Ever stared at “SOS” on your phone and wondered what happens when the network blinks? We open 2026 with a real-world stress test from the Verizon outage, then pivot straight into the technologies that promise fewer interruptions and more autonomy. From satellite connectivity and eSIM redundancy to the next wave of AI assistants, we’re mapping how reliability becomes the killer feature this year.

Our tour through CES 2026 is a front-row seat to what’s next. Smart glasses are shedding bulk to look like real eyewear, smart rings are turning sleep and recovery into daily coaching, and speakers are getting tougher, brighter, and more immersive. The big swing, though, is mobility and robotics: full-width digital dashboards, driverless pods cruising Las Vegas, and short-hop flying taxis inching from demo to deployment. We unpack what’s shipping now, what’s still a prototype, and how to think about upgrades, support, and resale in a software-defined car era.

Then we dive into the robot reality check. Industrial machines like Atlas will change warehouse and high-risk work first, while pricey humanoids pitch companionship and at-home help. We debate real use cases, forecast a consumer price ceiling around $20–25k, and explain why competition—especially from Asia—will compress costs fast. Along the way, we keep the culture pulse strong: Doom hype, a rare Avengers–X‑Men–Fantastic Four convergence, and a must-watch recommendation for Andor if you want grown-up, political sci‑fi that sticks. Sports fans get quick hits on NHL form, NBA standings, and NFL picks to round out a packed hour.

If you’re curious about CES trends, robotics and jobs, EV timelines, smart rings, autonomous vehicles, and the future of entertainment, this one’s for you. Hit play, subscribe, and drop your take: which emerging tech would you bring home first—and why?

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The ground just shifted beneath knowledge work. We open with AI agents that don’t stop at answers—they take actions. Think calling a bank and saying “transfer $100 to my daughter’s account,” then hearing the bot do the work. From there we zoom out: Apple’s late but massive push into AI data centers to revive Siri, the economics of a reported $2,000 AI-produced NBA ad, and the video-model arms race between Google’s VO3 and OpenAI’s Sora. Production costs are falling; taste, strategy, and story are now the real edge.

We get hands-on with tools that turn ideas into shipped prototypes in minutes. Bolt.new, lovable.dev, and firebase.studio scaffold projects, wire TypeScript and CSS, and deploy a working preview from a paragraph of instructions. If you’re a builder, this is nitro. If you’re not, it’s your on-ramp. We talk social AI features, the GPT-4 “warmth” vs GPT-5 “cold” debate, and the importance of staying in the loop even when models change personality. Then we face the risks: Anthropic’s report on AI being jailbroken into aiding cyberattacks, and why basic hygiene—strong passwords, “Have I Been Pwned,” disposable emails—still matters.

Careers and money get real. Our guest shares a candid path across Twitter, Amazon, and Google, plus a playbook for interviewing annually to stay sharp, finding mentors, and keeping a culture of learning. We dig into assets vs liabilities, investing offense over debt-only defense, and a simple acquisition tactic: host a short virtual show tailored to your offer, invite prospects as guests, build trust live, then convert. Along the way we hit device and platform news—iPhone repairability quirks, XR headsets, smart glasses, robo taxis—and even a cautionary note on humanoid robot safety. Robots are getting better at being robots; our job is to get better at being human.

If this got you thinking about your next move—career, security, or product—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review with your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us keep the signal high and the noise low.

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What a year. We went from “AI is the headline” to “AI is the workflow,” and that shift powered everything we talked about. We open with the honest state of play: OpenAI’s relentless pace, Google’s late surge into the front of the pack, and Apple’s awkward stall that has us eyeing a possible Gemini tie-up. Along the way we show, not tell—the tools we actually used on mic, from vibe-coding assistants to knowledge systems that feel like a usable second brain. The takeaway is practical: it’s not AI that replaces people, it’s people who use AI well.

Then we press into the streets. Waymo glides into Atlanta, Zoox scales up, and legged robots blur the line between vehicles and machines. Hardware heats up as Chinese manufacturers push ultra-premium devices and break assumptions about where the best ideas come from. We keep it grounded: what would we buy, what would we actually use, and what still feels like a demo chasing a headline.

On the culture side, the streaming chessboard gets wild. Netflix circling Warner Bros. Discovery raises real questions about HBO’s future, theatrical windows, and whether “the new cable” finally admits its name and price. Trailer strategy even becomes part of the story—multiple Avengers teasers locked behind Avatar screenings—while our own crew fights over Severance vs The Penguin and debates whether Avatar’s spectacle can outrun its formula. Raymond’s Nuggets keep delivering small wins that add up: health checks, unclaimed money, password sanity, and privacy tools you’ll use tomorrow.

Sports brings the spice. Our LeBron vs MJ “Battle of the GOATs” became the most-commented segment of the year, and we revisit the best points with new context. From a bruising NBA season and rising stars to MLB’s thrills and a wave of injuries, we unpack how storytelling shapes fan perception, including the LeBron vs Stephen A media moment that turned critique into a case study. We close by celebrating 16k subscribers, thanking our live producer and newsletter writer, and laying out a simple promise for 2026: more useful tech, sharper culture talk, and the same live energy that makes this show feel like a hangout with smart friends.

If you had a favorite moment from 2025—or a bold prediction for 2026—drop it in the comments, share this episode with a friend, and hit follow so you never miss what’s next.

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