Corsair showcased its newest GALLEON 100 SD Gaming Keyboard with built-in Stream Deck controller at the CES 2026 show, which seamlessly fuses Corsair's keyboard technology with Elgato's Stream Deck display controller, all in a single device. What makes the GALLEON 100 SD special is that it is not just a gaming keyboard with a screen and some buttons but rather comes with a full Stream Deck with all the capability, incorporated neatly into a keyboard. This means you get twelve LCD keys, two dials, and a 5-inch full-color screen. While it will certainly appeal to gamers, who get easier access to actions, spells, inventory, complex macros, or pretty much anything you can think of, it also allows users to launch apps and even professionals to integrate quick access to software tools, options, and more. There are already plenty of profiles on Elgato Marketplace that can be used from the start, including those for monitoring system performance.

When it comes to the actual keyboard, the Corsair GALLEON 100 SD uses an aluminium frame with gasket mounting and six layers of internal sound dampening, which should make it both sturdy and refined at the same time. It also comes with an integrated RGB mood bar and cushioned palm rest. It uses pre-lubed MLX Pulse mechanical switches, which are linear mechanical switches said to have 45 g actuation force, 2.0 mm actuation point, and 3.6 mm of total travel, with Corsair's own AXON hyper-polling rates of up to 8,000 Hz and FlashTap OSCD handling.

ASUS today announced the ASUS V series (VM701MG, V701ML, VM501MH, V501MV, V501SV)—an all-new lineup of home-focused desktop PCs that redefines how performance computers should look, sound, and feel in modern living spaces.

Powered by up to an AMD Ryzen AI 7 processor with a built-in NPU delivering over 50 TOPS for Copilot+ AI features, and up to dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics, V series delivers smooth, responsive performance for work, creativity, and entertainment alike. Combined with an advanced ASUS cooling system that keeps temperatures low and noise levels down, it's designed for quiet performance that blends harmoniously into modern homes.

APNX presented its LC2 AIO liquid cooler at CES 2026, a follow-up of its LC1-D cooler featuring an aluminium water block with a customizable pump head that supports 3D-printed or interchangeable top covers. The cooler uses 28 mm thick fans and handles up to 300 W TDP. The company also displayed its V2 Mid-Tower cases (launched last year at Computex) and MAX G1 PSU series. The MAX G1 power supplies feature a fully modular design with debossed cables, ATX 3.1 compliance with 12V-2x6 connectors, and is both 80 Plus Gold and Cybenetics Platinum certified. The power supplies use a 135 mm FDB fan with Zero RPM mode and come in 1200 W, 1000 W, and 850 W models. APNX also showcased pre-built systems built in collaboration with Starforge Systems and based on its V2-F cases.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, unveils the latest AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 INFINITY graphics card at CES 2026, showcasing a breakthrough design that combines compact dimensions with a next-generation cooling solution. Featuring the revolutionary WINDFORCE HYPERBURST Cooling System and GIGABYTE's first separated PCB layout, this latest flagship model redefines airflow performance and form factor footprint for elite gaming setups.

A well-designed cooling system is the key to unleashing the full potential of a GPU, and it has always been the top priority for every GIGABYTE graphics card. Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell, GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Multiply performance with NVIDIA DLSS 4, generate images at unprecedented speed, and unleash creativity with NVIDIA Studio.

Sudokoo brought a fascinating new lineup of CPU coolers, AIO CLCs, and fans to the 2026 International CES. We begin our coverage with fans, and the new Sudokoo Astra, a 120 mm fan designed for radiators, with a quick-connect magnetic daisy-chaining mechanism that lets you shed cables for the 2nd and 3rd fans. This 7-pin connector shares both 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB connections to the neighboring fans. The fan features a 3-phase, 6-slot, 4-pole DC motor, with a fluid dynamic bearing, and a liquid crystal polymer impeller. It will come in white and black color variants based on frame color, and various variants based on impeller pattern.

