Author: David Bernal Raspall

Saying that this year’s CES was shaped by artificial intelligence is a massive understatement. Every corner of the show unveiled new ideas that promised to make our lives more comfortable, safer, or more fun. But among so many good concepts, we also found examples of how AI can seriously complicate what used to be simple. That’s where the dubious honour comes in for some devices to receive the well-known “Worst in Show” awards, which point out the most questionable parts of the event and remind us that adding AI to products is not the same thing as improving them.

How the “Worst in Show” awards are chosen

Behind these awards is a group of consumer organisations, privacy experts, and right-to-repair advocates such as iFixit, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Consumer Reports, as reported by AP News. They are the ones who assess which devices worry them most in terms of privacy, security, environmental impact, or complexity, and they compare them with previous versions of the same device, if they exist, to see whether the new proposal truly adds anything positive.

According to the judges, the selected products represent trends that could spread if they aren’t corrected in time, and the goal of the award is to push manufacturers to improve rather than to shame them. A wake-up call that applies to everyone: innovation is welcome, but not at any cost.

And the award for the worst CES devices goes to…

This year, the “Worst in Show” list makes it clear that AI is being used more as a sales hook than as something that provides real utility. Let’s look at the products that stand out for all the wrong reasons.

• Samsung Bespoke AI Family Hub: Samsung’s famous smart fridge took the top prize. Among its features, it now lets us speak to open the door, track our food, and even show us ads for products we might be interested in. During the presentation, however, voice commands failed amid the ambient noise and the whole process was more complicated than practical.
• Amazon Ring with unusual event alerts: The new version of the camera doorbell adds facial recognition and alerts about unexpected situations, like a group of coyotes arriving in the neighbourhood. A good feature—if it weren’t for the fact that privacy groups saw it as a worrying step towards excessive surveillance.
• Ami, the desktop AI companion: Made by the company Lepro, this device is presented as a virtual friend that can keep us company during our remote working days. It takes the form of a female avatar on a curved screen and continuously monitors our eyes and tone of voice to respond empathetically. Although it includes a physical camera shutter, the idea of an always-on assistant monitoring us has caused quite a bit of discomfort.
• Lollipop Star, the musical candy: This lollipop turns our bites into music through bone conduction and plays various songs while we enjoy it. The key issue here is environmental: each stick is a disposable electronic device, with no option to recharge or reuse it.
• Merach AI Treadmill: The treadmill, connected to the internet with a virtual coach based on a language model, received the “Worst in Show” award for cybersecurity. The device collects our biometric and behavioural data, but its policy warns that it cannot guarantee the security of personal information. A reminder that AI and connectivity require us to pay very close attention to privacy.
• Bosch and its devices with digitally linked parts: Bosch received awards for two products: the coffee maker with Alexa as an assistant and a subscription for extra features, and the e-bike with components digitally tied to the official app. The judges fear these practices could make repairs harder and limit owners’ autonomy if they stop paying the subscription, even though the company says all additional functions are optional.

This year’s CES shows us more clearly than ever that AI has enormous potential, but it needs to be applied with purpose and respect for the complete experience of using products. When innovation adds barriers, privacy risks, or unnecessary waste, it stops being a help. We’re looking at a technology capable of transforming our day-to-day lives, but the real progress will come from how we apply it.

For years, the idea of a touchscreen MacBook has surfaced and faded in the rumour mill. Apple has always argued that touching a laptop screen directly is neither the most comfortable nor the most ergonomic option, and that the iPad is the platform to consider for this kind of mixed interaction. In recent months, however, some reports point to a change of direction, and while we wait for Apple to unveil its own touchscreen Mac—if it ever happens—CES 2026 brings us a solution that, just by plugging it into a Mac, turns it into a touchscreen one.

Magic Screen: Turn any MacBook into a touchscreen device

Intricuit’s Magic Screen is presented as an accessory that magnetically attaches to the MacBook’s display, using the same magnets that detect the lid closing to trigger sleep mode. After connecting it with a single USB-C cable, the device uses its tempered-glass layer to turn the screen into a full touchscreen panel, compatible with all the gestures we already use on iPhone and iPad—taps, scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and much more.

