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Vocci Enters the Wearable Note-Taking Market with a New Ring
Following last year’s trend of note-taking rings from companies like former Meta employee Sandbar and Pebble, Vocci is debuting its own ring at CES this year. Unlike its predecessors, which cater to personal note-taking, Vocci’s device aims to rival products like Plaud, focusing on a broader application.
Vocci states that its new ring offers a recording range of up to five meters and eight hours of continuous operation. A charging case will be included to extend its battery life. Although the product is not yet publicly available, pre-orders are anticipated in the upcoming weeks, with shipments beginning after the first quarter of 2026. Vocci projects the ring will be priced below $200.
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CES 2026: Highlights from Day 3
Good morning! CES 2026 has reached its third day, typically a time when many top executives are departing or have already left. However, the event remains dynamic. Eureka Park, home to thousands of startups, is bustling, and the Las Vegas Convention Center’s halls continue to be crowded.
Here’s a brief summary of yesterday’s coverage. I conducted an onstage interview at CES with Chris Urmson, co-founder and CEO of Aurora, and Richard Stocking, President of Hirschbach Motor Lines, discussing autonomous vehicle technology, particularly self-driving trucks.
Additionally, yesterday’s news included Ford’s announcement of an AI assistant and enhancements to its advanced driver assistance system. Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed delivered a keynote, detailing the company’s collaboration with Nvidia to integrate AI into its construction equipment. AMC also offered a preview of its new Silicon Valley-centric series, while Waymo unveiled a new brand for its Zeekr robotaxi. Roku’s founder, chairman, and CEO also provided an update on their new streaming channel, Howdy. Much more was covered as well.
For complete coverage of CES, visit TechCrunch’s dedicated CES hub.
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Backbone Expands Beyond Mobile Controllers in a Major Year for Gaming Devices
Maneet Khaira, founder and CEO of Backbone, is showcasing the company’s latest device, the Backbone Pro, at CES while engaging with partners and developers. Although specific details are being kept under wraps, it’s evident that the company has significant plans. This year marks a crucial transition for the gaming device manufacturer as it evolves its business beyond its current mobile controllers.
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Innovative Solid-State EV Battery Achieves Full Charge in Five Minutes
I visited the Donut Lab booth, a Finnish startup focused on electric mobility. The company, known for its distinctive donut-shaped in-wheel EV motors, unveiled at CES what it claims is the first solid-state battery ready for vehicle production.
Solid-state batteries, unlike the lithium-ion batteries found in most EVs, utilize solid electrolytes instead of liquid ones. These batteries are designed to provide superior energy density, enhanced safety, and slower degradation compared to their lithium-ion counterparts. Furthermore, Donut claims its new battery can achieve a full charge in an impressive five minutes.
While charging durations vary across different vehicles and models, a five-minute full charge is remarkably quick. Donut asserts that the long-range variant of its battery can provide up to 600 kilometers per charge. The company also highlights the battery’s enhanced safety features, claiming it mitigates many causes of battery fires due to its stability in extreme temperatures and the absence of flammable liquids. Consequently, it is expected to perform more effectively in cold conditions, an environment where cold weather often diminishes EV range.
Donut operates as a subsidiary of Verge Motorcycles. Marko Lehtimaki, co-founder and CEO of Donut Lab, also co-founded Verge Motorcycle and previously served as its CTO. Lehtimaki brings extensive startup experience, having founded several ventures, including AppGyver, a no-code software startup acquired by SAP in 2021.
This week, Donut and Verge announced that Donut’s new solid-state batteries (SSBs) will be integrated into Verge’s motorcycles early this year, specifically in the Verge TS Pro and Verge TS Ultra models. During its exhibition, Donut also displayed several other partner vehicles slated to receive these advanced batteries.
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Ford Joins the AI Assistant Trend with Upcoming Vehicle and App Integration
Although Ford, like other US automakers, did not feature a large booth at CES 2026, the company made a significant announcement during a “Great Minds” speaker session, which focused on “exploring the intersection of technology and humanity.”
Essentially, Ford is developing an AI assistant set to launch first in its smartphone app, with integration into its vehicles planned for 2027. The company also hinted at a more cost-effective and advanced next-gen BlueCruise driver assistance system, aiming for hands-free driving by 2028, as reported by senior reporter Sean O’Kane today.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Expresses Concern Over AI Business Models: ‘Leading Us Down a Dark Path’
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, an actor and entrepreneur who sold his company HitRecord to MasterClass in 2022, has voiced strong criticism of AI companies, specifically stating his concern that their current business models are “leading us down a dark path.”