Moving on to all-in-one liquid CPU coolers, and we have the AetherFlex 360, a flagship cooler with a large 4.5-inch true-color display with 854 x 480 pixels resolution, which can be made to display just about anything, but by default puts out useful system monitoring stats pulled from ACPI. It features a high flowrate 3400 RPM pump, and a magnetic mounting mechanism lets you orient the screen either portrait, or landscape, or pulled out altogether. The Energlo AIO CLC features a cube-shaped pump-block with a unique fan design that illuminates the inside of the impeller hub—hence the name. The Proteus comes in sizes as large as 420 mm x 140 mm, and features a 3.4-inch LCD with 480 x 480 pixels resolution. The AetherFlex can handle 320 W thermal loads, Energlo 360 can do 310 W, while the Proteus 420 can do 350 W.

Acer today announced new models of its Aspire series of mainstream laptops, powered by new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors. Built as reliable all-rounders, the Acer Aspire 14 AI and Aspire 16 AI feature premium designs and deliver smooth performance, all at accessible price points. With optional OLED displays and a flexible 180-degree hinge design, the new Aspire AI lineup offers both style and versatility for learning, productivity, and everyday computing.

Acer Aspire 14 AI (A14-I71M/T) and Acer Aspire 16 AI (A16-I71M/T) feature up to Intel Core Ultra 9 processors 386H, engineered with up to new performance and efficient cores, and paired with new Intel Graphics to support upscaled CPU and graphics performance. The new processors enhance productivity and creative capabilities for a variety of tasks on the latest Aspire AI devices.

Bitspower has a curious demo setup tucked in a corner of its Las Vegas suite. A cuboid CPU cooler—featuring three LCD screens—sits atop a dummy ATX-shaped motherboard. PC builders have become accustomed to the presence of single screens on various types of modern central processor cooling solutions. In stark contrast, Bitspower has opted into prepping an unusual triple-panel array that is hooked up to a nearby tablet. A proprietary application allows users to select picture, GIF or video content and adjust displayed diagnostic information. The tablet was also put in charge of controlling ARGB lighting systems present on connected fans.

Considering the size of the block mounted onto the plastic board, initial inspectors would conclude that Bitspower's engineering team had created some sort of air-cooled tower. The absence of fans and a dense matrix fin array indicates an alternative method; perhaps not passive. TechPowerUp lifted up the demonstration block and found part of a liquid cooling pump fixed onto the pretend CPU socket. Most of Bitspower's prototype seems to be made of dark gray plastic, and simply serves as a set of surfaces to affix LCD screens onto. Amusingly, the dummy mainboard sports four mock sticks of RAM—a wishful provision given current market conditions!

Ducky presented its keyboard lineup at CES 2026 with a few new models ranging from themed special editions to high-performance and budget-friendly variants. One of the products that instantly caught our eyes came from a new partnership with Starforge Systems. The two companies will start by bringing licensed designs to Ducky-based keyboards. The first models include an Old School RuneScape-themed keyboard aimed at retro gaming fans, alongside designs inspired by Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. These models are based on Ducky's limited-edition platforms and focus primarily on visual design. For competitive users, Ducky is preparing the Strata 98 and Strata 75. Both keyboards feature true 8 kHz scan and polling rate and support Rapid Trigger, SOCD, MPT, and controller emulation. They also offer tri-mode connectivity for wired, wireless, and Bluetooth.

Ducky also presented its OK-M series, a more affordable lineup designed for everyday typing. These keyboards use a gasket-mounted structure with five layers of internal dampening, support hot-swappable linear or tactile switches, and include tri-mode connectivity with VIA software support.

This time last year, Dell retired its performance XPS brand, but it appears that the company has had regrets and it's now bringing it back, at least to a pair of new laptops for now. The new models are simply named the XPS 14 and XPS 16 and although the design doesn't really scream XPS performance laptop, Dell has managed to pack in some interesting features. Starting with the display, the 14-inch models come with a 2.8K tandem OLED option with 20-120 Hz refresh rate, whereas the 16-inch models come with a 2K LCD option that offers 1 to 120 Hz variable refresh rate, where the 1 Hz mode is used for static content. The chassis is of course made from CNC aluminium and the screens are protected with a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus.

