Better Offline – CES 2026: Part Ten (Epilogue)
Podcast: Better Offline, Cool Zone Media & iHeartPodcasts
Air Date: January 10, 2026
Host: Ed Zitron
Guests: Cory Doctorow (activist/author), Philip Broughton (science/tech), additional participants
Episode Overview
Theme:
The CES 2026 epilogue is a relaxed, candid after-party discussion among Ed Zitron, Cory Doctorow, Philip Broughton, and friends, reflecting on a week at CES and what it reveals about the state of the tech industry. They weave in commentary about the event’s history, the state of innovation, the rampant influence of growth-obsessed venture capital, and the societal implications of tech’s current trajectory. The tone is irreverent, insightful, at times exasperated—and rich with inside-baseball tech and cultural references.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The CES Suite’s History and Vibe
Timestamps: 03:08–07:10
- Ed and Phil reminisce about their long-running CES "suite" tradition, where journalists, technologists, and friends gather for drinks and decompression.
- The event faded around 2020 (not just due to COVID), revived in 2025, and hit new highs this year, sparking plans for CES 2027.
- Light banter about weird CES discoveries (e.g. the “courtesy sniff,” late-night party vibes, and outrageous new Avengers/X-Men movies).
“Our brains are reduced to a fine simmer.” — Ed Zitron (05:35)
2. Behind the Scenes at CES: Small-Scale Innovation
Timestamps: 07:46–16:16
- Cory Doctorow’s first CES in 23 years; he’s enthused by the lesser-known “makery” side—like inventive Chinese hardware knock-offs, charger adapters, and quirky practical designs.
- Discussion about how everyday tech is filled with small frustrations and workarounds:
- The Design of Everyday Things and Emotional Design — how aesthetics and affection for devices make users better troubleshooters (09:31–13:25).
- Tales of favorite gear: cable bags, chopsticks, and “useful shit” over flashy gadgets.
- Dreaming of a “Useful Shit Convention”—an expo for truly practical tech products.
“There are still little companies doing weird little shit at the side.” — Ed Zitron (09:03)
“Beautiful things make you happy, and when you’re happy, you’re a better troubleshooter.” — Cory Doctorow (13:07)
3. Tech’s Reckless Past: Security, WEIRD STUFF & Regulation
Timestamps: 16:32–24:00
- Anecdotes about dangerous or bizarre tech on the show floor: unlicensed MRI machines, shoe-fitting X-ray devices (“fluoroscopes”), and even 3D-printed “ghost guns.”
- Cory and Phil detail the legal grey areas: old shoe fluoroscopes, continued use of hazardous devices for questionable purposes, and the occasional appearance of 3D-printed firearm parts at CES or elsewhere.
“They seriously did this? ... Not surprised anymore when I hear anything like that.” — Ed Zitron (19:30)
4. Code as Speech & 3D Printing Legalities
Timestamps: 20:18–34:35
- Deep dive into the landmark concept: software/code—and by extension, 3D printer files—are protected speech (1st Amendment), following cases from the early ‘90s.
- 3D-printing gun controversy became a legal test case, but collapsed amid criminal charges unrelated to code.
- Cory points out the legal impossibility of policing "illegal geometry": STL files are just code, and can be endlessly re-expressed.
“I think making geometry illegal is dumb.” — Cory Doctorow (30:36)
5. Content Moderation, Platform Policy & Social Media Portability
Timestamps: 32:09–36:38
- Cory argues that policing hate speech is technically infeasible at platform scale; instead, focus on “administrable” policies like data portability (e.g., Mastodon’s easy migration).
- Smaller communities can moderate contextually; at scale, nuance is lost and trolls “work the ref.”
- Ed reflects on moderation as a “dread-handed” Reddit admin versus the unwieldy nature of legacy platforms.
“A hate speech regime is very hard to police because you have to have a common definition … and it’s an offense that occurs 100 times a minute.” — Cory Doctorow (32:09)
“In the smaller communities you could do that, but in a large social network you can't.” — Ed Zitron (35:25)
6. British Politics Sidebar: Starmer, Greens, and Protest Culture
Timestamps: 36:40–41:14
- Humorous take on the current state of UK politics, where neither left nor right likes Labor leader Keir Starmer.
- Cory predicts a rising green wave in the UK, led by a charismatic, younger leader.
“That’s the most British thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Not.” — Ed Zitron (37:04)
7. End of the “Venture Capital Era” and Tech’s Hollow Growth
Timestamps: 41:15–47:22
- Ed: 20+ years of “growth at all costs” has led CES and tech at large to reward hype over substance.
