Welcome to Better Offline’s coverage of the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show - a standup radio station in the Palazzo Hotel with an attached open bar where reporters, experts and various other characters bring you the stories from the floor. 

In Friday’s first episode, Ed is joined by author, activist and journalist Cory Doctorow, YouTuber and CEO of Clicks Michael Fisher, Cherlynn Low of Engadget, Edward Ongweso of the Tech Bubble Newsletter and Garrison Davis of It Could Happen Here to talk about the Clicks Communicator, Amazon’s surveillance tech, the advances in tech in eyeglasses, engadget’s best tech of CES and why we’re worried about the future.

EXCLUSIVE CES SALE! Get a *permanent* $10 off an annual subscription to my newsletter through January 13 2025: 
https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/cue848p5sc 

Ed Ongweso Jr.: https://bsky.app/profile/bigblackjacobin.bsky.social 

Cory Doctorow http://pluralistic.net/ https://www.eff.org/ 

Michael Fisher - https://www.clicks.tech/

Cherlynn Low - https://www.engadget.com/about/editors/cherlynn-low/
https://bsky.app/profile/cherlynn.bsky.social

Garrison Davis: https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social

The Tech Bubble Newsletter: https://thetechbubble.substack.com/

Donate in Sean-Paul’s honor: https://www.perc-epilepsy.org/

https://bookmaniac.org/

https://pluralistic.net/2026/01/09/quantity-break/#so-many-chips

Cyber Fidget: https://youtube.com/shorts/JEEmhcTscP8?si=7_1O-GARnnBeSGuK

https://petewarden.com/2025/10/16/why-does-a-local-ai-voice-agent-running-on-a-super-cheap-soc-matter/

https://petewarden.com/2025/11/29/i-know-were-in-an-ai-bubble-because-nobody-wants-me-%f0%9f%98%ad/

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Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com

Welcome to Better Offline&rsquo;s coverage of the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show - a standup radio station in the Palazzo Hotel with an attached open bar where reporters, experts and various other characters bring you the stories from the floor. In Friday&rsquo;s first episode, Ed is joined by author, activist and journalist Cory Doctorow, YouTuber and CEO of Clicks Michael Fisher, Cherlynn Low of Engadget, Edward Ongweso of the Tech Bubble Newsletter and Garrison Davis of It Could Happen Here to talk about the Clicks Communicator, Amazon&rsquo;s surveillance tech, the advances in tech in eyeglasses, engadget&rsquo;s best tech of CES and why we&rsquo;re worried about the future. EXCLUSIVE CES SALE! Get a *permanent* $10 off an annual subscription to my newsletter through January 13 2025: <a href="https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/cue848p5sc">https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/cue848p5sc</a>&nbsp; Ed Ongweso Jr.: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/bigblackjacobin.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/bigblackjacobin.bsky.social</a>&nbsp; Cory Doctorow http://pluralistic.net/ <a href="https://www.eff.org/">https://www.eff.org/</a>&nbsp; Michael Fisher - <a href="https://www.clicks.tech/">https://www.clicks.tech/</a>
Cherlynn Low - <a href="https://www.engadget.com/about/editors/cherlynn-low/">https://www.engadget.com/about/editors/cherlynn-low/</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/cherlynn.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/cherlynn.bsky.social</a>
Garrison Davis: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social</a>
The Tech Bubble Newsletter: <a href="https://thetechbubble.substack.com/">https://thetechbubble.substack.com/</a>
Donate in Sean-Paul&rsquo;s honor: <a href="https://www.perc-epilepsy.org/">https://www.perc-epilepsy.org/</a>
<a href="https://bookmaniac.org/">https://bookmaniac.org/</a>
<a href="https://pluralistic.net/2026/01/09/quantity-break/#so-many-chips">https://pluralistic.net/2026/01/09/quantity-break/#so-many-chips</a>
Cyber Fidget: <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/JEEmhcTscP8?si=7_1O-GARnnBeSGuK">https://youtube.com/shorts/JEEmhcTscP8?si=7_1O-GARnnBeSGuK</a>
<a href="https://petewarden.com/2025/10/16/why-does-a-local-ai-voice-agent-running-on-a-super-cheap-soc-matter/">https://petewarden.com/2025/10/16/why-does-a-local-ai-voice-agent-running-on-a-super-cheap-soc-matter/</a>
<a href="https://petewarden.com/2025/11/29/i-know-were-in-an-ai-bubble-because-nobody-wants-me-%f0%9f%98%ad/">https://petewarden.com/2025/11/29/i-know-were-in-an-ai-bubble-because-nobody-wants-me-%f0%9f%98%ad/</a>
---
LINKS: <a href="https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks">https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks</a>
Newsletter: <a href="https://www.wheresyoured.at/">https://www.wheresyoured.at/</a>
Reddit: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/">https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/</a>&nbsp;
Discord: <a href="https://discord.com/invite/QUUQUP9szv">chat.wheresyoured.at</a>
Ed's Socials:
<a href="https://twitter.com/edzitron">https://twitter.com/edzitron</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/edzitron">https://www.instagram.com/edzitron</a>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com">https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com</a>
<a href="https://www.threads.net/@edzitron">https://www.threads.net/@edzitron</a>
Email Me: <a href="mailto:ez@betteroffline.com">ez@betteroffline.com</a>

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build. 

Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build. 
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.



Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.
 
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

CES 2026: Part Eight (Friday)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d8e7cfb5-7287-4e75-afaa-b3ce0000b517/transcript

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