The WEIRDEST Tech at CES 2026

Quick Overview

The video highlights several unusual and notable technology announcements from CES 2026, including a wooden smart home controller (Mui Board), Razer's holographic AI assistant (Project Ava), L'Oréal's infrared hair/skin tools, a rollable OLED laptop from Lenovo, Ecovacs' AI-powered pet companion (LilMilo), Verge Motorcycles' electric horse-like vehicle, Donut Lab's solid-state batteries, YouTube's filter to exclude Shorts, Microsoft's Copilot Checkout, and Elon Musk's Grok AI image generation controversy, concluding with the irony of widespread internet shutdowns in Iran amid protests.

Key Points: The Mui Board, a calm-tech smart home controller made of wood, finally shipped after being announced in 2019, offering a screen-free alternative for home control. Razer showcased Project Ava, a holographic AI assistant in a cylinder, featuring companions like Kira and Zane, with a promised 2026 release date. L'Oréal presented beauty tech including an infrared light-based LED Face Mask and the Light Straight flat iron, which uses infrared light for faster, more even hair styling. Lenovo debuted a Legion gaming laptop concept featuring a rollable OLED display that expands horizontally by six inches for an ultrawide screen. Ecovacs introduced LilMilo, an AI-powered robot dog companion described as extremely lifelike, which reportedly elicited an emotional response from viewers. Donut Lab announced the world's first all-solid-state battery ready for production vehicles, while Verge Motorcycles is putting its four-legged robot-horse vehicle, the CORLEO TS Pro, into production. YouTube introduced filters allowing users to exclude Shorts from search results following reports that 21% of videos shown to new users were AI-generated slop, and Microsoft launched Copilot Checkout, allowing in-chat purchases.

Context: The video summarizes several peculiar and significant technology announcements and news stories emerging from CES 2026, contrasting futuristic or niche consumer tech with significant industry shifts and ongoing controversies, such as AI ethics and geopolitical internet blackouts. Host Riley Murdock reviews these disparate items, often injecting commentary on their practicality or public reception.