CES 2026

When home AI stops waiting for you

Samsung’s take on Home AI

Published

January 6, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

At CES 2026, AI is everywhere. But the real question is no longer how smart it is. It’s whether it knows when to act — and when to stay out of the way.

That was the core idea behind Samsung’s first Tech Forum panel at CES this year. Titled “When Everything Clicks: How Open Ecosystems Deliver Impactful AI,” the discussion moved past flashy demos and focused on something far more practical: building home AI that works ahead of the user, not after a command.

The shift is subtle but important. Reactive AI responds when you ask. Predictive AI understands context, habits, and risk — then steps in before problems happen. For Samsung, that difference defines the future of the connected home.

From smart features to smart decisions

For years, smart homes have been good at reacting. You open an app. You tap a button. You tell a device what to do.

But as AI becomes more ambient, the goal changes. Instead of managing devices, the system starts managing outcomes — saving time, reducing waste, preventing damage.

One example discussed during the panel was food waste. It’s an everyday problem that rarely feels “high-tech,” yet it’s one of the most measurable places where AI can help. By understanding what’s inside the refrigerator, how often food is used, and how the kitchen connects to other home systems like water and energy, AI can move from reminders to prevention. Not just telling you what’s expiring, but shaping habits over time.

This kind of intelligence only works when systems talk to each other. Not just within one brand, but across appliances, services, and platforms.

Why openness matters at home

Samsung repeatedly emphasized that home AI cannot thrive in closed ecosystems. Homes don’t work that way. They’re made up of devices from different brands, services from different industries, and routines that don’t fit into a single app.

Open standards allow AI to see the home as one system instead of a collection of features. That’s how it becomes useful without becoming intrusive.

Yoonho Choi, President and Chair of the Board of the Home Connectivity Alliance and Head of Strategic Alliances at Samsung Electronics, noted that the home is the most personal space people have. Any AI that operates there has to earn trust quietly, through value that’s felt rather than announced.

Interoperability, in this context, isn’t a technical flex. It’s how the home stops feeling fragmented. It’s how routines get simpler instead of more complicated.

Predictive AI and the case for trust

Prediction requires data. And data requires trust.

A major part of the discussion centered on how smart home systems can use information responsibly — without exposing personal details or crossing privacy boundaries. The idea isn’t to watch users, but to understand patterns well enough to prevent losses.

Samsung highlighted its partnership with Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB) as an example. By using simple, consent-based datapoints from connected homes, AI can predict risks like water leaks or fire hazards before they become expensive disasters. The benefit isn’t just peace of mind. It can translate into tangible savings, including insurance-related advantages.

This is where predictive AI becomes practical. It doesn’t wait for something to go wrong. It quietly works in the background to make sure it doesn’t.

Homes that help you stay longer

One of the more understated ideas from the panel was longevity. Not of devices, but of living spaces.

Predictive home AI can help people stay in their homes longer by reducing friction and risk. Detecting issues early. Automating safety responses. Supporting daily routines without constant interaction.

When the technology fades into the background, adoption becomes easier. People stop thinking about whether their home is smart and start noticing that it simply works better.

AI that fits, not interrupts

Across the discussion, one message stayed consistent: home AI shouldn’t feel like a system you manage. It should feel like a companion that understands when to act and when to stay silent.

That means less voice prompting. Fewer alerts. More intelligence built into the flow of daily life — cooking, relaxing, entertaining, caring for family.

Samsung’s approach at CES 2026 wasn’t about adding more AI moments. It was about reducing the need for them altogether.

When everything clicks, the smartest homes aren’t the ones that demand attention. They’re the ones that quietly make life easier, safer, and more predictable — before you even realize you needed help.

Related Topics:Bixby CES 2026 Gemini Home AI Samsung Samsung AI

CES 2026

The HP EliteBoard G1a is a full AI PC in a keyboard form factor

More innovations unveiled at CES 2026

Published

January 7, 2026

GadgetMatch

At CES 2026, HP showcased its latest PCs, laptops, and services, headlined by the HP EliteBoard G1a.

Reimagining traditional desktops, the EliteBoard G1a is a full AI PC built into a keyboard, making it the company’s the smallest and lightest AI PC.

This CES 2026 Innovation Award honoree powers the future of work with a design that moves, connects, and adapts to any workspace.

It is ultra-thin at 12mm and weighs just about 750 grams, allowing for a minimalist and clutter-free setup. Dual mics and speakers are likewise packaged onto its sleek design.

And yet, the HP EliteBoard G1a is capable of up to 50 TOPS NPU to power next-gen workloads. At its heart is an AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processor.

Other features include HP Smart Sense, AMD’s Auto State Management (ASM), and HP Wolf Security for Business.

To complement the device, users can pair it with the HP Series 7 Pro 4K Monitor. This 4K Neo:LED visual hub features cutting-edge IPS black performance and a professional-grade factory calibrated color accuracy.

It comes with a 140W Thunderbolt 4 port for high-speed data and video processing.

For the future of work

HP also introduced further next-generation premium business laptops built for the AI era, including the HP EliteBook X G2 Series.

The new HP OmniBook Ultra 14 and HP OmniStudio X also beef up the company’s OmniBook consumer portfolio.

The OmniBook Ultra 14 is 52% lighter than the previous generation, and is thinner than a 2025 MacBook Air 13 (M4). It is powered by a Snapdragon X2 Elite processor for up to 85 TOPS NPU. In front is a 3K OLED display.

