CES 2026: Convention Center Exhibits
CES 2026: Convention Center Exhibits
Article by Angie Kibiloski
For the last bit of my virtual CES 2026 coverage, let’s take a look at some of the companies that exhibited inside the main Convention Center halls, from January 6th to January 9th. Discovering products that caught my interest by sifting through the CES website itself was like looking for a needle in a haystack, so I mainly relied on Press Releases that were sent directly to me by companies who reached out beforehand. Here’s a selection of those products which I was sorry to miss experiencing first-hand. Perhaps I’ll be able to review a few in the future to bring you more hands-on coverage as these products hit the market.
DREO exhibited several new home products this year, but the TurboCool Misting Fan 756S, along with the other models in the series, caught my attention the most, as a resident of a perpetually warm city. Misters are a boon on hot days, but if you’ve ever stood in front of one to cool off, you know you’re going to walk away wet, which doesn’t bode well for indoor cooling. This next-gen series of ultrasonic misting fans solves that issue with its TurboCool technology, combining the high-performance airflow that DREO fans are known for with the cooling evaporative effect of a mister, without leaving condensation to linger on surfaces. The misting module produces ultra-fine particles, as small as 17 microns, which provide enough moisture for evaporative cooling to drop the air temp by 10°F, but not enough for damaging droplets to settle on furnishings.
The Misting Fan 765S is the flagship model in the TurboCool series, housing a powerful motor that produces up to 1800 cubic feet/minute of airflow, projecting it as far as 70 ft., in a 90° arc of oscillation, while maintaining a relatively quiet noise level of 20 dB. The 6-liter water tank provides 7 hours of cooling mist, and is easy to refill and clean. The digital display allows you to see current temp and humidity levels, and independently control air flow, mist, and oscillation, with even more precise control in the connected app. The TurboCool Misting Fan 765S is joined by the more compact 516S model for smaller spaces, and the 711AS model for outdoor areas, providing an option for any home cooling scenario. The full series will be available in April at DREO.com, with price announcements yet to come.
LEGO, the makers of the colorful, foot-piercing blocks we’ve all grown up loving, has debuted a new SMART Play system, bringing connected tech into their realm of imaginative building. This new line of LEGO elements includes SMART Bricks, SMART Tags, and SMART Minifigures, each playing a unique but interconnected role. The foundation of this new system is the 2×4 SMART Brick, stacked with tiny sensors that detect motion, light, sound, and the proximity of SMART Tags and Minifigs, as well as a mini speaker, synthesizer, and wireless charging tech. SMART Tags and Minifigs connect with and trigger the Bricks, which react with lights and sounds unique to each individual set and method of interaction, building on kids’ imaginations with responsive reactions to their play. All of this is done screen-free and app-free, giving kids the excitement of smart technology while keeping them present in a fully tangible play experience.
The first sets with this SMART Play system are Star Wars themed, which seems fitting in a way, and include the 584-piece Luke’s Red Five X-Wing ($89.99), the 473-piece Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter ($69.99), and the 962-piece Throne Room Duel & A-Wing ($159.99). While the interactive smart features only react within the SMART Play block sets, the new elements are build-compatible with all other LEGO blocks, so kids can incorporate any of their existing sets into these new builds for unlimited imaginative power. LEGO SMART Play sets are available for pre-order now, with a launch date of March 1st, conveniently just days after my birthday. See videos of these sets in action on their respective pre-order store pages, and read more details about the tech inside.
SOUNDPEATS, an innovator in high-fidelity personal audio, is launching their Aura Nebula earbuds, a super portable set of low-profile wireless buds packed with studio-grade sound, adaptive hybrid ANC, and customizable smart features. These earbuds host a five-driver combo, creating a system that ensures every note on the acoustic spectrum is heard clearly and expressively. This driver array includes a 10mm dynamic driver for tight lows, a 6mm planar driver for a rich midrange, a micro-planar tweeter for pristine highs, and dual balanced armatures for extra clarity. They also have 3-mic AI noise reduction for crystal clear voice calling and an aerodynamic S-shaped exterior to reduce wind noise, working together with the adaptive hybrid ANC to create an enjoyable private sonic experience. Fast wireless charging, dual-device connectivity, a low-latency gaming mode, and customizable presets, EQ, and other controls within the PeatsAudio app round out the features of these stellar Aura Nebula earbuds. You’ll need to wait to catch these for $200 in the Spring, but there are plenty of other earbuds to discover in the meantime at SOUNDPEATS.com.
