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  • WWW.CNBC.COM
    Meta resorted to 'buy-or-bury scheme' with Instagram and WhatsApp deals, former FTC Chair Lina Khan says
    Former FTC Chair Lina Khan said Monday that Facebook's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp drastically changed the social networking ecosystem.
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  • WWW.FASTCOMPANY.COM
    iPhones and laptops are now exempt from tariffs, but Trump’s policy on chips will soon change that
    Tariff exemptions announced Friday on electronics like smartphones and laptops are only a temporary reprieve until the Trump administration develops a new tariff approach specific to the semiconductor industry, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday.White House officials, including President Donald Trump himself, spent Sunday downplaying the significance of exemptions that lessen but won’t eliminate the effect of U.S. tariffs on imports of popular consumer devices and their key components.“They’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two,” Lutnick told ABC’s This Week on Sunday.Trump added to the confusion hours later, declaring on social media that there was no “exception” at all because the goods are “just moving to a different” bucket and will still face a 20% tariff as part of his administration’s move to punish China for its role in fentanyl trafficking.The Trump administration late Friday had said it would exclude electronics from broader so-called reciprocal tariffs, a move that could help keep the prices down for phones and other consumer products that aren’t usually made in the U.S.China’s commerce ministry in a Sunday statement welcomed the change as a small step even as it called for the U.S. to completely cancel the rest of its tariffs.Sparing electronics was expected to benefit big tech companies like Apple and Samsung and chip makers like Nvidia, though the uncertainty of future tariffs may rein in an anticipated tech stock rally on Monday.U.S. Customs and Border Protection said items like smartphones, laptops, hard drives, flat-panel monitors and some chips would qualify for the exemption. Machines used to make semiconductors are excluded too. That means they won’t be subject to most of the tariffs levied on China or the 10% baseline tariffs elsewhere.It was the latest tariff change by the Trump administration, which has made several U-turns in its massive plan to put tariffs in place on goods from most countries. White House officials sought to dismiss any suggestion of a reprieve as the weekend progressed.“It’s not really an exception. That’s not even the right word for it,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday. “This type of supply chain moved from the tariff regime for the global tariff, the reciprocal tariff, and it moved to the national security tariff regime.”Greer added that “the president decided that we’re not going to have exemptions. We can’t have a Swiss cheese solution to this universal problem that we’re facing.”On Air Force One Saturday night, President Donald Trump told reporters he would get into more specifics on exemptions on Monday. In his post Sunday on TruthSocial, he promised the White House was “taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN.”Some had assumed the exemption filed Friday night reflected the president’s realization that his China tariffs are unlikely to shift more manufacturing of smartphones, computers and other gadgets to the U.S. any time soon, if ever.The administration has predicted that the trade war prod Apple to make iPhones in the U.S. for the first time, but that was an unlikely scenario after Apple spent decades building up a finely calibrated supply chain in China.It would take several years and cost billions of dollars to build new plants in the U.S., burdening Apple with economic forces that could triple the price of an iPhone and torpedo sales of its marquee product.The turmoil has battered the stocks of tech’s “Magnificent Seven” — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta Platforms.At one point, the Magnificent Seven’s combined market value had plunged by $2.1 trillion, or 14%, from April 2 when Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on a wide range of countries. When Trump paused the tariffs outside of China on Wednesday, the lost value in those companies was pared to $644 billion, or a 4% decline.An electronics exemption would fulfill the kind of friendly treatment that industry was envisioning when Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos assembled behind the president during his Jan. 20 inauguration.That united display of fealty reflected Big Tech’s hopes that Trump would be more accommodating than President Joe Biden’s administration.Apple won praise from Trump in late February when the Cupertino, California, company committed to invest $500 billion and add 20,000 jobs in the U.S. during the next four years. The pledge was an echo of a $350 billion investment commitment in the U.S. that Apple made during Trump’s first term when the iPhone was exempted from China tariffs.An electronics exemption would remove “a huge black cloud overhang for now over the tech sector and the pressure facing U.S. Big Tech,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a research note. Ives amended that note after Lutnick’s comments Sunday, saying the confusing news out of the White House “is dizzying for the industry and investors and creating massive uncertainty and chaos for companies trying to plan their supply chain, inventory, and demand.”Neither Apple nor Samsung responded to requests for comment over the weekend. Nvidia declined to comment. O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. AP White House correspondent Darlene Superville in West Palm Beach, Florida, and AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in Berkeley, California contributed to this report. —Mae Anderson and Matt O’Brien, Associated Press
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  • WWW.CORE77.COM
    Luxury…Sketchbooks?!?
