News
CES 2026: The Exhibitors and Moments That Stood Out for Entertainment + Tech Fans
CES 2026 delivered big entertainment-tech moments—from Sony Honda’s AFEELA to streaming, smart glasses, AI PCs, and robots that stole the show.
Last Updated on February 2, 2026 by Daily News Staff
CES 2026 (Jan. 6–9 in Las Vegas) didn’t feel like a “future tech” show as much as a “right now” show. The big shift: AI wasn’t treated like a standalone product category anymore. It was the invisible layer powering everything from streaming discovery to robots that can actually do work.
For STM Daily News readers who live in the overlap of Entertainment and Tech, here are the exhibitors and trends that stood out most—plus why they matter beyond the show floor.
1) Sony Honda Mobility (AFEELA): The car as a rolling entertainment platform
Sony Honda Mobility’s AFEELA presence reinforced a direction CES keeps leaning into: the next generation of vehicles is competing as much on software and in-cabin experience as it is on horsepower.
What made it stand out:
- AFEELA represents the “car as a connected device” idea taken seriously—where the cabin becomes a screen-first, service-driven environment.
- It’s a clean example of how mobility and entertainment are merging: navigation, safety, personalization, and media all living in one interface.
2) Netflix + Amazon Prime Video + Roku + Xumo: Streaming is evolving into ecosystems
CES 2026’s Content & Entertainment story wasn’t about “who has the most subscribers.” It was about streaming as an ecosystem: bundling, ad-supported growth, and smarter discovery.
What made it stand out:
- CES highlighted how streaming platforms are pushing beyond simple libraries into bundles, premium originals, and integrated experiences.
- FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) continues to gain traction, and device/platform players are positioning themselves as the front door.
3) Dolby: The quiet power behind the best-looking, best-sounding experiences
Dolby isn’t always the flashiest booth, but it consistently shows up as the tech that makes everything else feel “premium.”
What made it stand out:
- In a year where screens, XR, and immersive venues are everywhere, audio and imaging standards are the difference between “cool demo” and “wow.”
- Dolby’s relevance keeps growing as entertainment moves across phones, living rooms, cars, and wearables.
4) Meta + XREAL: Smart glasses keep inching toward mainstream
Wearables at CES 2026 weren’t just about steps and sleep. The momentum was in smart glasses and AR—especially as generative AI voice interfaces make hands-free use feel more natural.
What made it stand out:
- CES noted smart/AR glasses evolving with features like real-time translation, recording, and AI voice interfaces.
- For entertainment fans, this is where “watching” and “doing” start to blend—live overlays, creator tools, and new ways to capture experiences.
5) Samsung + LG + TCL: Screens are still the show’s main stage
Even in an AI-everywhere year, CES still belongs to display tech. Big brands kept proving that TVs aren’t just TVs—they’re hubs for gaming, streaming, smart home control, and ambient experiences.
What made it stand out:
- Display leaders continue to set the tone for how entertainment is consumed at home.
- The conversation is shifting from specs to experience: personalization, AI-powered recommendations, and multi-device continuity.
6) NVIDIA + AMD + Lenovo: The “AI PC” era is no longer theoretical
CES 2026 made it clear that the next wave of consumer computing is built around on-device AI. That matters for creators, editors, and anyone who lives in content.
What made it stand out:
- CES highlighted AI’s move from “digital transformation” to “intelligent transformation,” including edge/enterprise and physical AI in robotics.
- AMD’s CES keynote emphasized AI across devices from PCs to data centers, underscoring how quickly this is becoming standard.
7) Unitree + Richtech Robotics + Hyundai: Robots were the surprise crowd-pleaser
If CES 2026 had a “you had to see it” category, it was robotics. Not just novelty bots—machines built for real environments.
What made it stand out:
- CES framed robotics as “physical AI,” where generative AI and simulation training help robots learn faster than traditional programming.
- Humanoid robots, in particular, are moving from single-task demos toward more collaborative assistant roles.
The big takeaway for STM Daily News readers
CES 2026 wasn’t about one killer gadget. It was about convergence:
- Entertainment is becoming more interactive, more personalized, and more portable.
- Cars are becoming screens.
- Wearables are becoming interfaces.
- Robots are becoming the next “device category” people actually want to watch.
And underneath it all: AI is becoming less of a headline and more of the operating system for modern life.
Here’s a list of what stood out to us at CES 2026:
- Sony Honda Mobility (AFEELA): The car as a rolling entertainment platform
- Netflix + Amazon Prime Video + Roku + Xumo: Streaming is evolving into ecosystems
- Dolby: The quiet power behind the best-looking, best-sounding experiences
- Meta + XREAL: Smart glasses keep inching toward mainstream
- Samsung + LG + TCL: Screens are still the show’s main stage
- NVIDIA + AMD + Lenovo: The “AI PC” era is no longer theoretical
- Unitree + Richtech Robotics + Hyundai: Robots were the surprise crowd-pleaser
Sources
- CES press release recap and exhibitor/topic highlights (Jan. 9, 2026): https://www.ces.tech/press-releases/ces-2026-the-future-is-here
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The Long Track Back
LA Metro Approves $71 Million Bus Engine Program and Advances Antelope Valley Line Safety Work
LA Metro will replace engines in as many as 680 natural-gas buses while advancing safety improvements at two Antelope Valley Line crossings in Sylmar.
