Chalk it up to bad timing: Some Home Depot customers are up in arms after a recent April Fools Day prank from a tool review website led people to believe the home improvement giant would start charging parking fees due to inflation, sending Home Depot scrambling to clarify and set the ill-timed joke straight.Thats as the misinformation came when Americans were already anxious that President Donald Trumps tariffs will send the high price of goods and services even higher. And when it came to Home Depot, that was no laughing matter: Some angry customers took to social media, creating a Reddit thread about the supposed fees, with one duped X user even suggesting people #BoycottHomeDepot, forcing the company to respond on its official X account with some damage control, explaining, we do not charge for parking.So, what exactly happened? On April 1, Pro Tool Reviews, an online product review site, published a fakenews article that saidHome Depot would start charging for parking to combat inflation and offset increasing operational costs [to] keep prices competitive, and that the modest parking fee ($2 for up to two hours in central Florida, to $5 for a full day of parking in Los Angeles) would help the company avoid passing those extra costs directly on to customers.Unfortunately for Home Depot, as the target of the joke, American consumers are now particularly sensitive about retailers passing the cost of tariffs on to them.Pro Tool Reviews told USA Today that the articles high viewership was truly humbling, indicating the traction this apparent PR nightmare has received, with editor-in-chief Kenny Koehler adding, we hope our friends over at Home Depot were able to laugh as well. (Were not so sure about that, Kenny.)This isnt the first time an April Fools Day joke has caused trouble. In fact, there is a long list of brands whose pranks have gone awry, from Google to Volkswagen. In 2016, Google announced a new Gmail feature that it claimed would add a GIF of a yellow animated Minion character dropping a microphone at the end of an email. Google later apologized. And in 2021, the German carmaker claimed it was changing the name of its American division to Voltswagen, causing the stock to rise, as well as a great amount of confusion.The origin of April Fools Day dates back to 16th century France, whenCharles IXdecreed that the new year would no longer begin onEaster, but instead on January 1. Those who refused the change were named, you guessed it, April fools.

PresidentDonald Trumppromisedtariffsthat would raiseU.S. import taxeshigh enough to mirror what others assess as trade penalties on American goods.Whathes actually imposingis based on far more complicated math.Heres a look at how the White House gotits numbers:Why do the new tariff rates often differ by country?The Trump administration has declared an economic emergency to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tariff on nearly all countries and territories. It has set even higher levies for about 60 nations that it says are the worst offenders.The 10% global tariffs take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The higher tariffs set for specific countries are due to kick in at one minute past midnight on April 9.Among the so-called worst offenders is China, which Trump argues protect its producers through malicious trade practices in addition to tariffs. Those efforts include actions such as imposing value added taxes on all goods, dumping overproduced products on markets to artificially deflate prices, or manipulating currency.To determine how much higher those nations rates should be, the White House says it calculated the size of each countrys trade imbalance on goods with the United States and divided that by how much America imports from that nation.It then took half that percentage and made it the new tariff rate.Why not just charge reciprocal rates?The White House says its calculations kept new tariffs from going even higher for many countries and demonstrate that Trump is being kind to global trading partners.The administration maintains that creating a baseline levy with few exemptions is necessary to keep China and others from skirting the new tariffs by manufacturing goods and then shipping them to Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico or elsewhere to then be sent to the U.S.Thats why the White House list of tariffed locationsincludes obscure placeslike the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are uninhabited. They are 2,550 miles (4,100 kilometers) from the coast of mainland Australia, which claims them as a territory.Is every country affected?No. Canada and Mexico are excluded because theyalready are facing 25% taxes on most imported goodsthat Trump announced last month, in an attempt to force both to crack down on fentanyl smuggling into the U.S.The White House originally said all others would be affected by at least the 10% tariff. But administration officials clarified on Thursday that countries already subject to stiff U.S. sanctions for example, Russia due to itsinvasion of Ukraine, as well as Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Belarus and Venezuela will not face the new, 10% global base tariff.Official said that is because sanctions and other existing barriers mean the U.S. has so little trade with those places that deficits are minimal.Why is Trump doing this?The president has spent months insistingAmerica was at its wealthiest at the end of the Gilded Agein the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it imposed high tariffs as the key means to generating revenue for the federal government.Trump even suggested Wednesday that the U.S. moving away from higher tariffs and toward a federal income tax in 1913 helped trigger the Great Depression of the 1930s a claim that economists and historians roundly reject.A more contemporary explanation might be found inProject 2025, a comprehensive blueprint compiled by leading conservatives about how to shrink the federal workforce and push Washington further to the right. It spelled outhow Trumpmight impose high tariffs around the globe, giving his administration more room to negotiate lower levies with trading partners in exchange for U.S. priorities.White House officials insist the new tariffs are more about closing trade deficits, stimulating U.S. manufacturing and generating government revenue than eventually negotiating new trading deals.But Trump has shown he is willing toback off on threats of tariffsin exchange for offers of concessions. His administration has said the president is always ready to make deals, a sign the new tariffs may prove to be more bargaining chip than permanent policy.Why do US trade imbalances matter?American trade policy created aU.S. trade imbalanceworth $1.2 trillion last year, a gap that some experts believe should be addressed in order to ensure the countrys long-term economic strength.But many economists say the trade imbalances that Trump is looking to correct are based on more than countries just using high tariffs or protectionist trade practices to boost their own exports. Basing the White Houses tariff math solely on trade deficits, for instance, fails to take into account U.S. consumer demand.Americans relish buying BMWs assembled in Germany, as well as French wine and coffee beans from Guatemala, and their spending can fuel trade imbalances regardless of the tax and tariff policies of the countries producing those goods.That means any attempt to close U.S. trade gaps by tariffs will likely mean increasing the cost of imported goods that Americans are buying, which in turn could hurt the economy because of increased inflationary pressures.Will Weissert, Associated PressAssociated Press writers Josh Boak and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