The idea goes beyond simply touching the screen, too. We can use the stylus, with pressure sensitivity and hover support, to write, draw, or interact more comfortably with design apps.

According to Intricuit, the Magic Screen’s built-in battery gives us up to 100 hours of use per charge, so we can work for several weeks without having to think about plugging it into power. On top of that, the accessory comes with its own Folio Case which, besides protecting it, also works as a stand to reduce vibrations when touching the screen. And, as if that weren’t enough, we can use the Magic Screen as a standalone drawing tablet once we remove it from the MacBook.

A temporary solution until Apple’s touchscreen MacBook arrives

Apple appears to be preparing its own MacBook Pro with an OLED display and touch capabilities. Rumours suggest the first model could arrive between late 2026 and early 2027. According to several analysts, the shift responds to the way we’ve been using the iPad, combining keyboard use with touch interaction.

In the meantime, Magic Screen lets us start enjoying a MacBook we can touch right now—draw on it, and use our fingers to manipulate objects on the screen. If we use design and illustration apps, or even real-time video editing tools, this accessory opens up a very interesting world of possibilities. Just one more of the many new things we’re seeing at CES 2026.

The start of the year has already become synonymous with CES in Las Vegas. The huge electronics show arrives with an avalanche of products and services where artificial intelligence acts as the common thread behind almost everything. With around 141 000 attendees and more than 3 500 exhibitors on site, what can we expect from CES 2026?

AI and Health: the major pillars setting the pace of the show

This year’s edition focuses on a mix of ubiquitous AI, robotics in multiple formats, digital health, and content created with new tools. From the very first minute, as reported by AP News, we’ll see AI in laptops, phones, TVs, home appliances, and productivity platforms, with Jensen Huang presenting Nvidia’s latest solutions and AMD’s Lisa Su delivering a keynote focused on how to bring AI into everyday devices and services. Lenovo, with Yuanqing Yang, joins the narrative with a presentation aimed at PCs and connected experiences.

The health track focuses on longevity, continuous monitoring, and personalized training as priorities. The goal is to give us more precise metrics and simpler action plans, both through wearables for almost any part of the body and in dedicated apps.

Robots at home and smart mobility: more and better proposals

Robotics will arrive in force at the show thanks to a new wave of humanoids, home assistants, and industrial automation aimed at real-world workflows. LG will show its “CLOiD,” a helper designed to manage household tasks and coordinate with the rest of the ecosystem. Meanwhile, Hyundai will step forward in robotics and manufacturing, with proposals spanning both the assembly line and logistics.

Mobility will focus on autonomous vehicles, drones, smart boats, and also new layers of software. The idea is to offer safer routes, greater energy efficiency, and connected experiences capable of integrating with our phone and watch. At the smart-city level, we expect to see proposals around sensing and orchestration, with tools that, once again through AI, prioritize predictive maintenance and reduced wait times in essential services.

Energy, infrastructure, and the computing power challenge: a smart planning proposal

The AI growth we are already experiencing requires infrastructure capable of sustaining workloads—and doing so with clean, stable, scalable energy. In the part of the show focused on energy, we find proposals for more compact generation—including a small-scale nuclear development—and efficient thermal management systems for data centers and edge computing. More performance per watt, better use of hardware, and energy planning that supports the rest of the infrastructure.

Everything points to a year in which, at CES, we’ll see more examples of how AI can stop being an idea and become a cross-cutting feature across many products and systems. In our day-to-day lives we’ll see laptops with more efficient accelerators, phones with assistants that understand our context better, wearables with more precise health functions, and homes with specialized robots for certain tasks. A very interesting approach that gets us ready for the surprises of CES 2026.