    It may seem like the world is going to hell in a handbasket, so don't forget that there's any number of shiny things for you to buy. Sure, you could spend $7.50 on a sketchbook at Michael's, but wouldn't you rather spend $60 to get one that's bound with eleven solid brass discs? "This discbound journal combines the flexibility of a ring binder with the elegance of a bound notebook. The open-source disc binding system lets you easily add, remove, and rearrange pages, making it endlessly customizable. We've elevated this proven system using premium materials: solid brass discs, smooth 70# dot grid paper, and sturdy cardstock covers, all crafted in the USA." Because the pages are removable, the sketchbook is refillable. Yes, at $16 for 120 pages the refills cost more than the aforementioned basic sketchbook, but did we mention the brass discs?
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  • WWW.YANKODESIGN.COM
    LEGO Marvel mini bust collection debuts Iron Man MK4 and Iron Spider sets for $60 each
    LEGO renditions of famous movie scenes, especially from the Marvel and Disney universe have impressed collectors worldwide. The ones that impressed us are in plenty, and the list is endless. Add to that, the new LEGO Marvel sets that mark your favorite superheroes in a mini bust version. The two sets on the smaller side, having a height of around 6.5 inches each, are perfect for display on your work desk or shelf, making them an alluring collector’s item. Modeled after Spider-Man and Iron Man, the LEGO sets are the first officially licensed ones to be referred by the LEGO Group as the ‘Bust’ sets. In 2022 a Black Panther set of the bust section was released – much bigger than these two – however, it was not mentioned as a Bust set, anywhere. The Star Wars sets also have a similar appearance, but they have always been mentioned as ‘Helmet’ sets. Designer: LEGO Group Compared to some other intricate sets by the group, the Iron Man consists of 436 pieces, while the Iron Spider-Man Bust is only 379 pieces in total. That means you’ll build them up in virtually no time. Both these sets will cost $60, which is a luring price many will fall for. Out of the two, the Iron Man bust set is available for pre-order right away with shipping in June, while the LEGO Iron Spider-Man bust will be available on August 1. The Spider-Man set has received positive response from the passionate community, while the Iron Man bust has received mixed reviews purely because of its seemingly half-hearted appearance. Iron Man MK4 mini bust This bust is based on the MK4 armor suit worn by the superhero in the Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 movies. It comes with dual adjustable airbrake flaps on the back, a rotating head, and two retractable shoulder missile launchers. The set comes with a printed nameplate and a mini minifigure that’s a cute addition. Coming back to the dislike among the collectors, well, they are pointing out that the helmet hasn’t been emulated properly, while the eye placement also seems a bit eerie. Some have even labelled it as the worst LEGO design of all time! Iron Spider bust set The LEGO Group decided to go for the more flamboyant Iron Spider suit rendition for the second bust set in the collection. The suit in Avengers: Infinity War gives even more superpowers to the flying superhero, and as a bust LEGO model, makes more sense than just going for the simple Spider-Man replica. This one is a little smaller than the Iron Man version, but more liked of the two collectibles. The set comes with two movable mechanical arms, and nanotechnology to take on Thanos. Like the Iron Man set, this one also gets a Spidey minifigure that can be fitted on any other Spider-Man movie scene-themed set. The post LEGO Marvel mini bust collection debuts Iron Man MK4 and Iron Spider sets for $60 each first appeared on Yanko Design.
