Quick Bits about some of their frankly frightening recent behaviors. We get it, you wanted to go to Vegas, but you got to grow up eventually, you know? Running away, smelling Riley's underwear. Come on, guys."}