Apple has accustomed us for years to the launch of a new iPhone generation every September. However, 2026 could be different. Several sources, including the well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, agree that this year we won’t see a standard iPhone 18, although we will see other versions. The company would be considering adjusting its release calendar to give more prominence to the Pro models and its long-awaited foldable iPhone. So what will the calendar look like?

A schedule change like never before

For more than a decade, the release pattern was very clear: all the main iPhones arrived in September. Standard and Pro models shared the stage and, within a few weeks, were in stores. In 2026, by contrast, Apple plans to split its calendar into two different launch windows.

According to analysts, as reported by MacRumors, we will see the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the first foldable iPhone this autumn, while the standard iPhone 18 will arrive in spring 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e and the new iPhone Air 2. During this interim period and until the next refresh the following spring, the current iPhone 17 will remain the standard model for more than 18 months, something that has never happened before.

The proposed adjustment has several advantages. Apple can offer a two-speed cycle, preventing the newest models from competing with each other in the first few months. In addition, the company achieves a less demanding pace for the supply chain, reducing production spikes and ensuring new devices arrive with enough inventory so that most purchases reach customers quickly.

Why is there a catch? An absence that actually multiplies the iPhone’s presence

A year without an iPhone—even if it’s only the entry-level model—sounds like a pause, but the truth is that the iPhone gains visibility because Apple turns the launch into a multi-act sequence—first the high end, then the mainstream range, and, in parallel, new formats. This makes the strategy stronger in three ways:

1. It boosts interest in the Pro range. By rolling out the red carpet in September for the most capable models, the media focus and the conversation revolve around cameras, chips, and specific features. That innovation spotlight carries over to the rest of the lineup, which months later inherits some of those improvements with an already established narrative and proven efficiency.
2. It clears the shelf for the standard model. By arriving in spring, the iPhone 18 with no extra surname lands without competing with the rest of the models. Marketing campaigns become more concentrated, availability improves, and the value message—battery life, main camera, performance—comes through more clearly.
3. It organizes prices and purchase timing. With two clear moments, if we’re after the latest in mobile photography and power, our appointment is in autumn, while if we prioritize balance between price and performance, in spring we find the launch that fits us.

From a brand perspective, the move also fits. Apple has spent years showing that the experience matters more than the calendar, and a two-phase plan lets each iPhone “speak” with its own script. The Pro story revolves around leading technologies, and the standard model’s story around reliability, longevity, and value.

We also have to add the foldable iPhone, probably the reason for this reshuffling of launches, and future models and variations that may arrive down the line. With three strong narratives, it’s more important than ever that they’re told without stepping on each other.

More models and a clearer strategy

Faced with an increasingly broad lineup, spacing out releases allows each model to have its own moment of attention, without one new announcement overshadowing another. If the rumors and predictions come true, the Pro iPhones will continue to be the focus of the autumn event, just ahead of the holiday season, while the standard models will have their space a few months later, arriving fresh for spring and summer.

The plan may sound forceful, and we’ll have to see whether it ends up becoming Apple’s move, but the idea makes a lot of sense. Apple turns an annual cycle into two distinct peaks, more clarity for the lineup and more value for each phone, all with a more efficient supply chain and a system that keeps the iPhone in the conversation consistently. If the plan is confirmed, the season ahead gives us a very interesting autumn at the high end and a spring 2027 full of surprises.

Apple has surprised us on the official Apple Fitness+ Instagram account with a teaser inviting us to expect something truly big in 2026. In a short Reel, the company made it clear that its training service is set to receive major new features next year.

In the video, we see several people reading a newspaper called Apple Fitness+ Times, whose front pages are packed with not-so-subtle headlines. We read lines such as “Something big is coming to Apple Fitness+” and “Experts predict January will be one to watch”.

A teaser that’s highly unusual for Apple Fitness+

The newspaper images show several Apple Fitness+ trainers filming what look like new sessions, while the headlines leave little room for doubt. One of them says “Trainers spotted filming brand new content”, which pretty much confirms that Apple is producing new classes and formats for its fitness platform.

