CES Worst In Show Awards Call Out the Tech Making Things Worse (ifixit.com)
- Reference: 0180555720
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/01/09/216254/ces-worst-in-show-awards-call-out-the-tech-making-things-worse
- Source link: https://www.ifixit.com/News/115344/worst-in-show-returns-at-ces-2026-calling-out-gadgets-that-make-things-worse
> CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, isn't just about shiny new gadgets. As [2]AP reports , this year brought back the fifth annual [3]Worst in Show anti-awards, calling out the most harmful, wasteful, invasive, and unfixable tech at the Las Vegas show. The coalition behind the awards -- including Repair.org, iFixit, EFF, PIRG, Secure Repairs, and others -- put the spotlight on products that miss the point of innovation and make life worse for users.
>
> 2026 Worst in Show winners include:
>
> Overall (and Repairability): Samsung's AI-packed Family Hub Fridge -- over-engineered, hard to fix, and trying to do everything but keep food cold.
> Privacy: Amazon Ring AI -- expanding surveillance with features like facial recognition and mobile towers.
> Security: Merach UltraTread treadmill -- an AI fitness coach that also hoovers up sensitive data with weak security guarantees, including a privacy policy that declares the company "cannot guarantee the security of your personal information" (!!).
> Environmental Impact: Lollipop Star -- a single-use, music-playing electronic lollipop that epitomizes needless e-waste.
> Enshittification: Bosch eBike Flow App -- pushing lock-in and digital restrictions that make gear worse over time.
> "Who Asked For This?": Bosch Personal AI Barista -- a voice-assistant coffee maker that nobody really wanted.
> People's Choice: Lepro Ami AI Companion -- an overhyped "soulmate" cam that creeps more than it comforts.
>
> The message? Not all tech is progress. Some products add needless complexity, threaten privacy, or throw sustainability out the window -- and the industry's watchdogs are calling them out.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~chicksdaddy
[2] https://apnews.com/article/ces-worst-show-ai-0ce7fbc5aff68e8ff6d7b8e6fb7b007d
[3] https://www.worstinshowces.com/
Not Creepy (Score:2)
I'll bet the AI companion will end up being one of the best selling among these. At least they provide some value for the buyer. The people who find it creepy (i.e. journalists, women) were never the target audience in the first place.
Re: (Score:2)
> The people who find it creepy (i.e. journalists, women) were never the target audience in the first place.
You forgot people with intelligence and/or self-respect, though they also were not the target audience.
Re: (Score:2)
> You're right, I should have added self-important assholes to the list.
Little people who will never amount to anything are exactly the people who will want a computer to stroke their... ego. Anyone who thinks an AI companion will provide "value" is a sad little person who cannot interact with actual humans, like the clown in the news whose AI girlfriend dumped him because he said he didn't like feminists. Talk about incel level one million.
Re: Not Creepy (Score:2)
Hey now let's not do that. I'm a little person who won't amount to anything. Still won't catch me buying one of those creepy things.
Re: (Score:2)
You've at least amounted to a person with some discernment. Apparently it's in short supply.
Some sanity? (Score:2)
Amongst all the insanity?
Red Dwarf was moking this idea long ago (Score:3)
The Bosch Personal AI Barista. Just reading that line made me think of the [1]AI toaster [youtube.com] in Red Dwarf and how annoying he was.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRq_SAuQDec
Merach UltraTread treadmill (Score:3)
The Merach treadmill should win an award for the most honest privacy policy.
If you think a privacy policy has an impact on actual privacy, you're not going to make it. Most of them are AI generated or copied straight from other websites.
Privacy policy pages are almost as bad as the cookie popups that europe wanted everyone to put on their websites. Nobody is reading them or following them.
Steve Jobs endorses AI (Score:2)
Just kidding!
But Jensen Huang's keynote in DC on Oct. 28th last year, opens with AI Steve Jobs waxing eloquently about technological innovation and AI.
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
[2]https://singjupost.com/transcr... [singjupost.com]
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQHK61IDFH4
[2] https://singjupost.com/transcript-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huangs-keynote-at-gtc-2025/
What about that "DONUT" solid state battery? (Score:2)
Given the sensational claims about this new wonder battery, it is either the best in show, or the worst (scam) in the show, not much other options. And since they chose to not allow for any independent test/reviews, I am inclined to assume it is a scam and therefore the worst in show.
Sound Bites (Score:5, Informative)
"Lollipop Star, a candy lollipop with built-in electronics that transmits sound through jaw vibrations"
[1]Sound Bites [youtube.com] was an electronic toy that used a a normal lollipop that you could supply yourself to transmit sounds to the user via bone conduction. It was first marketed in 1998 . It was reusable. It would have been trivial to recreate this.
=Smidge=
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ca4tfXefk
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, can we please get rid of crap like this and also disposable e-cigarettes FFS?
Yuck (Score:2)
Remember back in the 70s through the 90s how cool tech was? What the FUCK happened?
Well (Score:1)
it certainly isn't making things better. I can't even see how any sane person would think it could. You know, Gimmicks come and go, But this has to be the biggest one yet I have witnessed in my 51 year stretch here on this planet. I really think the human race has basically lost the plot and is trying to become something it can never be. Whatever that is. Smoke and mirrors can hide the truth, But the wise will not be fooled. You are playing a dangerous game and when you lose, You better be ready.
Who asked for this? (Score:2)
How about Windows 11: Copilot, or Recall, force upgrades (due to TPM), or even Edge, or forced ads. From what I've seen here on /. there's not a whole lotta of love going on.
AI...AI...AI....AI.... (Score:5, Interesting)
How about all the keynote speakers who forgot this was the Consumer Electronics Show and just gave investor AI presentations?
None of us give a flying fuck about AI. If CES had balls they would just ban any AI mentions at the next show.
Re: (Score:2)
I quite like the idea of the music playing lollipop. I might buy a few for some kids I know....
Re: (Score:2)
> I quite like the idea of the music playing lollipop. I might buy a few for some kids I know....
It's an interesting idea, just poor execution because after you've finished the lollipop after a few minutes, it's useless and you have to throw it away.
That's the problem - it's just guaranteed e-waste for a few minutes. It's single use nature is more offensive than single use plastics, and that's already pretty bad. It's like disposable vapes.
Re: (Score:2)
Couldn't you replace the lolly yourself? It's pretty easy to make caramel at home, or candy. Tell the kids to bring the device back and pour candy onto the mouthpiece for the next day.