Tech AI robots help nurses beat burnout and transform hospital care Hospitals using AI-powered robots to support nurses, redefine patient care Published June 4, 2025 6:00am EDT close AI robots help nurses beat burnout and transform hospital care Artificial intelligence and robotics may help with nursing shortage. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The global healthcare system is expected to face a shortage of 4.5 million nurses by 2030, with burnout identified as a leading cause for this deficit. In response, Taiwan's hospitals are taking decisive action by integrating artificial intelligence and robotics to support their staff and maintain high standards of patient care. AI-powered Nurabot (Nvidia)Nurabot: The AI nursing robot changing patient careNurabot, a collaborative nursing robot developed by Foxconn and Kawasaki Heavy Industries with Nvidia's AI technology, is designed to take on some of the most physically demanding and repetitive tasks in clinical care. These include delivering medications, transporting samples, patrolling wards and guiding visitors through hospital corridors. By handling these responsibilities, Nurabot allows nurses to focus on more meaningful aspects of patient care and helps reduce the physical fatigue that often leads to burnout. AI-powered Nurabot (Nvidia)Using AI to build the hospitals of the futureFoxconn's approach to smart hospitals goes beyond deploying robots. The company has developed a suite of digital tools using Nvidia platforms, including AI models that monitor patient vitals and digital twins that simulate hospital environments for planning and training purposes.The process starts in the data center, where large AI models are trained on Nvidia supercomputers. Hospitals then use digital twins to test and train robots in virtual settings before deploying them in real-world scenarios, ensuring that these systems are both safe and effective.ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRANSFORMS PATIENT CARE AND REDUCES BURNOUT, PHYSICIAN SAYS AI-powered Nurabot (Nvidia)AI robots in real hospitals: Results from Taiwan's Healthcare SystemTaichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH), along with other top hospitals in Taiwan, is at the forefront of this digital transformation. TCVGH has built digital twins of its wards and nursing stations, providing a virtual training ground for Nurabot before it is introduced to real hospital floors. According to Shu-Fang Liu, deputy director of the nursing department at TCVGH, robots like Nurabot are augmenting the capabilities of healthcare staff, enabling them to deliver more focused and meaningful care to patients. AI-powered Nurabot (Nvidia)Ways Nurabot reduces nurse burnout and boosts efficiencyNurabot is already making a difference in daily hospital operations. The robot handles medicine deliveries, ward patrols and visitor guidance, which Foxconn estimates can reduce nurse workloads by up to 30%. In one ward, Nurabot delivers wound care kits and educational materials directly to patient bedsides, saving nurses multiple trips to supply rooms and allowing them to dedicate more time to their patients. The robot is also especially helpful during visiting hours and night shifts, when staffing levels are typically lower.Nurses hope future versions of Nurabot will be able to converse with patients in multiple languages, recognize faces for personalized interactions and even assist with lifting patients when needed. For example, a lung patient who needs two nurses to sit up for breathing exercises might only require one nurse with Nurabot's help, freeing the other to care for other patients. AI-powered Nurabot (Nvidia)Kurt's key takeawaysWhen it comes to addressing the nursing shortage, Taiwan is demonstrating that AI and robotics can make a significant difference in hospitals. Instead of spending their shifts running errands or handling repetitive tasks, nurses now have robots like Nurabot to lend a hand. This means nurses can focus their energy on what matters most – caring for patients – while robots handle tasks such as delivering medication or guiding visitors around the hospital.It's a team effort between people and technology, and it's already helping healthcare staff provide better care for everyone.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPHow would you feel if a robot, not a human, delivered your medication during a hospital stay? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