- Cory: Incumbent tech companies have made it nearly impossible for new entrants (unlike the “permissionless innovation” of the past)—“your margin is my opportunity” has become “we’ll lock out new competitors.”
- The “winner-take-all” logic appeals to VCs, especially for AI, and creates talent and capital moats.
“Of course you’re going to get a CES predominantly made of things that don’t [exist].” — Ed Zitron (43:26)
“Incumbents are able to block new market entry ... you can’t do that anymore.” — Cory Doctorow (44:00)
“It’s not technically challenging ... if you do this to Facebook, they’ll nuke you till you glow.” — Cory Doctorow (46:28)
8. AI Hype, Worker Replacement & VC Delusions
Timestamps: 47:22–56:34
- The futility of competing with the likes of OpenAI or Anthropic without vast resources.
- Cory notes bosses are eager for tech that eliminates professional workers who can say “no”—explaining the AI hype even when products don’t deliver.
- Ed and guests discuss managers with no clue what staff actually do, yet are all-in on “AI” anyway.
“All of these LLM rappers deserve to go in the trash along with their founders.” — Ed Zitron (43:33)
“Bosses have been furiously fantasizing about firing everyone who’s allowed to tell them to fuck off since the idea of a profession emerged.” — Cory Doctorow (48:34)
“They finally created an economy where they’ve cut out efficacy ... finally we created a thing for salespeople to sell to CEOs.” — Ed Zitron (54:34)
9. Aqua Hires, Patents, and the Illusion of IP Value in AI
Timestamps: 62:03–63:47
- “Aqua hires” (talent acquisitions) used to be a last resort; now even those are rare since AI ‘startups’ often have no defensible intellectual property (patents on prompt engineering? Unlikely).
- Cory notes the trend towards lower-quality, “bullshitty patents,” aided by regulatory capture and notorious jurisdictions (e.g. East Texas).
“There are a lot of VCs who said really what I am is a headhunter ... just the shittiest way to run an executive recruiting [firm].” — Cory Doctorow (62:16)
10. Reflections and Looking Ahead
Timestamps: 63:48–65:36
- The panel expresses a sense that tech, venture capital, and even CES itself are entering a reckoning—a correction from two decades of unsustainable, hype-driven decisions.
- Final thanks and sign-offs set the stage for post-CES discussions and next week’s guest.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Beautiful things make you happy, and when you’re happy, you’re a better troubleshooter.” (13:07, Cory Doctorow)
- “Making geometry illegal is dumb.” (30:36, Cory Doctorow)
- “A hate speech regime is very hard to police because you have to have a common definition … and it’s an offense that occurs 100 times a minute.” (32:09, Cory Doctorow)
- “All of these LLM rappers deserve to go in the trash along with their founders.” (43:33, Ed Zitron)
- “It’s almost like they actually know that’s it—they finally created an economy where they’ve cut out efficacy … finally, we created a thing for salespeople to sell to CEOs.” (54:34, Ed Zitron)
- “Bosses have been furiously fantasizing about firing everyone who’s allowed to tell them to fuck off since the idea of a profession emerged.” (48:34, Cory Doctorow)
- “There are a lot of VCs who said really what I am is a headhunter ... just the shittiest way to run an executive recruiting [firm].” (62:16, Cory Doctorow)
Segment Timestamps
- 03:08 – Show begins, introductions, suite history, light banter
- 07:46 – Cory’s return to CES; philosophy of makery/innovation
- 09:31 – The role of aesthetics and frustration in tech troubleshooting
- 16:32 – Outlandish/dangerous CES tech history (X-rays, ghost guns)
- 20:18 – Legalities of 3D-printed weapons, code as protected speech
- 32:09 – Platform regulation, content moderation, Mastodon portability
- 36:40 – British politics sidebar, protests against Starmer
- 41:15 – Tech’s growth obsession, loss of true competition
- 47:22 – AI, “winner-take-all,” and the real reasons for hype and layoffs
- 62:03 – Aqua hires, lack of defensible patents in the AI world
- 63:48 – Reflections, thanks, looking forward to post-CES analysis
Episode Tone
- Irreverent, nerdy, occasionally profane but sincere
- Jaded but hopeful for a reckoning in tech
- Casual camaraderie and deep expertise, especially from Doctorow
Overall:
This episode offers an unvarnished, behind-the-scenes look at CES and the state of contemporary tech, shot through with humor, critique, and lived experience. Whether it’s bad product design, venture capital’s destructive incentives, or the legal farce underlying “AI disruption,” the hosts dissect how tech has lost its way—yet underline the importance of fighting for products (and policies) that actually serve users’ needs.