Under the hood, these first two models will be powered by Intel's range of Core Ultra Series 3 processors, with the base model being the Core Ultra X7 358H with Intel Arc B390 graphics. Currently no other CPU options are listed on Dell's website, but we presume other options will be offered later. The CPU is paired with 32 GB of 9600 MT/s LPDDR5X dual channel memory and a 1 TB NVMe M.2 SSD is currently the only storage option. Both sizes have three Thunderbolt 4 ports with DP 2.1 and power delivery support, as well as a single 3.5 mm audio jack. Other features include an 8 Megapixel, 4K capable HDR webcam, four speakers and dual microphones. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 support is also part of the package, alongside a 3-cell 70 Wh battery for both sizes, and a 100 W USB PD charger. The XPS 14 starts at US$2,050 with the XPS 16 at US$2,200 and both are available to order now. Dell is promising more options with lower prices at some time next month and later this year, Dell will offer Ubuntu 24.04 as an OS option. Dell will also be bringing the XPS 13 back later this year.

LYNK with its LYNK+ modular AIO liquid cooling solution needs little introduction. It made a splash last year at Computex, promising to "unclutter" the tangled web of aftermarket cooling for high-end graphics cards, particularly RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 cards where the price difference between the cheapest and priciest custom designs can be as wide as $1000, if not more. Then in December 2025, we reviewed the LYNK+ with an RTX 5090, but at the time we could only grab the VGA cooler to go with an Inno3D iChill RTX 5090 X3, and a 360 mm radiator, so we could taste the pudding ourselves, particularly its quick-disconnect fittings.

Today at 2026 CES, we found the two missing pieces of the LYNK+ puzzle, the company's much awaited LYNK+ CPU water block, and 240 mm radiator. When launched, hopefully later this year, you should be able to build one continuous liquid cooling loop with a LYNK+ VGA block, a 360 mm radiator, the CPU block, and the 240 mm radiator, for a massive combined cooling setup shared between the CPU and GPU, with minimal installation fuss compared to an old-school DIY liquid cooling setup.

Kioxia showcased its latest BG7 line of client mainstream NVMe SSDs, which will be aimed mostly at PC OEMs and range in capacities from 256 GB to 2 TB. The Kioxia BG7 series is actually the first client SSD solution to use the latest BiCS Gen 8 3D flash memory with CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology. Thanks to the new BiCS Gen 7 3D flash, the Kioxia BG7 series SSDs promise random read and write of up to 1,000,000 IOPS and sequential performance of up to 7,000 MB/s, which is up to 10 and 16 percent higher random and sequential performance compared to its BG6 series predecessor. These are PCIe 4.0 Gen 4 x4 NVMe SSDs that will be coming in various M.2 form factors, including 2230, 2242, and M.2 2280, that will probably find their way into many workstations, desktops, laptops, and all-in-one PCs.

In addition to the new BG7 SSD series, Kioxia also showcased its LC9 245.76 TB enterprise SSD, which we have seen at the FMS 2025 show and uses the same BiCS Flash Generation 8 QLC 3D flash memory. It features a 32-die stack of 2 terabit (Tb) 3D flash memory with the same CBA technology, which enables industry-first 8 TB capacity in a small 154 BGA package. The Kioxia LC9 comes in a 2.5-inch and Enterprise and Datacenter Standard Form Factor (EDSFF) E3.L form factor, and since it packs 245.76 TB in such a small package, we could not pass up the opportunity to take a picture of holding almost 1 PB in our hand.

At CES, we went hands on with Phison's latest innovations with consumer and enterprise SSDs. The star attraction is the new PS5037-E37T, a DRAM-less SSD controller for mainstream and performance segment SSDs. This chip can drive SSDs across M.2-2280, 2242 and 2230 form-factors, and features 4 NAND flash channels. It is energy-efficient, as it's built on the TSMC 6 nm foundry node. Phison claims astonishing performance figures for its reference-design drive based on the E37T, with up to 14.7 GB/s sequential reads, and up to 13 GB/s sequential writes, along with 2 million IOPS 4K reads/writes. That's not all, its peak power (during an R/W operation) is under 2.3 W, making it ideal for notebooks. A CDM session of the E37T reference SSD was shown with 14925 MB/s reads, 13115 MB/s writes, and 8676 MB/s mixed loads. Such figures put the controller on par with the E26 Max14um revision, a flagship controller from 2024.

