Better Offline CES 2026: Part Seven (Thursday)
9 snips
Jan 9, 2026 
Chloe Radcliffe, a comedian and actress, adds humor and sharp observations on the CES floor. Garrison Davis shares quirky insights from the show while Rob Pegoraro offers a seasoned perspective on emerging tech trends. They discuss the lack of major brands this year, the allure of novelty in Eureka Park, and the questionable hype around AI advancements. The group critiques the industry's automation approaches and the ethical implications of surveillance tech, wrapping up with thoughts on CES’s diminishing whimsy and meaningful consumer impact.
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Tariffs Won't Automatically Reshore Factories
- Don’t mistake tariffs for reshoring; they often shift manufacturing to nearby countries like Mexico.
- Ask which components can realistically be made in the U.S. before expecting production to return.
GPUs, Data Centers, And Local Politics
- Data centers and GPU demand are reshaping local policy and energy debates in places like Virginia.
- The industry’s infrastructure footprint brings fiscal benefits but few local jobs, creating political backlash.
Taxi Ride Reveals Labor Stories
- Chloe shared a taxi ride with an Apple buyer and discovered they both had worked in Target's supply chain.
- The Uber driver recounted decades of restaurant work and recent layoffs, exposing labor precarity around CES.