The best part is that this announcement comes at a very interesting moment for the service, since Bloomberg recently noted that Apple was reassessing the direction of Fitness+ and reiterated the launch of an AI-backed health service.

A few weeks ago, Apple expanded Fitness+ to 28 new markets thanks to AI-generated voice dubbing technology, allowing workouts to be available in multiple languages without losing naturalness. But it looks like there’s more.

What we can expect from Apple Fitness+ in 2026

Although the teaser doesn’t provide further details, everything suggests that the big announcement will land at the start of the new year. January is a key month for getting into exercise, and Apple seems ready to offer us new ways to support our goals.

Among the most discussed possibilities, people are talking about new workout types or more personalised experiences powered by Apple Intelligence. If we combine that with the rumours that Apple is preparing an AI health service for 2026, the idea of a smarter, more complete Fitness+ makes a lot of sense.

On top of that, the trainers featured in the teaser appear to be filming in settings different from the usual ones, so we may still have a surprise or two coming.

When we use the Apple Watch every day and keep an eye on our activity metrics, Fitness+ becomes especially relevant. This teaser confirms that Apple will keep expanding its health and wellbeing service.

For now, all we can do is wait for Apple to reveal its plans early in the year, but everything points to January being a very interesting month for staying active with the Apple Watch. Ready for the surprises.

The first season of Pluribus has ended, and it did so with an ending surprising enough that we’re still talking about it. Most interesting of all is that the final moment that has left us with so many questions wasn’t what the creators originally planned, and the reason it changed is directly tied to a recommendation from one of Apple’s executives. Let’s see how it went from a more restrained wrap-up to a full-blown “mic drop”.

Heads-up: from here on, there are major spoilers for the first season.

A much more restrained original ending

In its initial version, the season finale of Pluribus was a subtle, fairly quiet closing beat, focused on Carol’s development. As Gordon Smith, the show’s director, explained on the official podcast, the idea was for her to return home and silently accept Manousos’ plan. A kind of “secret handshake” that marked the beginning of their collaboration to save the world.

It was a coherent ending and, in a way, an elegant one, but it also left the season without a big moment that would make us look forward even more eagerly to the next. Carol’s relationship with the Others stayed implicit, without major twists or scenes. The scripts Apple received conveyed an interesting feeling, but not with enough punch for a season finale in a series of this scale, and Apple didn’t take long to point that out.

Apple’s question that changes everything

After reviewing the early scripts, Apple’s executives sent the creators a note with a simple thought: “We’re not sure this is a big enough ending for a season.” Vince Gilligan and Gordon Smith say Apple never forced any change, but it did raise the question of whether that outcome was enough for a show like Pluribus.

That nudge led the team to rethink the final sequence. Compared with the softer versions, the idea emerged that would end up defining the entire season: Carol asking for a weapon of mass destruction. The simple act of asking the Others to hand her an atomic bomb is, according to the creators, like “drawing a line in the sand”—a moment that doesn’t just surprise, but forcefully sets the show’s future.

The decision also links back to a detail from earlier episodes, making the ending fit with what we’d already seen. The creators acknowledge that Apple’s suggestion made the ending better than they had initially imagined, giving the season a climax that will keep people talking until the show returns.

An explosive ending and a long wait ahead

Carol, fully aware of what she’s doing, receives at her home the most unexpected delivery: a nuclear weapon. The scene is so direct and forceful that it redefines how we see the character and the world of Pluribus, and it makes clear that season two will begin from a very specific context.

So now all that’s left is to find out when we’ll see that ending start to make sense. Vince Gilligan has already hinted the wait will be long, since the team needs time to fine-tune every detail of the story, even though its second season was confirmed before the premiere.

While Apple TV has become the home of series on the level of Severance or Ted Lasso, Pluribus now once again shows what the service is capable of. A series that has received all kinds of praise, and one in which the company’s own executives get involved to achieve the best results.

Elon Musk’s car brand has always been rather unique. Its own entertainment system, its own operating system and its own app were, until now, the only ways to fully enjoy its cars. That situation, however, is changing. Plans to implement CarPlay are one of the biggest signs, and now Tesla could have a pleasant surprise for us if we use an iPhone: keeping the car keys on the phone.