Next up is Phison's new flagship client SSD controller, the PS5028-E28, with 8 flash channels allowing drive capacities of up to 8 TB. This controller uses a DDR4 DRAM cache, which should give it superior random write performance. A maxed-out reference 8 TB SSD was shown clocking 14919 MB/s sequential reads, 14008 MB/s sequential writes, and the company claims up to 2.6 million IOPS 4K random reads, with up to 3 million IOPS 4K random writes. This controller pushes performance to the very edge of what's possible with PCI-Express 5.0 x4, accounting for interface overheads. Perhaps the best piece of news with this controller is power, and its peak R/W controller power is shown to be 4.5 W, which should mean drives with even passive heatsinks should sustain advertised performance, without the need for active cooling. We've reviewed an E28 Engineering Sample previously, and also tested a retail drive (Corsair MP700 Pro XT).

Building on the groundbreaking concept introduced at CES 2025, Project AVA redefines what an AI companion can be. Last year, AVA debuted as an esports AI coach. This year, it evolves into a fully integrated AI desk companion featuring a collection of animated holographic avatars, advanced AI personalization, and an adaptive learning engine.

Project AVA is more than a gaming assistant - it is a true digital partner designed to support every facet of modern life. From organizing daily tasks to delivering real-time gaming strategies, AVA combines intelligence with personality for an experience that feels natural, engaging, and personal.

cer announced a comprehensive new range of Veriton desktop computers for businesses, including all-in-ones (AIO), a large tower, and an AI mini workstation, designed to boost productivity and creativity amid increasing business demands.

Acer Veriton RA100 AI Mini Workstation for Prosumers, Creators, and Gamers
The Acer Veriton RA100 AI Mini Workstation (VRA100) is a Copilot+ PC powered by AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processors, providing prosumers, creators, and gamers with advanced AI performance and unique AI experiences on Windows 11. With AMD Radeon 8060S Graphics, 50 NPU TOPS, and 60 TFLOPS, the Acer Veriton RA100 delivers up to 120 billion parameters for demanding workloads such as running local AI models, generative AI, 3D design, and content creation. The ultra-fast and high storage capacity, four channel memory of up to 128 GB LPDDR5X, and up to 4 TB M.2 2280 SSD storage provide smooth multitasking and reliable performance across demanding applications. The Acer Veriton RA100 can easily handle tasks that require high-frequency processing, making it ideal for product designers and engineers, AI developers, animators and other creators dealing with large 3D models and complex renderings in real time.

Early this morning, the brand-new HAVN XR 1000 W Platinum A++ power supply unit was introduced via official press material. Motivated by an intriguing feature set, the TechPowerUp team checked out the brand's table over at the Pro Gamersware Group (PGG) booth. Two demonstration units were available for close-up examination; one intact example and another in deconstructed form. A very neat set of internal premium-grade components were exposed within the latter demo piece.

Additionally, HAVN's very slick die-cast aluminium top part was placed to the side, along with an H-series fan mounted on a vibration-dampening array—borrowing key elements from the brand's already familiar H14 design. The manufacturer has followed recent-ish PSU trends, by outfitting their upcoming product with two 12V-2x6 connectors. Nearby product placards state that the top-level PSU model will be "coming soon." HAVN expects to ship finalized XR 1000 W Platinum A++ products by the second or third quarter of 2026, with an intended global rollout.

AeroCool brought a slick new lineup of cooling, casing, and power hardware to the 2026 International CES. We begin our tour with the Smart G1, a mainstream PSU with fixed cabling that meets ATX 3.1 standards and offers 80 Plus Gold switching efficiency. It comes in capacities up to 1000 W, and offers a 12V-2x6 (600 W) connector. It uses a low-noise 135 mm fluid dynamic bearing fan to keep cool. All its cables are individually sleeved and black. Next up, is the Premier G1, which is essentially the same PSU as the Smart G1, but with full modular cabling, and the addition of Cybenetics Platinum certification, and a zero-RPM mode for its 135 mm fan.