You know how sometimes people sandwich currency or ID cards between their case and the back of their phone? Well, Genki turned that into a feature with the Force Field 2 case for the Switch 2. Announced at Genkis own Genki Direct keynote to pay homage to Nintendos own Direct event, the Force Field 2 is a part of a larger range of Genki devices to support the upcoming Switch 2 console.Youve got Joy-Con docks, protective screen-guards, even a snap-on battery pack, and finally the Force Field 2 case, which just grabbed my eye for its clever little trick up the sleeve. Hidden within the Joy-Con protectors of the case are two slots one on each side for storing Switch cartridges, and a magnetic ring (or as one would generically call MagSafe) on the back for mounting the battery pack for quick add-on charging without the extra bulk.Designer: GenkiThe case sports a unique hinged design that (unlike Dbrands case) exists as a single part. This means the Joy-Cons pop off from the side, rather than them having their own mini-cases. A hinged flap opens backwards to let you slip the Joy Con out of the Force Field 2 Case, leaving you with a screen that has two vestigial flaps on either side that some may like. I personally would love to hold the Joy-Cons without them being in their own protective cases, so this one feels like a win for me.The hinged design is smart, and protects your Switch 2 from any accidental bumps or drops. Key areas like button zones and speaker slots remain exposed (obviously), as does the part on the back that lets you access the Switch 2s kickstand. However, the smartest part about the Force Field 2 case is its hidden cartridge slots.However, thats not all the Force Field 2 offers. Underneath its plastic case, behind the microfiber backing that protects your Switch 2 backplate, is a magnetic ring not too different from the one found in Apples MagSafe technology. However, this ones designed for snapping on Genkis Energy Pack power bank. Shown below, this pack snaps onto the Switch 2 so youre not left with any separate bulk while portable charging your console. Everything feels conveniently monolithic, and the Energy Pack plugs right into the USB-C port on the top, charging your handheld device while you game.Just like the Switch 2, the Force Field 2 isnt really up for grabs right now, although you can preorder it on Genkis website for a cool $29.99 price tag. It comes with a 1-year warranty, and ships worldwide starting June, which is around the same time the Switch 2 should officially hit the shelves.The post Genkis Nintendo Switch 2 Case Has Hidden Slots For Storing Game Cartridges And MagSafe first appeared on Yanko Design.

