CES Day 2 - Techmeme Ride Home Recap

Podcast: Techmeme Ride Home

Published: 2026-01-06

Duration: 22 minutes

Summary

Nvidia launches its Vera Rubin AI computing platform, AMD teases their MI500 AI chips, and Lego introduces its groundbreaking Smart Brick technology.

What Happened

Nvidia unveiled the Vera Rubin platform at CES 2026, highlighting its potential to dramatically cut inference and training costs compared to its predecessor, Blackwell. The platform's architecture includes six key chips and promises to train AI models with significantly reduced hardware requirements, setting high expectations following Nvidia's record data center revenue.

AMD also made waves by previewing its MI500 AI chips, expected to deliver 1,000 times the performance of previous models. These advancements are part of AMD's strategy to catch up with Nvidia's market dominance, with notable collaborations like the one with OpenAI.

In the realm of autonomous driving, Nvidia demonstrated its new AI-powered self-driving technology, positioning itself as a competitor to Tesla's Full Self-Driving system. The system promises enhanced safety and robustness, leveraging both software and hardware innovations, and aims to expand its capabilities across the U.S. by the end of 2028.

Dell announced a revival of its XPS brand, introducing new laptops with updated designs and Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips. The move marks a return to the brand's roots after a brief foray into more generic naming conventions.

RoboRock showcased a novel robot vacuum capable of climbing stairs, a feature made possible by its two-wheel leg design. This innovation is part of a broader trend at CES towards more versatile and capable home robotics.

Lego's Smart Brick is set to revolutionize their product line by integrating sensors, speakers, and wireless communication into a traditional Lego brick. This technology allows for dynamic and interactive play experiences, blending physical and digital play in a way that could reshape the toy industry.

Key Insights

• Nvidia's Vera Rubin platform, unveiled at CES 2026, features six key chips and is designed to significantly reduce AI model training and inference costs compared to its predecessor, Blackwell.
• AMD previewed its MI500 AI chips, which are projected to deliver 1,000 times the performance of previous models, as part of its efforts to compete with Nvidia's market leadership.
• RoboRock introduced a robot vacuum at CES capable of climbing stairs, utilizing a two-wheel leg design, marking a trend towards more versatile home robotics.
• Lego's Smart Brick integrates sensors, speakers, and wireless communication, enabling interactive play experiences that blend physical and digital elements, potentially reshaping the toy industry.