The Day After: Highlights from CES 2026

Reflections on a Week in Tech Wonderland

As we conclude our reports on one of the globe's largest technology exhibitions, CES 2026, let's look back at the remarkable gadgets and innovations we’ve seen. Although more stories and summaries are in the pipeline, we’ve already identified standout products worthy of praise and critique. Among our awards, we selected 15 exceptional entries, as well as a singular Best of Show. Some of our selections might catch you off guard, as they did for me.

The Top Honor Goes To: Lego Smart Play

First on our list is the Best of Show winner: Lego Smart Play. Editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris aptly remarked that Lego represents a stark contrast to typical CES fare. Despite the passing fads, Lego consistently remains relevant, and in 2026, it has become significantly more intelligent.

Lego's Innovative Surge

This innovation comprises Smart Bricks, Tags, and Minifigures, integrating cutting-edge technology to interact dynamically with how they're played with or assembled. Equipped with a 4.1mm ASIC chip, smaller than a usual Lego stud, the Smart Brick detects motion, orientation, and more, complete with a miniature speaker for audio that syncs with play rather than relying on pre-recorded clips.

It’s challenging to sum up its capabilities briefly (we have an in-depth exploration available), but what captivated me was the absence of mandatory phone connectivity and screens. The parts' ability to sense and communicate with each other allows for imaginative configurations, whether involving ducks, police units, or iconic assemblies like the X-Wing.

While it's priced above the standard Lego fare, its cost isn't prohibitive as a noteworthy gift or birthday surprise. For example, an inaugural kit featuring a smart Darth Vader Minifigure, one Smart Brick, and a Smart Tag costs roughly $70.

Expect us back next week with our standard newsletter. Enjoy your weekend!

— Mat Smith

Other Significant Developments and Promotions

Intriguingly, IKEA Steps Forward

And now, straight to our award highlights.

NVIDIA's Latest Unveils at CES 2026

NVIDIA has begun manufacturing its Vera Rubin supercomputer.

Earlier this week, though it feels much longer, Jensen Huang shared NVIDIA's newest developments. The presentation was more of a recap than an introduction of novel advancements, marked by discussions around AI. Notably, NVIDIA introduced Alpamayo, a suite of open-source reasoning models tailored to guide autonomous vehicles through tricky scenarios. Alpamayo 1, a 10-billion-parameter system, aims to emulate human driving.

For tech that might soon be universally used, we waited for a dedicated announcement, revealing DLSS 4.5 and G-Sync Pulsar. Keep in mind, accessing these advancements requires a 50-series GPU. Got one yet?