Spotifys Car Thing might be dead but our imagination isnt. Using the power of ChatGPTs new image generation tool, IG user Aurelien created a series of retro-inspired handheld devices built on old-timey companies. And I loved the series so much I built some of my own.Heres a look at what an alternate universe could have looked like if popular services like Winamp, Limewire, MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player, Nokia Snake, eMule, and Omegle could have looked like if they built their own standalone devices. Be warned, this journey is filled with enough nostalgia to probably distract you from actual work, so scroll with caution!Designers: Aurelien & Sarang ShethThe 90s and 2000s were some phenomenal years. Interfaces were gorgeously skeuomorphic (looking like physical elements), software and media were by and large free, and everything was either open-source or pirate-able. Was it a great time for companies? Probably not but it was an amazing time for consumers! Wed download MP3 files and skins for our Winamp, watch bootlegged Friends episodes on Limewire, and cap off with some time playing Snake on our Nokia phone but what if, instead of all digital services/software, these were actual products?A Winamp or Windows Media Player-inspired playback device. With exposed screws, gorgeous flat surfaces, and controls that were more primary forms of input than touchscreens. Ah! The glory days! Weve got two media players in this collection one inspired by Winamp and the other inspired by Microsofts default Windows Media Player. To be honest, I was a diehard WMP guy who really never saw the appeal of Winamp. Thats until I ditched it for VLC Media Player. It breaks my heart that this new generation of kids will look at traffic cones and feel absolutely nothing.Other gadgets include a Tamagotchi-style device that plays Snake arguably the most popular game on Nokias older phones before Bounce became the new favorite. Theres an eMule downloader gadget, although I was more of a Limewire, Ares, and Bittorrent guy myself. Finally, a personal favorite an Omegle-inspired View-Master. Would it really work? No, but youd probably be able to cycle through profiles using the same trigger/button interaction.We lived in a simple time where consumers were really happy. Sure, there was friction with media consumption youd have to wait long hours to download movies. Sometimes theyd be shitty CAM prints, sometimes theyd be viruses, other times theyd be misleading videos with the wrong file names. But when the system worked, it worked well. We could watch stuff for free on VLC media player, without shelling money for subscriptions. Heck, we could adjust the EQ of our play media. Do I think we live in a time where content is more democratized? Heck yes, but do I also yearn for the glory-days of dial-up internet and trippy media player visualizations or burning MP3 compilation CDs? Undeniably!!!The post Winamp, Limewire, MSN Messenger Get Imagined As Gorgeous Retro-Style Handheld Gadgets first appeared on Yanko Design.

European regulators are considering fining X more than $1 billion, after weighing the risks of further antagonizing Mr. Musk and President Trump.

Enterprise IT leaders are facing a double-whammy of uncertainties complicating their data center building decisions: The ever-changing realities of genAI strategies, and the back-and-forth nature of the current tariff wars pushed by the United States.This is obviously a fluid situation. The stated goal of the [US] administration is to bring more development into the US, said Forrester Senior Analyst Alvin Nguyen. But with some of these activities, there is the potential that it draws some manufacturing and other capabilities of the data center away from the US.Nguyen, who advises enterprises on data center strategies, said the tariffs are adding complexity and uncertainty into the already volatile genAI data center strategies.Right now, theres too much variability. With all of the tariffs, this may be the thing that slows down AI, Nguyen said. And if you slow down AI, that will slow down the data centers.