During the Variety Entertainment Summit at CES, Gordon-Levitt remarked that the issue “is not necessarily about the tech itself, about the technology, but the business incentives, driving some of the biggest AI companies.”
He further emphasized that AI companies must be held accountable for content infringement resulting from their models. He argued that large language models (LLMs) are trained on content where humans have “put their time and energy and labor into,” and therefore, companies should obtain consent and provide compensation for using such data and content for model training.
The audience frequently applauded in support. Gordon-Levitt is also directing an upcoming Netflix AI thriller, starring Rachel McAdams.
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Fox Executive Shares Strategy for Engaging Audiences in the Streaming Era
Darren Schillace, CMO of Fox Entertainment, outlined the company’s strategy for leveraging various streaming platforms to expand its viewership. At the Variety Entertainment Summit at CES, Schillace cited “Doc,” a popular new show, as an example: it premiered on broadcast television, appealing to older demographics, but was subsequently made available on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to attract a broader, and presumably younger, audience.
He stated, “We’re never going to drive the younger generations to watch on a network — on a broadcast network.”
Instead, for “Doc,” Fox placed the show on Hulu to cultivate deeper fan engagement and also released its first season on Netflix, which he credited with attracting “an insane amount of new fans.”
The company also adapts and publishes certain shows on YouTube, acknowledging that the Fox brand’s prominence might be diluted in the process.
He concluded, “The metric we use to measure is total viewers, the Gen Zs, Gen Alpha, their parents, their grandparents — I don’t care. I want you to watch.”
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Testing Infinite Machine Scooters on the Streets of Las Vegas
Away from the main exhibition, I recently had the opportunity to test drive two scooters from Brooklyn-based, a16z-backed company, Infinite Machine.
Both scooters, particularly the larger and more premium P1 model, have garnered significant attention in the last two years due to their striking, Cybertruck-inspired design. While CES often highlights flashy gadgets over practical utility, these vehicles prove to be both capable and enjoyable.
Further details on each vehicle will be shared later this week. Given the rather sparse micromobility presence at CES this year, I’m glad these were the scooters I had the chance to review.
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New Battery-Powered AI Speaker Offers Translation, Transcription, and Advanced Features
Viaim, known for its wireless AI earbuds offering live transcription and noise cancellation, is launching a new battery-powered AI smart speaker at CES 2026. Designed for conference room use, this device features gesture-controlled camera views, transcription, translation capabilities, and more.
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Vizio Executive Reveals Data as Key Driver Behind Walmart’s $2.3B Acquisition
Mike O’Donnell, VP of Vizio at Walmart, provided a straightforward reason for the retailer’s $2.3 billion acquisition of the television manufacturer in 2024.
According to O’Donnell, the acquisition was primarily driven by the desire for data, specifically Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) data. This type of data, gathered by smart TVs, tracks viewership across cable, streaming platforms, and other sources.
O’Donnell explained, “We were recently acquired by Walmart, so we have the ability to take that viewership data — understanding what our viewers are watching — not just what they’re watching, but how they’re watching, how often they’re watching, [and] marry that with Walmart data that understands what people are buying or how they’re shopping, and create that full funnel attribution solution for the advertising community and create a better experience, ultimately, for our customers.”
Indeed, your televisions are collecting information about your viewing habits.
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Motorola Introduces Its Own AI Pin Concept
Despite the demise of the Humane pin, several startups such as Looki and Memories.ai are exploring AI wearables that integrate camera and voice functionalities. Lenovo, too, is venturing into this domain with an experimental Motorola device, internally named Project Maxwell.
At CES, the company revealed that the gadget’s AI assistant would continuously monitor and record its surroundings, offering users recommendations and insights. Lenovo did not disclose privacy details, a significant concern for any device with continuous data capture. The company emphasized that this device remains a concept, with no definite plans for commercial launch.
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Skylight Calendar 2: The Latest Tool for Family Organization
Sarah Perez, a consumer news editor, has been reviewing numerous tech innovations at CES, including a new calendar product from Skylight. As she noted, Skylight initially launched as a digital picture frame but has since shifted its focus to providing organizational tools for families, such as shared calendars, lists, and meal-planning features.
At CES, the company introduced its newest offering: the Skylight Calendar 2. This version boasts a more streamlined design than the initial 15-inch calendar, yet is more compact than the 27-inch wall-mounted Calendar Max. Similar to the larger model, this new digital calendar and family organizer allows for interchangeable frames in various colors to complement home aesthetics.