We now move on to cooling, and starting things off is the new AeroCool Forge, a premium daisy-chain ready fan meant for radiators. It features a fluid dynamic bearing with long lifespan, and an impeller design that focuses on high static pressure. The company hasn't disclosed speed, airflow, noise, and other stats, yet. Next up, are CPU coolers, and we begin our tour with the Icicle A-series tower-type CPU coolers. The AL40 Digi is a single fin-stack cooler with four 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes, a single 120 mm fan, and a digital display on top that shows real time stats such as CPU temperature, CPU usage, and fan speed, pulled from ACPI. This cooler is rated for 230 W of thermal loads. It comes in black and white color variants.

Micron Technology today announced the Micron 3610 NVMe SSD, the industry's first PCIe Gen 5 G9 QLC SSD for client computing - a breakthrough that redefines what's possible in performance, efficiency and capacity for mainstream PCs and ultra-thin laptops. Built on Micron's proven G9 NAND, the 3610 SSD achieves up to 11,000 MB/s sequential read speeds and 9,300 MB/s sequential write speeds. It offers the world's only 4 TB capacity in a compact single-sided M.2 2230 form factor, ideal for ultra-thin laptops and AI-capable devices. This innovation combines industry-leading Gen 5 speed with QLC economics, delivering next-level responsiveness without compromising battery life.

"The 3610 SSD combines cutting-edge PCIe Gen 5 technology, Micron's most-advanced G9 QLC NAND and a sleek, single-sided design to deliver premium performance, capacity and power efficiency," said Mark Montierth, senior vice president and general manager of Micron's Mobile and Client Business Unit. "The 3610 will enable ultra-thin devices that meet the growing demands of on-device AI, immersive streaming and performance-intensive workloads."

Acer today introduced its latest Swift AI laptop portfolio, a new generation of Copilot+ PCs on Windows 11 designed to deliver powerful on-device AI capabilities for creators, on-the-go-professionals, and tech-savvy users. The new lineup includes the Swift 16 AI, along with the Swift Edge AI, weighing as light as under 1 kg, and the versatile thin-and-light Swift Go AI in 14- and 16-inch variants.

Each model in the Swift AI series is purpose-built with cutting-edge hardware and complemented with Acer's suite of proprietary AI features. These include productivity enhancements like Acer PurifiedVoice, PurifiedView, and User Sensing, while additional tools for AI-enhanced creativity and entertainment can be downloaded via the Acer Intelligence Space hub. The customizable Acer My Key is a programmable hotkey for launching apps, websites, and Windows 11 features with a single press, providing additional convenience.

Acer today expanded its connectivity product lineup with four new networking devices that bring next-generation Wi-Fi 7 and 5G performance to more usage scenarios. The new lineup includes the Predator Connect X7S 5G CPE, the Acer Connect Ovia T360 Wi-Fi 7 Dual-Band Mesh Router, the Acer Connect Ovia T520 Wi-Fi 7 Tri-Band Mesh Router, and the Acer Connect M4D 5G Mobile Wi-Fi, designed to deliver fast, stable, and secure connections for smart homes, gamers, hybrid workers, and frequent travelers.

Predator Connect X7S 5G CPE: 5G and Wi-Fi 7 for Gaming and Entertainment
For gamers and performance-focused users, the Predator Connect X7S 5G CPE delivers 5G connectivity with downlink speeds of up to 4.67 Gbps, designed to handle more demanding gaming and streaming scenarios even in locations with limited fiber connectivity. It supports tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands) to deliver low latency and high throughput throughout the home.

Acer today announced new models across its laptop portfolio with the latest AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series processors, including the thin-and-light Acer Swift Go 16 AI, the mainstream Acer Aspire 14 AI and Acer Aspire 16 AI, and the Acer Nitro V 16 AI for gaming, all featuring Copilot+ PC experiences on Windows 11. Built on the advanced "Zen 5" architecture, the new AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series processors enhance productivity and creative capabilities across the board.

Acer Swift Go 16 AI
The powerful and versatile Acer Swift Go 16 AI (SFG16-A71/T) features up to AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 processors and AMD Radeon 880M graphics, up to WUXGA+ OLED displays, and AI-enhanced features for everyday productivity.