Two newly confirmed Board actions will keep hundreds of Metro buses in service while moving two Sylmar rail crossings toward construction.
LOS ANGELES — October 28, 2026 — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has approved two major investments affecting bus reliability and regional rail safety: a nearly $71 million engine-replacement program for as many as 680 buses and a $27.6 million construction budget for two Antelope Valley Line crossings in Sylmar.
The Metro Board approved both actions on October 22.
Hundreds of natural-gas buses will receive new engines
Metro awarded Cummins Sales and Service a five-year, single-source contract worth up to $70.99 million for 680 near-zero-emission natural-gas engines. The engines will be installed in El Dorado National 40-foot buses and New Flyer 60-foot articulated buses during fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The engines will operate on renewable compressed natural gas and replace older engines as part of Metro’s midlife bus-refurbishment program. Metro mechanics will perform the installations.
According to the Board report, replacing high-mileage engines should reduce engine-related road calls and improve the reliability of buses that remain in daily service. Metro estimates that the replacements will reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions by 90 percent and greenhouse-gas emissions by 9 percent compared with the engines being removed.
The decision also provides more context for Metro’s transition to electric buses. In September, the agency approved the purchase of 220 battery-electric buses, with deliveries expected to begin in 2028. The new Cummins contract shows that Metro will continue investing in its existing natural-gas fleet while electric buses and the charging infrastructure needed to support them are introduced.
Metro has not changed its zero-emission goal through this action. The engine replacements are intended to keep current buses dependable during the transition and do not obligate the agency to order all 680 engines.
Two Sylmar rail crossings move toward construction
In a separate action, the Board established a $27.62 million life-of-project budget for improvements at the Astoria Street pedestrian crossing and the Polk Street roadway crossing along the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line.
The crossings are part of Segment 4 of Metro’s Brighton-to-Roxford Double Track Project. Although the broader project remains in different stages of design, the Astoria and Polk plans are sufficiently advanced to proceed as separate construction packages.
Planned improvements include coordinated traffic signals, pedestrian gates and additional roadway gates. Polk Street will receive a four-quadrant gate system intended to make it harder for motorists to enter or drive around the crossing when a train approaches. Both locations will also be prepared for possible future quiet-zone operations.
The work supports Metro’s larger effort to improve safety, reliability and capacity on the Antelope Valley Line. Advancing the two crossings now also protects state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program funding that must be spent and submitted for reimbursement by June 30, 2027.
Metro will conduct community outreach and execute the construction contracts following the Board’s approval. A specific construction-start date has not yet been announced.
Primary sources
● Metro Board Report 2026-0644: Near-Zero Natural Gas-Fueled Engines
● Metro Board Report 2026-0640: Astoria and Polk Crossing Improvements
This story is part of The Long Track Back, STM Daily News’ continuing coverage of Los Angeles transit projects, service and regional mobility.
Slate Auto and Smarties Launch Colorful EV Starter Packs
Slate Auto has partnered with Smarties Candy Company on six pastel customization packages for its upcoming electric truck. Announced October 27, the Smarties x Slate collection gives buyers another way to personalize the minimalist EV before deliveries begin.
The six Starter Packs are inspired by Smarties flavors: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Grape, Pineapple, Orange and Strawberry. Each package includes a coordinating vehicle wrap, color-matched mirror decals, a Smarties-branded rocker decal, a logo decal, a customized key-fob end cap and a matching interior Slatelet.
Customers will be able to purchase the packages through the Slate Marketplace as their delivery dates approach. Pricing for the Smarties packages was not included in the announcement.
The collaboration fits Slate’s strategy of selling one simplified vehicle platform that owners can customize over time. Every truck leaves the Warsaw, Indiana, factory with gray exterior panels designed to be wrapped instead of conventionally painted. Buyers can keep the two-seat pickup configuration or select one of Slate’s five-seat SUV conversions.
The partnership does not change the truck’s core price or specifications. Slate continues to list the Blank Slate pickup at $24,950 before its $1,450 destination charge, with an estimated 205 miles of range. The range figure is still a company projection rather than a final EPA rating, and Slate continues to say its first deliveries are expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
For Slate, the Smarties collection is more than a seasonal promotion. It demonstrates how branded wraps and accessories could become an important part of the company’s business model while allowing buyers to change the appearance of their vehicles without purchasing a different truck.
Source: Slate Auto’s official Smarties collaboration announcement
Entertainment
Patrick Stewart, Beloved Star of Star Trek and X-Men, Dies at 86
Sir Patrick Stewart, beloved for his performances as Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Charles Xavier, has died at 86, leaving a lasting legacy across television, film and theater.
Entertainment News Brief
Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at 86.
Stewart died October 28 at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement from his spokesperson reported by Reuters. The announcement said he had been living with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia and was with his wife, Sunny Ozell.
Stewart brought a commanding presence and a thoughtful approach to leadership to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which aired from 1987 to 1994. He later continued Picard’s story in feature films and returned for Star Trek: Picard.
His career also encompassed Shakespearean theater, including work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was knighted in 2010 for his contributions to drama.
For generations of viewers, Stewart helped make science fiction a place to explore questions of responsibility, compassion and humanity.
Sources
● Reuters: Patrick Stewart, Shakespearean actor turned Star Trek and X-Men star, dies at 86
● ABC News: Patrick Stewart dies at 86
