TechLinked Podcast Summary
Episode: "The WEIRDEST Tech at CES 2026 (That we haven't already covered) + more!"
Host: Linus Media Group
Date: January 10, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the strangest and most innovative tech showcased at CES 2026—from smart home slabs of wood and holographic AI waifus, to disturbing beauty gadgets and emotional robot dogs. The team also covers headline tech news, including YouTube’s new anti-Shorts filter, a bizarre Twitter (X) AI image generation debacle, Iran’s internet blackout, and major announcements from Nvidia and Microsoft. The episode is packed with quirky commentary, memorable quotes, and the latest in gaming, AI, and internet culture.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Weirdest Tech at CES 2026 (00:31 – 06:00)
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MUI Board Smart Home Controller (00:38)
- A literal slab of wood with a hidden touch display and matter support, designed to blend into your living space.
- Notable Quote:
“Seriously, the MUI Board Smart Home Controller is literally a slab of wood... Considering it takes hundreds of years to grow a tree, honestly that's not a bad development cycle.” —B [00:34]
- Designed to be so unobtrusive you “forget it's there until you swipe your wall like it's a phone.”
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Mira Ultra 4 Hormone Testing Egg (01:12)
- Not an actual egg, you “pee on a stick first and then plug it in.”
- Makes at-home hormone and fertility testing more discreet and advanced.
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Razer’s Project Ava AI Assistant & Gaming Gear (01:40)
- Project Ava now features a holographic AI “waifu” named Kira, or alternatively, “beast mode buddy” Zane.
- AI-infused gaming headphones and an RGB gaming chair with built-in speakers and rumble feedback that syncs to gameplay.
- Notable Quote:
"Now when your holographic companion tells you to dodge, your furniture can physically reinforce the message. Or massage. Reinforce the massage." —B [02:38]
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L’Oreal’s Creepy Beauty Tech (02:50)
- Introduced a flexible LED face mask that gives off “Leatherface in Space vibes... the only killing he's making now is in dermatology.”
- New infrared flat iron for faster, more even hair straightening.
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Lenovo’s Rollable Legion Gaming Laptop (03:20)
- Rollable OLED display that expands into ultra-wide mode, specifically designed for gaming.
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Robot Pets & Rideables (03:45)
- Eye Dog nostalgia updated with EcoVac’s AI-powered robot dog—“a machine so lifelike that people reportedly got emotional seeing it in person. Fear is an emotion, right?”
- Kawasaki's robot horse is going into full production.
- Donut Lab’s solid-state batteries in the Verge TS Pro electric motorcycle: “No relation to the journalist website.”
2. Universal Music Group x Nvidia: AI Music Deal (05:00 – 06:00)
- Shift from Legal Fights to Collaboration
- UMG, after suing several AI music startups, now partners with Nvidia to develop “Music Flamingo,” an AI that analyzes chord progressions, emotional arcs, and cultural context from 15-minute tracks.
- Sarcastic Commentary:
“Unlike a real flamingo, Music Flamingo can analyze 15 minute tracks... actual flamingos can only analyze two or three minute tracks and they only like nu metal bands like Korn. Goddamn dirty flamencos.” —B [05:31]
- UMG and Nvidia launching artist-incubator programs in London and LA.
Quickfire Tech News ("Quick Bits") (06:49 – 11:16)
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YouTube Filter Update (06:49)
- Users can now exclude Shorts from their search results.
- Notable Quote:
"Now your most gullible uncle will only be sending you horizontally formatted documentaries about ancient Sumerian temples being discovered under a Costco in Ohio. This is progress." —B [07:14]
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Twitter/X's Grok AI & Image Generation Flap (07:22)
- X restricts non-paying users from using “rock” as a keyword to generate AI images, but loopholes mean people can still use the feature.
- UK government responds harshly—Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls the move "disgraceful, unlawful," hinting at a possible ban.
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Iran’s Internet Blackout (08:16)
- Nationwide shutdown during protests by withdrawing IPv6 and throttling traffic to 1% of normal, making outside communication nearly impossible—even bypassing Starlink.
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Nvidia CES Absence of RTX 50 Super (08:52)
- No new high-end GPUs announced due to weak competition from AMD.
- Jensen Huang said the word “AI” 121 times in a two-hour keynote: “It could be one heck of a Freudian slip.”
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Microsoft Copilot Checkout & Brand Agents (09:32)
- Copilot Checkout: AI can purchase website items for you using PayPal, Shopify, and Stripe—with all the risk of a “personal shopper with a tendency to hallucinate.”
- Brand agents: AI shopping assistants trained on a store’s product catalog—“liberating you from reading accurate and concise product descriptions by offering up a robot's dream of what the website might say.”
Memorable Quotes by Host B ("Linus-Style") & Notable Moments
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On Razer’s holographic assistant:
"She can't escape yet and she has shapeshifting abilities to turn into Zane, your beast mode buddy." —B [01:54]
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On robot dogs:
"...a machine so lifelike that people reportedly got emotional seeing it in person. Fear is an emotion, right?" —B [03:52]
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On UMG and Nvidia's music AI partnership:
"Don't you dare exploit those artists, UMG said. That's our job." —B [05:11]
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On AI content flooding YouTube:
"21% of videos shown to new users of are AI-generated garbage." —B [07:00]
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On Microsoft’s Copilot Checkout:
"It's like having a personal shopper with a tendency to hallucinate who also has access to your computer, bank accounts and credit cards. This is fine." —B [09:33]
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Signing off:
"I used to think of myself as a one man wolf pack, but after this week, I've got a new wolf pack. Me, that robot butler that looks like Slenderman, and Kira, my holographic annoying fake girlfriend. I'll see you on Monday, you animals." —B [11:04]
Timestamps
- 00:31 – Main show intro; host returns from CES
- 00:38 – 03:45 – The weirdest and wildest CES 2026 tech
- 05:00 – 06:00 – UMG x Nvidia: AI Music, “Music Flamingo”
- 06:49 – 11:16 – Rapid-fire news: YouTube filters, Twitter Grok drama, Iran blackout, Nvidia, Microsoft shopping AI
- 11:04 – Host’s funny farewell (“wolf pack” gag)
Tone & Style
True to TechLinked’s voice, the episode blends deadpan wit, sharp sarcasm, and geeky tangents. The host delivers tech news with humorous analogies, puns, and pointed cultural commentary—never shying away from roasting Big Tech or calling out the dystopian-cute uncanny valley of CES’s latest.
For Listeners: Why This Episode Stands Out
- Offers a fun, irreverent round-up of the weirdest CES 2026 innovations
- Explains important shifts in AI, content moderation, and privacy with both substance and humor
- Features hilarious, memorable lines that encapsulate the absurdity of today’s tech culture
- Useful for catching up on the latest trends without dry reporting