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  • WWW.WIRED.COM
    Helinox Chair One (re) Review: The Best Camping Chair
    Despite the annoying naming convention, the Helinox Chair One (re) is an impressive upgrade to Helinox's classic, compact camping chair.
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  • WWW.NYTIMES.COM
    U.S. Argues Meta Built a Social Media Monopoly
    The tech giant went to court on Monday in an antitrust trial focused on its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The case could reshape its business.
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  • WWW.MACWORLD.COM
    CalDigit Thunderbolt 5 Element 5 Hub review
    Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Nine ports yet compact Four Thunderbolt 5 ports Five USB ports 180W total power Cons Our Verdict More of a mini dock than a hub, the CalDigit Element 5 packs nine fast ports including four of the latest 80/120Gbps Thunderbolt 5. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed€249,99 Best Prices Today: CalDigit Thunderbolt 5 Element 5 Hub Retailer Price CalDigit 249,99 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The CalDigit Element 5 Hub is the successor to the company’s award-winning Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub, replacing the Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) ports with the double-speed Thunderbolt 5 (TB5) and even squeezing in an extra USB port for good measure. Just as the CalDigit Element 4 Hub was our recommended Thunderbolt 4 hub, the Element 5 takes over its position at the top of the Mac hub hierarchy. Specs and features One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (80Gbps/120Gbps, 90W) Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W) Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) 180W power supply The Element 5 Hub boasts five Thunderbolt 5 ports, each offering blisteringly fast 80Gbps data-transfer and when utilizing Bandwidth Boost can provide up to 120Gbps bandwidth for display purposes. CalDigit The upstream TB5 port that connects to your computer can also deliver up to 90W of power to a laptop. That’s enough to fast-charge the majority of Apple’s MacBooks, although it won’t fast-charge the top-end 14- or 16-inch Pro/Max MacBook Pro. For that you’ll need a dock that can supply 140W. But 90W is still generous and enough for most laptop setups. The downstream TB5 ports can each supply 15W of power, and the USB-C and USB-A ports have potential for 7.5W each. The external power supply provides a decent 180W—up from 150W with the Element 4—which is the same offered by even a full-scale docking station such as the Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock. All the USB ports—two USB-C and three USB-A— are rated at a fast 10Gbps. Thunderbolt 5 is much more of an upgrade than Thunderbolt 4 was from Thunderbolt 3. It can provide up to 6,200MBps performance for external storage devices, for example, which is double that of Thunderbolt 4. With nine ports in total, the Element 5 Hub offers more than any other Thunderbolt hub we’ve seen or tested, including even the eight-port Element 4 Hub. The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub offers four TB5 ports and one 10Gbps USB-A port. While three USB-A ports should be plenty for legacy devices, most accessories are now firmly in the USB-C camp so you might have one or two left empty, and OWC’s one USB-A port is probably all that’s required. It does, of course, lack the Element 5 Hub’s extra two Type C ports. The Thunderbolt 5 ports can be used to connect USB-C devices, of course, so up to five can be accommodated using this hub. CalDigit A full docking station will have many more ports of different type, such as fast Ethernet for wired network access, card readers, display connections and audio ports, but with a few inexpensive adapters the Element 5’s nine ports may be all you need. Because it features so many ports, the Element 5 Hub is