A clue in Tesla’s app code

As reported by Not A Tesla App, in version 4.52.0 of Tesla’s mobile app references have appeared to “Harmony Wallet Key Cards”, a detail that can’t go unnoticed. Tesla’s app is starting to reveal hints about a key model that lives inside the operating system, rather than depending on its own app running in the background.

Until now, Tesla’s Phone Key has revolved around Bluetooth and constant communication between the car and our phone’s dedicated app. With a key stored in the system wallet, access becomes far more direct: the system itself manages the credential and its availability. We could, for example, unlock the car with the phone in our pocket even if the app is closed.

The fact that the first trace of this feature points to HarmonyOS also says a lot about the strategy. Huawei dominates a large part of the mobile market in China, and Tesla tends to enable features there before expanding them. China often sets the pace for these tests, so this move fits an initial phase focused on Huawei Wallet, with a view—hopefully—to a later rollout.

Apple already provides the infrastructure with Car Key

What Tesla is exploring on Harmony, in fact, looks very similar to what Apple has been refining for years in the Wallet app. Apple introduced the Car Key system in 2020, with support for locking, unlocking and starting the car using NFC, Bluetooth or ultra wideband, depending on the model. On iPhone and Apple Watch, the Car Key is stored in the Secure Enclave, the chip dedicated to securely safeguarding sensitive data.

With this infrastructure, the move to carry our car key on the phone is already becoming reality for other manufacturers, and that puts Tesla into context. Rivian has begun rolling out Rivian Digital Key with its 2025.46 update, bringing the key to Apple Wallet and relying on technologies such as UWB depending on the vehicle.

General Motors has confirmed plans to offer its car keys in Apple Wallet, although details remain to be pinned down by model and schedule. Apple, for its part, keeps the pressure on steadily with more brands on the roadmap. It keeps expanding the list of compatible brands, and that continuity makes a Tesla with Car Key feel almost like a missing piece of the puzzle. Now we just have to see when we’ll be able to open our Tesla with nothing more than our iPhone in our pocket.

For some time now, the size of a streaming service has seemed directly tied to the budget of the company behind it. In that context, there’s a service that’s managing to go toe-to-toe with the biggest names. And it does so from a different position.

Tubi has worked its way into the conversation around major services with a simple but very well-executed idea: watch the content we care about for free. Starting from that premise, the platform has turned a profit this year and has shown that the free model can also compete with the biggest players. How does it do it?

A free, ad-supported model people already expect

Tubi’s key advantage begins with free access as a genuine starting point. The platform, owned by Fox Corp, runs 100% on advertising, which is a completely different approach. Unlike many subscription services that have added ad tiers and in-between plans that are often complicated to compare or assess, here the proposal for users is clear.

That clarity becomes even more important when other services mix advertising with a paid subscription. When the catalogue is not only large but also free, advertising is simply taken for granted. Put another way, we enter the service knowing the deal, and that explicit pact dramatically reduces friction.

The data backs up that perception. As reported by CNBC, in November Tubi accounted for 2.1% of total streaming minutes. That places it ahead of Peacock and Max, even though services like YouTube remain in first place. Tubi’s actual screen time is competitively strong, and in streaming, time is what rules.

A huge library and live sports that build a habit

To sustain that momentum, Tubi plays a card that works especially well: a massive licensed library. The platform bases its offering on well-known, in-demand films and series and complements that with originals, though on a smaller scale than the industry giants. The combination of licensed content and how it rotates, along with the presence of originals, shapes a surprisingly dynamic catalogue where there’s always something new to watch.

The company’s figures help us understand the scale. Tubi says it has more than 100 million monthly active users and 1 000 million hours streamed per month, as well as a catalogue topping 300 000 titles. That kind of volume changes the perception of it being a secondary service.