I’ve seen the Hisong AirStudio S1 at CES before, during its development phase, but now this all-in-one mic and earbud combo has finally hit the market. This device is specifically designed with mobile content creators in mind, whether they’re live streamers, travel vloggers, street musicians, or anyone else who records audio on-the-go. The main AirStudio S1 component is a compact, wireless, pro-grade microphone, which can be switched between condenser and enhanced dynamic modes, with a built-in pop filter, and 8 hours of battery life. The accompanying monitoring earbuds have 13mm dynamic diaphragm speakers, delivering low-latency studio-quality sound for clear vocal monitoring, and live inside a sliding panel on the front of the mic. The AirStudio S1‘s built-in DSP gives you control over EQ, reverb, and noise reduction in real-time, with access to more adjustments and recording options in the native Hisong Link pro mixing app. Every device comes with a license for Cubasis LE for iOS and Cubase LE, and is also compatible with all major DAW software, like Ableton and Pro Tools. AirStudio S1 is available now directly from Hisong, starting at $299, with add-ons available for slightly more.
For an even more compact mobile audio recording option, Shure has released the MV88 USB-C Stereo Microphone, which plugs directly into your phone’s charging port for hands-free vocal capture. This tiny condenser mic records studio-grade audio directly into your phone, with professional processing power and zero latency. When set to Auto Level Mode, the mic will continuously adjust gain to keep sound levels balanced, so you don’t have to worry about manually monitoring unless you want to, while the Real-Time Denoiser setting will filter out ever-changing background noises for clean vocal tracks. Customize your recording setup by selecting stereo, mono cardioid, mono bi-directional, or raw mid-side, for a polar pattern suited for any scenario. For more in-depth personal control, use any of their suite of MOTIV apps to adjust gain, EQ, compression, high-pass filter, and more. Snag an MV88 USB-C Stereo Microphone for $159 from Shure.com, and get your next mobile recording session flowing with ease.
If you ever had a digital pet as a kid and thought it’d be much cooler if you could really interact with it instead of pushing buttons and seeing it grow on screen, then the Takway Sweekar AI Pocket Pet is for you. Your pet will start life as an egg, and as you feed it, bathe it, play with it, and talk to it, it’ll pop open, gain a face, and through emotional memory AI, develop a personality based on how you interact with it, through MBTI-based behavioral modeling. In the first few days, your Sweekar is pretty much just an egg waiting to hatch, then in its week-long baby stage it’ll start to learn language, form memories, and recognize your voice. Its teenage stage lasts for about a month, with continued learning and the start of its social skills and full personality development. In these early stages, without dedicated care, your Sweekar can actually perish and you’ll have to start back in egg-form again. The final stage is its adult form, where it becomes autonomous and cares for itself, and is a fully-fledged friend for you, with games, stories, and other interactions unlocked.
Small enough to fit in your palm or pocket, your Sweekar can go anywhere with you as a constant companion, which is actually vital to its survival until it reaches adulthood. The basic Sweekar pet is a monochrome egg, with little popped up ears and a digital face, but you can get adorable little accessories to dress up and customize your companion to suit your tastes or its personality. When you aren’t actively caring for it, your pet isn’t idle, no, it has a whole internal life where it virtually travels the world, and brings back stories to entertain you with when next you interact. You’ll be able to view its travel adventures and see where it went and what it saw via the companion app, which will also host other features and activities. The Sweekar AI Pocket Pet will begin crowdfunding in late Spring, at a price between $150-$200, with production set for later in the year, so head over to Takway.ai for links to all of their social channels, and be in the know when that campaign launches.
Not all AI companions are just for fun, some can be caregivers too. Cairns Health‘s Luna AI is an elder assistant that will both help mitigate loneliness for seniors, and keep family members updated on their wellbeing. As our loved ones age, it’s often stressful to be away from them, worrying if they’re safe, healthy, taking their medication, or eating enough. Luna can stand in for you when you can’t be around, or when your elder would rather live independently, acting as a virtual companion and care monitor. You get peace of mind that your family member is alright, and they get an AI-driven friend and helpmate. Set Luna to give reminders when it’s time to take pills, have meals, go to appointments, or just check in on your senior’s state of mind. It will interact with its owner through vocal commands and conversational prompts, allowing seniors to engage with it in a natural way instead of through complicated app controls, providing easy company as well as routine care.
Luna can also track vital signs like heart rate, activity, and sleep, without requiring a wearable, through intelligent ambient sensing. For vital tracking beyond the on-board sensors, there’s a companion app that can detect certain health parameters by analyzing a selfie. It can also provide historical tracking stats, health insights, and share authorized information with connected doctors. There is a $99 monthly service fee (or $79 with an annual plan), but with that you get the Luna device, 24/7 health monitoring and alerts, frequent personalized status reports, and an ever-improving proprietary AI. If you’re interested in finding out more, head to Cairns.ai to read user reviews, watch a teaser video of Luna in action, or request a demo.
These were only a selection of the products that were exhibited inside the vast Convention Center halls, and I’m sure there are many of interest that I missed out discovering, having not been able to attend in person. I hope to provide in-person reviews of some of the products above, however, from the comfort of my office, in the weeks or months to come. This wraps up my CES 2026 coverage, but if you’re itching to explore more products, and you missed reading them as they came out, head over to my articles on CES Unveiled, Pepcom’s Digital Experience, and ShowStoppers for product highlights from each of those media-exclusive events.