a serious consideration for desktop users as well as laptop owners and will be a match for docking stations depending on your needs. You could add an Ethernet adapter, such as the Ugreen USB-C to 2.5G Ethernet Adapter, or card reader functionality via a USB-C adapter, for example. CalDigit Display options While it doesn’t host a DisplayPort or HDMI port, the Element 5 Hub can connect to dual 6K or 8K 60Hz extended displays on Macs. These require no display adapter when the monitors support a USB-C or Thunderbolt connection but will if your display demands a DisplayPort or HDMI connection. (When connected to Windows Thunderbolt 5 PCs, the Element 5 Hub supports up to three external extended displays with Bandwidth Boost in use. Note that when Bandwidth Boost is in operation, the rest of the hub drops to 40Gbps. Unless attached to a DisplayLink dock, macOS doesn’t support triple monitors via a Thunderbolt Dock or Hub.) For the Mac, the Element 5 Hub can support two 6K displays at 60Hz or 4K displays at 144Hz. Note that Apple’s plain (non-Pro or Max) M1- and M2-based computers support just one external monitor. Although it is possible to connect two or more displays to M1 and M2 Macs through use of DisplayLink adapters, the Element 5 Hub does not support DisplayLink. However, we expect most people interested in a powerful Thunderbolt hub will own a MacBook with a Pro or Max processor. The Element 5 Hub is compatible not just with Macs but with USB-C or Thunderbolt iPads and iPhones, as well as Windows tablets. CalDigit Design and build If used as a dock, the Element 5 Hub is one of the smallest you’ll find with its own power supply, measuring 4.5 x 2.75 x 1 inch (11.4 x 7 x 2.5cm) and weighing just 200g (0.44lbs). That’s about the same size as a fat pack of cards and shorter than an iPhone, and only marginally larger than the older Element 4 Hub. You might even lose track of it sat neatly on your desk, unless, of course, it has nine cables sticking out it alongside the power cable. The power brick is about the same size, and so is much reduced from that of the Element 4 Hub, which was pretty chunky. It’s not impossible that you could use the Element 5 as a portable hub. It’s built with aluminum and feels sturdier than cheaper USB-C hubs. The hub is reversible so you can place either the three downstream TB5 ports and one USB-A port at the front or the other side with two USB-C and two USB-A. This is made possible by CalDigit being smart enough to position the upstream TB5 port on one side of the hub, which is a much better placement than on the front as some hub and dock manufacturers do. It ships with a 0.8m Thunderbolt 5 cable. CalDigit Price The Element 5 Hub costs US$299.99, £249.99, or €249.99. That’s a little more than the Element 4 Hub, and about $100 more than the less-ported OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub. It’s more expensive than standard TB4 or USB-C hubs but it’s packed with the latest and most sophisticated technology and far more future-proof. For a nine-port Thunderbolt 5 hub, that extra spend is justified, and if used instead of a full-stocked dock will save you money. There are many types of hubs available to Mac users plus multifunction adapters and docks. Check out our roundups of the best USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac and best Thunderbolt docks for MacBook. Verdict You won’t find any more modern USB and Thunderbolt ports on a hub than you get with CalDigit’s compact and well-priced Thunderbolt 5 Element 5 Hub, and they are all rated at top speeds. The 90W power delivery is enough for most laptops, and other devices should be fully powered too. Although not quite as convenient as a larger docking station, it can even be used as a fully functional laptop Thunderbolt 5 dock with the right adapters. Cleverly designed, compact enough to be relatively portable and stocked with top-end ports, the Element 5 Hub is easily our top-rated Thunderbolt 5 hub/mini dock.