On top of that, Fox brings a differentiating advantage: sports muscle. Tubi aired two NFL games this year, the Super Bowl in February and a Thanksgiving game, and that has a double effect: visibility and habit. We come in to watch an event and stay for the rest of the catalogue—especially when we can watch it for free.

Profitability, advertising, and what it means for the rest of streaming

Tubi reached profitability for the first time in the fiscal quarter ended 30 September, and it did so with growth: 27% higher revenue, driven by an 18% increase in viewing time. Translated into advertiser-market language, that looks very good: more hours watched equals more inventory and, if attention is high, better value per ad.

The platform claims that around 95% of people arrive intending to watch something specific, and that again strengthens the advertising proposition. Better advertisers and more interest in the platform push profitability up and, with it, a virtuous circle is fed—one that puts Tubi in a very interesting position within the streaming market.

While the big services are moving in the opposite direction, adding ads to lower prices while the bulk of revenue comes from increasingly expensive subscriptions, Tubi is following another strategy. One that has already delivered results before with sites like YouTube. A strategy that could mean that, in a few years, we’ll be looking at a very different streaming landscape.

Turning on the TV first thing, leaving something in the background while we make breakfast, and sticking with it for much of the morning is far more common than it seems. Between one task and the next, between exercise and cooking, the remote almost always ends up going to the same place, because we want immediacy, variety, and zero friction from the moment the screen lights up. But where does that remote go?

YouTube dominates our morning and afternoon hours

In the United States, YouTube has spent years leading TV viewing time ahead of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and the rest of the streaming services, and in November it reached roughly 13% of the total compared with 8% for Netflix. The gap is explained mainly by daytime viewing, as reported by The NYT.

In fact, the distance shows most clearly when you look at a specific hour: around 11 a.m., YouTube averaged 6.3 million viewers in October, while Netflix stood at 2.8 million. At that same time, Prime Video is around 1 million and other services sit at smaller figures, with several below 600,000.

By early evening, however, the map changes. Around 9 p.m., Netflix climbs above 11 million viewers, and YouTube rises to 12 million, a slot where a more premium catalogue starts to matter a lot and the gaps narrow. That’s when we’re more in the mood for a series, a film, or a long-form format, with a clearer intention to sit down and pay attention.

Background TV has changed channels

For decades, daytime TV leaned on programmes that kept us company: talk shows, cooking, or soap operas are the most common examples. Today, YouTube fills that space thanks to its flexibility and diversity. A clip from the news recap while we have breakfast, music to help us focus, an informative video on any topic we’re interested in, or a live stream of local news. Everything fits into viewing that hops from one thing to another with surprising ease.

That fit also has to do with the type of content. Part of what we put on during the day is looking more for company than for our full attention, and that’s where YouTube shines with playlists, kids’ content, and utilitarian videos that add up to hours without requiring us to stay glued to the screen.

Most importantly, though, YouTube stands out when our hobbies and interests get specific. Here, the recommendation algorithm makes us watch one more video instead of realising that what’s been playing on the TV for 10 minutes doesn’t interest us at all—and turning it off.

Netflix, Prime Video, and the rest want to break into our mornings

YouTube’s daytime lead has become a challenge for the other services. Netflix and other platforms have invested enormous amounts in scripted entertainment and big-budget formats, and now they’re watching the morning slot closely: more app opens, more daily habits, more viewing moments spread throughout the day.

One clear route into this space is video podcasts. Netflix has announced at least 34 video podcasts coming next year, and Prime Video has done the same, since a large share of podcast consumption happens between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. according to data from Edison Research. YouTube, for its part, has said that its push for video podcasts on TVs has driven 75% year-on-year growth. Not to mention the deal to air the Oscars exclusively from 2029 onwards, which shows YouTube’s intent when it comes to major events.

All in all, the way we consume is becoming clearer: in the morning and afternoon we look for speed, company, and useful content, and at night, a more sofa-based experience. So while platforms try to offer us content for every hour of the day, for now YouTube works as daytime TV, and more cinematic entertainment is left for the end of the day.