In addition, the laptop has been proven tough with 20 MIL-STD-810 tests. These include drops, shocks, temperature extremes, and more.

Meanwhile, the OmniStudio X 27 AIO delivers professional-grade viewing with Neo:LED and dual 100% color coverage.

It has next-gen Intel Core Ultra 7 processors with Intel AI Boost and an optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 GPU.

Users can also connect it with a laptop via Thunderbolt Share, where they can control the AIO and laptop with one keyboard and mouse.

Moreover, HP has unified its OMEN and Hyper X brands into one master gaming brand — HyperX.

Along with this update, HP has unveiled the HyperX OMEN MAX 16, a powerful gaming laptop with fully internal cooling.

New models under the HP EliteBook X G2 Series have likewise been introduced.

For peripherals, HP has likewise introduced the following tools:

HP Tilt Ergonomic Mouse 720M
USB-C HP 65W GaN Wall Charger
HP Protective Series laptop sleeves and more

Copilot integration into HP printers

Furthermore, HP announced HP for Microsoft 365 Copilot, a new Workpath app that brings Copilot’s generative AI capabilities directly to HP’s multifunction printers.

The integration unlocks powerful capabilities right from the printer panel:

AI-generated summaries of scanned documents or files in OneDrive and SharePoint
smart file naming and storge suggestions
on-device translation powered by Copilot

HP for Microsoft 365 Copilot accelerates productivity with direct scans, secure and automated file handling, and enterprise-grade security.

CES 2026

This Razer AI companion can tell you how much of a noob you are

The brand also unveiled an AI headset and an immersive gaming chair.

Published

January 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Whenever you’re playing a single-player game, do you miss the toxic banter of teammates telling you how bad you are? Sometimes, it feels impossible to play without another voice in your ear. For those moments, Razer reintroduced Project AVA, an AI desk companion designed to keep you company while gaming and for more.

Project AVA

Technically, Razer already introduced the AI companion during last year’s CES 2025. This year, however, the brand has added more functionalities to the upcoming product, turning the device from a mere esports coach into an actual companion.

Previously, the assistant can use your camera, eye-tracking, audio input, and the screen to tell you how to get better in your chosen game. Now, Razer has added the ability to help you with everyday tasks like organizing schedules and suggesting fits.

Additionally, users can choose between a variety of 5-inch animated holograms as avatars, such as Kira, Zane, and even Japan’s favorite salary woman SAO. Users can also pick personalities for them from sassy to friendly.

Since it’s still a concept, there’s no word on when Project AVA will be available as a finished product.

Project Motoko

Last month, we reviewed the BlackShark V3 Pro, one of the most comfortable gaming headsets we’ve tried. Not content with prioritizing comfort, Razer has now added AI to a headset.

Project Motoko showcases a headset that uses AI technology to anticipate your needs. Besides a flurry of microphones, the headset uses two cameras positioned at eye level to analyze your surroundings. Razer says it can even track how many reps you’ve done at the gym and summarize a document you’re looking at.

Because the software is specifically designed to detect your surroundings, it can reportedly heighten your senses and find things you might have missed from your peripheral vision. Additionally, it can heighten your hearing and amplify conversations and sounds you might find important.

Project Madison

To cap it all off, Razer also unveiled an immersive gaming chair. Project Madison is a chair that uses lighting, audio, and haptic feedback to deliver an immersive gaming experience.

First of all, the chair uses Razer’s iconic Chroma RGB to simulate your surroundings while playing a game. With 16.8 million colors, it makes you feel visually immersed in your game.

Secondly, the chair has THX Spatial Audio. On its own, the chair’s speakers can provide audio immersion. Further, if you pair it with front speakers, you can upgrade this to a 7.1 surround sound system.

Thirdly, Project Madison features Razer Sensa HD Haptics to deliver a tactile sensation that makes you feel every impact and explosion.

CES 2026

GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z debuts at CES 2026

Most advanced cooling system, 8-inch display panel, more

Published

January 7, 2026

GadgetMatch

MSI has officially released the GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z at CES 2026, marking its return after a seven-year wait.

This powerful, meticulously crafted, and most advanced flagship graphics card is forged for extreme overclocking and is elevated into a new class of liquid-cooled design.

It has a full 8-inch display panel — the world’s first on a graphics card — for personalization of system stats, artwork, and animations through an intuitive software control.

Carbon-fiber elements refine the backplate, paired with precise lightning-cut accents and an individually numbered badge that underscores rarity and collectible stature.

In fact, the visually striking graphics card will be produced in just 1,300 units.

Most advanced cooling system

Beneath the exterior is a fully evolved liquid cooled thermal system. There is a next-generation high-pressure pump and full-cover cold plate spanning the GPU, VRAM, and MOSFETs for even heat distribution.

A hybrid-fin radiator engineered with alternating dense and sparse sections create deliberate hot-cold exchange zones for maximum thermal efficiency.

Also inside is MSI’s exclusive Lightning Fan thermal architecture to deliver airflow, static pressure, and refined acoustics.

Built to break limits

Equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower and coupled with NVIDIA DLSS 4, users can expect next-level graphics fidelity and image generation at unprecedented speeds.

Meanwhile, a next-gen control ecosystem features Lightning Hub and Lightning Overdrive. Users can get instant, web-based tuning of parameters with the Hub.

On the other hand, the Overdrive companion mobile app brings real-time monitoring and overclocking control to any device.

Benchmarked for 17 overclocking records, the RTX 5090 Lightning Z serves as the ultimate platform for gamers, creators, and AI innovators.