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  • WWW.COMPUTERWORLD.COM
    Trump’s tariff flip-flop: Policy shifts disrupt tech procurement for CIOs
    President Donald Trump announced Sunday he will reveal new tariff rates on imported semiconductors this week, the latest in a series of rapid policy shifts that have thrown the technology sector into confusion and forced businesses to reevaluate procurement strategies. “We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that products excluded just days earlier were now moving into a “different tariff bucket.” The announcement comes just days after the Trump administration exempted computers, smartphones, and semiconductor devices from steep reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports, creating whiplash for technology companies and enterprise buyers trying to navigate critical purchasing decisions. Latest policy reversal Trump made clear the exemption of smartphones and computers from his reciprocal tariffs will likely be short-lived, though he suggested some flexibility in the approach. “You have to show a certain flexibility. Nobody should be so rigid,” Reuters reported Trump saying when asked if products like smartphones might still receive exemptions. Trump dismissed reports about exemptions for electronic products as “false.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick provided additional clarity on Sunday, explaining that critical technology products from China would face separate new duties alongside semiconductors within the next two months. “He’s saying they’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two,” the report added quoting Lutnick’s interview to ABC’s “This Week.” Enterprise tech caught in procurement paralysis The policy uncertainty has forced major enterprises into what Sanchit Gogia, chief analyst and CEO at Greyhound Research calls “a procurement holding pattern.” “Tariff volatility has turned routine technology procurement into a geopolitical chess game,” said Gogia. This disruption is particularly acute in industries requiring long-term capital allocations, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics. “Tariff volatility has turned routine technology procurement into a geopolitical chess game.” —Sanchit Gogia, chief analyst and CEO at Greyhound Research In one striking example documented by Greyhound, a Fortune 100 insurance provider’s CIO pulled back a $15 million data center rollout just days before execution after legal and risk teams flagged the potential for mid-project tariff changes that would render imported server equipment prohibitively expensive. This impact varies across tech sectors. “Different sectors, different strategies,” Gogia noted. “IT hardware firms are relocating factories, AI vendors are locking in chip bundles, and software firms are rewriting contracts.” The tariffs prompted analyst firm IDC to lower its IT spending growth forecast for 2025 from 10% to 5%. “We see lots of uncertainty in the market, with several organizations delaying tech purchasing decisions (new contracts and discretionary spending) until there is more certainty and clarity in the market,” said Nishant Udupa, practice director at Everest Group. “In the short term, though, we see companies stockpiling parts, components, and products to avoid the impact of tariffs.” Faisal Kawoosa, co-founder and lead analyst at Techarc said, “No decision maker would have the capacity to decide with so much volatility. As a measure, there were only two options left: buy mission-critical things before the deadline and defer others until things become clear.” Escalating the tariff war The dizzying sequence began on April 2 when Trump imposed a 54% tariff on Chinese imports before quickly escalating to the current 145% rate. In response, China implemented its own retaliatory measures, starting at 34% on US goods before increasing to 84% and finally to 125%, which took effect on Saturday. On April 11, US Customs and Border Protection announced tariff exemptions for 20 product categories, covering computers, laptops, smartphones, memory chips, and flat panel displays – providing temporary relief to tech companies. The relief proved exceptionally brief, with Trump’s weekend announcement effectively reversing course less than 72 hours later. Reshoring challenges While the administration’s stated goal is to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to American soil, experts question the feasibility of rapid reshoring. “Reshoring US semiconductor fabs is politically compelling — but operationally incomplete,” Gogia argued. Neil Shah, VP for research and partner at Counterpoint Research, said the rapid reshoring for semiconductors is not going to be possible. “It’s going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Lack of skilled labor or cost disadvantage to reshore advanced supply chains such as semiconductors to geographies such as the US will be tough.” The timeline disconnect creates significant challenges for enterprises dependent on cutting-edge chips. Global supply chain realignment The tariff situation is accelerating broader strategic shifts in global technology supply chains. Prabhu Ram, VP for Industry Research Group at CyberMedia Research describes the tariffs as “more than political maneuvering — they represent a strategic jolt, akin to a defibrillation of the global economy, aimed at resetting the rhythm in favor of US interests.” “China has long dominated global electronics manufacturing, built on deep-rooted competencies and cost efficiencies,” Ram noted. “Reconstructing such complex value chains elsewhere is both technologically challenging and capital-intensive.” As a result, enterprises are pursuing what Ram calls a “China Plus One strategy,” with countries like India potentially benefiting. “India’s promise lies not only in its scale as a consumer market but in its emerging role as a reliable partner in critical segments — such as ATMP, PCBs, and critical minerals processing — all essential to global semiconductor resilience.” In response to the uncertainty, enterprises are developing sophisticated approaches to manage tariff risk. “Some enterprises have accelerated purchases for the short term, but some will look to diversify geographically their clusters outside of USA for the time being, and some will look to defer or delay purchases until the volatility is resolved,” Counterpoint Research’s Shah said.
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