Hi, it’s me again, Krystal! We’re switching things up a bit here at The Vantage LV. Going forward, you’ll get two vantage points on the city. The first is the one you already know: locally curated events, openings and hidden gems worth your time. The second is something new, simply my notes on the city, its community, and the little things that make Vegas home.

This post is one of those notes, and you’ll be seeing more in this vein from here on out. Thanks for reading along!

Matt and I went to CES at the beginning of this year, and we spent most of the first day thinking about the Jetsons. That cartoon future of robot helpers and talking gadgets is pretty much what the show floor looked like.

CES takes over our city every January, and it's one of the best chances to see what tech companies think is coming next. We went in curious and came out with a lot to think about.

There's something strange about walking through a building designed entirely around the future. Every generation imagines what's coming next, and those pictures usually say a lot about the people doing the imagining. The Jetsons had flying cars and a robot maid because that's what freedom looked like in the 1960s.

So as we walked the floor, I kept wondering what our version says about us. From what we saw, we want help, company and a little less effort in everything we do. That's a very human wish, even when it shows up as a robot. The bigger question is whether the tech we're building actually brings us closer to the lives we want, or just keeps us busy.

Almost every booth had some kind of AI robot, assistant or pet. Some greeted you at the entrance, some were meant for your kitchen, and a few were little companions you'd keep on a shelf at home.

Seeing that many in one place felt a bit surreal, almost dystopian at times. We kept picturing what daily life looks like if all of this ends up in our homes. Some of it seemed helpful, and some of it left us wondering who it was made for.

Since I work in tech, I couldn’t stop looking at these products the way I’d look at anything we’re building at work. What problem is this actually solving, and who is it for? A lot of the demos looked great for five minutes, but the product thinking behind them still felt early.

We kept running through the questions any team should be asking. What happens when the AI gets something wrong, and how does the user correct it? Does it still work when the Wi-Fi drops or the company’s servers go down? Where does all the data from the camera and microphone end up? Does it need yet another app and another subscription? And the big one: would anyone still use it a month later, once the novelty wears off and it has to fit into a normal routine?

CES is where companies show ideas early, and plenty of them will get better with a few more rounds of work. It was interesting to see where things are right now.

The part of the show we enjoyed most was the entertainment and gaming area, mostly in the Central Hall of the convention center. This is where the products felt the most finished and the easiest to picture in everyday life.

I think there’s a reason for that. TVs, controllers and headsets are mature categories. Everyone already knows what job they do, so the companies behind them can spend their energy making each version a little better. Gaming is also some of the most vocal users out there, and that constant feedback shows up in the hardware. The joystick that doesn’t drift or a screen that’s crisper to see in a room come from years of listening.

You’d never know any of that was happening unless you read the spec sheet, and I think that’s the point. Back in 90s, computer scientist Mark Weiser wrote that “the most profound technologies are those that disappear.” The robot pets wanted your attention. The best AI on the floor was busy making something you already love a little better, then getting out of the way. To me, that’s what good product design looks like.

The TV brands went big again. TCL showed off its new X11L, built on a new kind of mini-LED panel that can reach 10,000 nits of brightness, several times brighter than most TVs in people's homes. In person, the color and brightness were hard to look away from. Samsung brought a 130-inch Micro RGB TV designed to hang on the wall like a piece of art. Neither is cheap (the X11L starts around $7,000), but they show where home screens are heading.

What stood out to me was how quietly these TVs use AI. The X11L has an AI processor that adjusts color, contrast, motion, upscaling and sound at the same time. Essentially, the TV reads what's on screen frame by frame and adapts. It adds detail so older, lower-resolution shows still look sharp on a huge 4K screen, smooths out fast motion in sports and games, and tunes the picture differently for a dark movie scene than for a bright cartoon. TCL also showed off Dolby Vision 2, which goes a step further and adjusts the picture to the lighting in your room.

You'd never notice any of this unless you read the spec sheet, and I think that's the point. In the 90s, Mark Weiser wrote that "the most profound technologies are those that disappear." The robot pets on the show floor were built to get your attention. The best AI we saw quietly made something people already love a little better, then got out of the way. To me, that's what good product design looks like.

Gaming was the highlight for us. Matt has been a fan of 8BitDo for a while, so we made a point to stop by their booth. They brought two new controllers:

We liked how simple and well made these were. They're fun products for people who love to play.

VR and AR had a bigger presence than we expected. Headsets are getting lighter, and some, like the Pimax Dream Air, pack 8K resolution into something that weighs less than a phone. There were also AR glasses for gaming, like TCL's RayNeo Air 4 Pro, which put a big virtual screen in front of you for about $299. VR is still fairly niche, and the gear keeps getting more comfortable and more affordable.Family in town and everyone's asking where to eat? Here's where to take them.

I'm fine with AI, and I use it a lot in my own work.

Honestly, the biggest thing I took away from CES is how easy it’s getting to make stuff. With AI, I can mock up an idea, write a first draft or build a rough prototype in an afternoon. I love that. It also means the bar for putting something out into the world keeps getting lower, and I could feel that walking the floor.

A lot of what we saw felt like it was made because it could be made. It looked impressive in a demo, and I’m sure it was fun to build. I just kept wondering how it would feel to own it a few months later, once the newness wore off. It’s called hedonic adaptation, which is basically why the shiny new thing stops feeling shiny. After that, all that’s left is whether it actually makes your day better.

The products we liked most had clearly been thought through. Someone had decided what to leave out, how it should handle mistakes and how much of your attention it really needed. AI can help with a lot of the making, but those decisions still come from people. If we can just slow down, iterate, and design carefully, the work improves, and so does life for whoever ends up using it.

We’re hoping to go back this January and see what’s changed. I’m curious which of last year’s ideas actually made it into people’s homes, and which ones we never hear about again.

The holidays can be weirdly lonely, even in a city that never sleeps. Our calendars fill up with obligations, and you can be surrounded by people all season and still feel unseen. What most of us want is simpler: a few hours where we feel relaxed, included and fully present with the people around us. That's a big reason we started Guild Social Club.

Guild hosts board and card game nights at local spots around Las Vegas, like Evolve Brewing, Petite Boheme and Double Helix Wine & Whiskey Lounge. We bring the games, teach the rules and save you a seat.

Every night starts with Flip 7, an easy card game that gets everyone comfortable fast. From there it's Codenames, Wavelength and whatever else gets pulled into the mix. Most people come solo, so you'll be in good company.

It's also our way of giving back. When we fill the tables at a hip local spot, order a thing or two and keep coming back, we help those places stay open for the community.

We have a game night coming up before the year wraps:

Wednesday, December 2, 5:30 p.m.: Game Night at Petite Boheme, 1407 S Main St. Cocktails and card games in the Arts District, right around the time holiday stress starts to build.

It’s free to join! RSVP on Meetup since spots fill up, and follow @guildsocialclub on Instagram for new dates. Your new holiday tradition might just start at a game table.

Your voice matters! Got a holiday event, pop-up or new local spot we should know about? Pick one thing on this list, text a friend (or go solo and make a new one) and get out there. These are the nights we end up remembering.

Sharing a meal is one of the oldest ways people bond, and doing it at a place run by your neighbors hits different. Every dinner at an independent spot helps keep it around for next year. That's a gift to the whole city.

Know a holiday gathering we should attend? Let us know.

🔗 Follow us on [Instagram]
✉️ Got a tip or a hidden gem? Reply to this email or DM us on Instagram!
📈 Interested in featuring your business in the Newsletter? Fill out THIS form.

The Vantage LV | Curated by locals, for locals.