According to a recent investor note from GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu, Apple might have a pair of surprises in store for the iPhone 17 lineup this fall. Most notably, Pu has seemingly changed his prediction that the entire iPhone 17 lineup will use a version of the A19 chip. Instead, he now believes the base model iPhone 17 will use the same A18 chip that’s used in the iPhone 16. Pu had previously predicted that the entire iPhone 17 lineup would use the A19 chip and the differentiating factor would be the RAM. The analyst had said the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air would have 8GB, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max would have 12GB of RAM. Now, Pu claims that the iPhone 17 will use 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 17 Air will feature 12GB of RAM just like the Pro models. Also in this analyst note, Pu says that all four iPhone 17 models will adopt a new metalens technology for the proximity sensor. The “metalens” technology may help Apple dramatically reduce the size of the Face ID sensor. Previously, Pu had said this change would only come to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. If it pans out, this means the entire iPhone 17 will feature a smaller Dynamic Island. Notably, this contradicts Ming-Chi Kuo, who reported in January that the Dynamic Island across the iPhone 17 lineup will be “largely unchanged” compared to the iPhone 16 models Here is Pu’s full breakdown of the iPhone 17 lineup specifications: SpeciPhone 17iPhone 17 AiriPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro MaxLaunchSep-25Sep-25Sep-25Sep-25Display6.1″6.6″6.3″6.9″ProcessorA18 N3EA19 N3PA19 Pro, N3PA19 Pro, N3PDRAMLPDDR5 8GBLPDDR5 12GBLPDDR5X 12GBLPDDR5X 12GBFront Camera24MP, 6P24MP, 6P24MP, 6P24MP, 6PRear Camera48MP 7P, 12MP 5P48MP, 7P48MP 7P, Periscope48MP 1G+3P, 48MP 6P48MP 7P, Periscope48MP 1G+3P, 48MP 6PFace IDStructured lightStructured lightStructured lightStructured lightCasingAluminumTitaniumAluminumAluminumModemQualcommQualcomm or AppleQualcommQualcommCharging35W35W35W35WNPIFoxconnFoxconnFoxconnICT My favorite iPhone accessories: Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon.  Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Computex 2025 has concluded after a four-day event at Taipei's Nangang Exhibition Halls, drawing 86,521 buyers from 152 countries, including Japan, the USA, South Korea, Vietnam, and India. The event, themed "AI Next", highlighted avdancements in AI, robotics, next-gen tech, and future mobility, positioning Taiwan as a key player in the global tech supply chain. The exhibition showcased innovations from major Taiwanese companies. Pegatron displayed biometric robot dogs and VR devices, emphasizing human-machine integration. BenQ presented an AI-powered golf simulator with real-time swing feedback through visual tracing and motion sensing. Advantech and Solomon exhibited autonomous mobile robots, collaborative robotic arms, and AIoT platforms, underscoring Taiwan's expertise in intelligent manufacturing. A Smart Mobility Pavilion, organized by TADA, featured 19 brands, including Pegatron and OToBrite, focusing on electric and intelligent vehicle technologies. InnoVEX, the startup segment marking its 10th year, grew by 12.5% compared to 2024, hosting 450 startups from 24 countries. New national pavilions from Thailand and the Philippines included 22 startups. The InnoVEX Forum featured speakers from AWS, Google Cloud, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Solomon, and Advantech, discussing AI’s role in digital transformation. Taiwan’s DeepRad.AI won the Pitch Contest for its AI-based medical imaging technology aimed at early disease detection.Recommended by Our Editors Keynote speeches included NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, Foxconn’s Young Liu, MediaTek’s Dr. Rick Tsai, and NXP’s Jens Hinrichsen, who highlighted Taiwan’s central role in the AI ecosystem. The COMPUTEX Forum, themed “AI in Action,” attracted over 1,300 attendees and featured 13 industry leaders from companies like Intel, Arm, and Google DeepMind, discussing AI applications and market trends. Sustainability was a key focus, with Pegatron winning the Gold Award in the Sustainable Design category, followed by ASUS (Silver) and Lite-On (Bronze). Cross-industry collaborations included a co-branded merchandise line by plain-me and Kuai Kuai, and a Hospitality Lounge hosted by Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation and GQ Taiwan, blending capital markets with lifestyle elements. COMPUTEX 2026 is scheduled for June 2–5 and will expand to include TWTC Hall 1 alongside Nangang Exhibition Halls, aiming to create a dedicated AI-powered tech lifestyle ecosystem.