Microsoft is urgingOffice 2016and2019customers to upgrade toMicrosoft 365 before support ends Oct. 14, but analysts said viable alternatives are available outside Microsofts walled garden.Continuing to use unsupported software can expose your organization to security vulnerabilities, compliance risks, and operational disruptions, the companywarned in a blog post.Microsoft 365 is the cloud-based version of Microsoft Office, which also includes Teams,Copilotand web-based collaborative features. It isavailable only by subscription, with prices starting at $9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year for the Personal edition.The alternative, a standalone desktop version of Microsoft Office, doesnt have the AI and collaboration features, nor does it have Copilot orTeams. Users looking to replace Office 2016 or 2019 could also opt for the convenience of a one-time purchase ofOffice 2024, which costs $149.Microsoft in the blog post talked only about upgrading to M365, which never expires. Office 2024support ends in October 2029.Analysts said enterprise customers might find upgrading to Microsoft 365 worthwhile for its generative AI (genAI) tools, collaborative features and security. Or, depending on enterprise AI and productivity needs, they could jump ship for rivals such asGoogle Workspace.For enterprise customers worried about data privacy in the cloud, the desktop edition of Office or freeopen-source alternatives such as LibreOfficemight be more attractive. The $149 price of Office 2024 might also be cheaper than Microsoft 365 in the long run, analysts said.Microsoft wants to move customers to Microsoft 365 subscription services, said Jason Wong, vice president at Gartner for on app design and development.This makes support easier and lowers the cost of products for Microsoft, while at the same time it opens up many up-sell and cross-sell opportunities such as security products, the Power Platform tools, and of course M365 Copilot, Wong said.Basic Microsoft 365 editions for home users or business users dont include Teams. But users can get features that include Intune, Defender, Clipchamp and Loop at higher subscription prices.For those who only need Microsoft Office apps that include PowerPoint and Word, the standalone option could be attractive, especially if they already use something like Google or Zoho for mail, calendar, and document storage, said Irwin Lazar, principal analyst at Metrigy.For those wishing to take advantage of AI, an upgrade to M365 is a requirement. I expect that for [small and mid-sized businesses], Microsoft now offering M365 without Teams at a lower price could prove attractive, Lazar said.Metrigy in a recent study noted that about 25% of Microsoft customers were evaluating the unbundled option. The study,Employee Experience Optimization: 2025, was published in November.Googles recent price increases for Workspace are likely to help Microsoft, especially for SMBs, though Google includes Gemini AI now with Workspace, Lazar said.Enterprises would see value in moving from legacy on-prem, disconnected apps to Microsoft 365 though at this point those were probably Lotus or legacy on-prem Exchange/Sharepoint customers.The savings is likely to be minimal if customers are already using cloud-based services for document, email, and calendar, Lazar said.Some organizations are resisting the push to the cloud primarily European-based companies with stricter data requirements and regulations.Cost also plays a factor in staying on-premise, but typically organizations realize they wont be getting the latest features and capabilities, like generative AI and Copilot, if they choose this path, Wong said.Gartner sees clients evaluating rival suites to see what life looks like outside of the Microsoft ecosystem. It typically comes down to familiarity of products and features for the workers, and the overall security and cost of ownership for IT to consider whether to switch or not, Wong said.Microsoft, for its part, painted a doomsday scenario to get users to upgrade to Microsoft 365 if they dont quit Office 2016 or 2019 by the time support expires.You may have started noticing limitations, the company wrote. Your apps are stuck on your desktop, limiting productivity anytime youre away from your office. You cant easily access your files or collaborate when working remotely or traveling, creating unnecessary friction for your team. Perhaps youve seen your companys IT expenses creep upwards as youve added separate solutions for email, file storage, and virtual meetings.

The iPad was mocked at launch, has been threatened by rivals throughout, and yet still remains the best-selling tablet ever made, 15 years after it first shipped to customers on April 3, 2010.It's easy to name alternatives to the iPad, you could be here all day listing myriad Android tablets. But it's impossible to name even one true iPad competitor.For after all of these years since it launched, and after all of the rival devices that have launched after that moment, there isn't any one tablet that sells enough on its own to compete with the iPad. Its competition is the mass of cheaper rivals, which is not to be ignored, yet none of them have come close to the success of the iPad.The closest is surely the Microsoft Surface, but if that's the best and the best-known rival, it doesn't appear to be doing all that well. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

If you're an experienced architecture professional looking for a new career opportunity, check out this week's edition of our curated jobs roundup from Archinect Jobs. Below, we highlight 17 employers in the greater Los Angeles area currently hiring Project Managers and Project Architects. To look up specific job titles from the architectural profession, consult Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series. Also, follow our Archinect Tips series to improve your portfolio, resume, interviewing skills, and increase your overall chances of getting that next job. Clive Wilkinson Architects seeks a Project Architect/Residential Architect in Culver City"Clive Wilkinson Architects is seeking to hire a highly motivated and skilled Project Architect/Residential Architect with 5 to 10 years of relevant experience for exciting new residential projects." Qualifications include proficiency with Revit, AutoCAD, and other design programs, such as Newforma and Adobe Creative Suite. Applicants should al...

The Princeton University Art Museum has announced it will open its new 146,000-square-foot facility to the public on October 31, 2025. Designed by Adjaye Associates,working in collaboration with executive architectCooper Robertson, the building replaces the museums previous structure and represents a major expansion in scale. The new facility doubles the museums capacity for display, education, and public engagement, with 80,000 square feet dedicated to gallery space.New building, 2024. Image credit: Jeff EvansSituated at the center of Princeton Universitys campus, the building is conceived as a hub for the arts and humanities. Organized around nine interlocking pavilions, the design emphasizes cultural exchange and accessibility, with entrances on all sides and two interior artwalks integrated with site-specific artworks.Render. Image credit: Adjaye AssociatesThe new building also incorporates over 12,000 square feet of educational space, including creativity labs, classro...