Razer's new flagship gaming chair, the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen is designed to redefine ergonomic performance and comfort for gamers. Built to address two critical challenges for gamers—heat buildup and prolonged sitting in poor positions, the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen breathes with the gamer, ensuring they stay cooler, sit better, and play longer.

Representing a major leap forward in gaming comfort, the Iskur V2 NewGen combines adaptive and adjustable lumbar support system with materials engineered for rapid cooling, delivering superior breathability compared to traditional chairs.

We've already taken a look at Cooler Master's new PC case designs and case accessories on the CES 2026 show floor, but the hardware company also showed off some new PSU tech and a smart power adaptor that should help address some of the issues with 12V-2x6. The core technology is called GPU Shield, and it is launching in two new products, including the new Cooler Master MWE Gold V4 modular PSUs, which will be available in 750-1,000 W variants and feature 80+ Gold ratings, and a new drop-in GPU power adaptor that sits between the GPU and the PSU with the goal of preventing 12V-2x6 cable meltdowns.

The GPU Shield system works the same way in both the PSU and the in-line adaptor, providing visual feedback to the user when installing the cable—the images below show a red LED on the PSU when the cable is incorrectly inserted and a green LED when correctly installed—and monitoring the current through the cable for imbalances. Cooler Master says that GPU Shield monitors the current in real-time and, at least in the case of the GPU, "actively intervenes" when there are any abnormalities. While it certainly isn't the first solution of its kind—ASRock has a similar system that appears to work quite well—it's interesting to see alternatives pop up, especially those that don't rely on buying an entirely new PSU.

The TechPowerUp team was invited up to Bitspower's Las Vegas suite earlier today. An overwhelming number of collaborative custom PC builds were on display, but two rows of new case designs occupied a corner of the Taiwanese brand's presentation space. Immediately, the manufacturer's GX chassis series drew our eye—the gigantic brushed aluminium GX1 model seems an ideal showpiece. Thanks to large sections of glass panelling, mounted/installed components can be displayed to the maximum degree. Unfortunately, most of Bitspower's latest offerings did not contain demonstration hardware. As expected, their smaller GX2 cases share much of the same design lingo, but the "M" variant forgoes glass side panels. A mostly mesh design is armed with seven pre-installed fans.

The Bitspower CA100 enclosure family was spread evenly across the entire length of one of the suite's tables. Comprised of nine SKUs, TechPowerUp picked out one demo unit for closer inspection. As far as we can tell—in isolation—the CA100F-S8 model sports a front-facing selection of connectors, a mix of solid and mesh panels, and mounting points for left side-oriented fans. This low-key design likely targets low noise PC system enthusiasts. The other CA100 cases offer a myriad of different panel types (solid, mesh, glass), and front or top port placements.

ASUS today announced the showcase of ExpertCenter Pro ET900N G3 at CES 2026, underscoring its commitment to delivering enterprise-grade AI infrastructure in accessible, deskside form factors. The all-new ET900N G3—accelerated by the NVIDIA GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Platform—sets a new standard for deskside AI supercomputers, combining extreme performance, unified memory architecture, and data-center-class connectivity.

Solving the last-mile challenge of modern AI development
AI development has reached extraordinary heights through massive cloud and data-center infrastructure, yet many researchers, developers, and data scientists still face a 'last-mile' challenge. While cloud services offer immense scale, countless workflows require local, private, and immediate compute power—especially for training, fine-tuning, or running large AI models that exceed the limits of traditional workstations. What these professionals need is a system that delivers data-center-class performance in a familiar, easily deployable deskside form factor.

Lepro today unveiled Lepro Ami, a standalone desktop AI companion designed to feel genuinely present—not hidden behind an app or confined to a speaker. Making its debut at CES 2026, Lepro Ami combines a custom 8.01-inch curved OLED display, an advanced 3D visual system with real-time eye tracking, an Augmented Reality (AR) environmental overlay, empathetic multi-modal AI, and visible, hardware-level privacy protections.

Unlike traditional smart assistants that respond only when summoned, Lepro Ami is designed as an always-on visual presence—an AI companion that many users describe as feeling "in the room," sharing the same space rather than living behind a screen.