President Donald Trump has warned Apple CEO Tim Cook that not manufacturing iPhones in the United States will result in a minimum tariff of 25% on Apple goods. In a post shared via TruthSocial on Friday, the President said: "I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S."Later on Friday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said his tariffs could apply to more than just Apple. “It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair,” he said. Trump estimated that it would start by “the end of June.”“Again, when they build their plants here [in the U.S.], there's no tariff,” Trump emphasized. “I had an understanding with Tim that he wouldn't be doing this. He said he's going to India to build plants, I said: 'That's OK to go to India, but you're not going to sell it to here without tariffs.' That's the way it is.”Trump previously raised the issue of Apple manufacturing abroad, particularly in India, during his three-country tour of the Middle East.At a business roundtable in Qatar on Thursday, May 15, Trump said: “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday, I said to him: ‘Tim, you’re my friend. You’re coming here with $500 billion, but now you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.’”In February, Apple announced that it would be spending more than $500 billion in the U.S over the next four years. This was slated to include investment in a new factory in Texas, a manufacturing academy, as well as spending in AI and silicon engineering.Whilst Trump is hopeful that Apple could shift more production to the U.S. in order to avoid tariffs, such a change in manufacturing could take time. Analysts estimate that up to 90% of iPhones are assembled in China, and the devices are made up of 1,000 from countries across the globe.Apple also announced in early May that they would be moving significant production to India, as tariffs between China and the U.S. were in a high stalemate. The trade war with China is currently largely on hold, after both parties announced a 90-day pause on most tariffs.Cook said that most phones will be made in India in the coming months, whilst other products such as iPads and Apple watches will mostly be manufactured in Vietnam.Shortly before Trump’s tariff threat on Friday, one of Apple’s key production contractors, Foxconn, announced that it would be going ahead with its $1.5 billion component plant near Chennai, India. Whilst a manufacturing transition from China to India has been in the process for Apple for years, the move could be even more significant as the tech giant estimated that around $900 million in extra costs could be added in the current quarter as a result of Trump’s tariffs, despite Trump's move to spare key electronics from the new tariffs.If iPhones were made in the U.S., would consumers feel the impact?The likely rise in the retail price of the product has long been a sticking point when it comes to discussing the possibility of having iPhones produced in the U.S. In response to Trump's tariffs threat, Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, estimated via social media that if iPhone production were to move Stateside, the cost of the product could rise to $3,500. Therefore, consumers risk being significantly impacted.

UPDATE: When questioned today whether he has the power to tariff only one company, Trump replied that this edict applies to any smartphone maker. "It would be more. It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product; otherwise, it wouldn't be fair," he said.Trump says he's setting an end-of-June deadline, but it's unclear if that deadline is for a commitment from these companies to build smartphone factories in the US or actually seeing phones roll off production lines. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, "Moving all iPhone assembly for US models back to the US before Trump’s term ends is unrealistic." "I had an understanding with Tim that he wouldn't be doing this," Trump said of Apple's plan to build iPhones in India versus China. When asked why he thinks Apple can build a phone in the US without raising prices, Trump argued that "a lot of [the production] is computerized now. These plants are amazing, if you look at them," adding, "If they're going to sell it in America, I want it to be built in the United States. They're able to do that."Kuo says, "Apple’s top priority in negotiations with Trump should be finding ways to avoid, delay, or prevent higher iPhone tariffs. For example, Apple could adjust its DEI policies to secure Trump’s temporary commitment to hold off on targeting them.Original Story:President Trump kicked off Memorial Day weekend by threatening to impose a 25% tariff on Apple unless it produces its iPhones in the US. "I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s [sic] that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else," Trump posted on Truth Social. "If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US. Thank [you] for your attention to this matter!"Separately, Trump posted that the European Union "has been very difficult to deal with," and said he is "recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union," starting June 1.'India Can Take Care of Themselves'Apple has long produced most of its iPhones in China via manufacturing partners like Foxconn, though it has taken steps to diversify. Amid the threat of Trump's tariffs, the highest of which were imposed on China, Apple moved much of its US-based iPhone production to India. "For the June quarter, we do expect the majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin," Cook said in an April earnings call. Most iPads, Macs, and Apple Watch devices sold in the US will come from Vietnam. “China would continue to be the country of origin for the vast majority of total product sales outside the US,” Cook added. That didn't sit well with Trump, who said last week that he called Cook to complain about Apple moving production to India. "We put up with all the plants you built in China for years," he told reporters during a recent trip to the Middle East. "We are not interested in you building in India. India can take care of themselves. They are doing very well. We want you to build [in the US]."Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Recommended by Our EditorsSmartphones are currently exempt from Trump's tariffs, but that could change soon.Is $500 Billion Not Enough?In February, Apple said it would invest more than $500 billion in the US over the next four years. The money will be used to build a server manufacturing facility in Houston, produce silicon chips in Arizona, establish a manufacturing academy in Detroit, and create 20,000 new jobs. But moving iPhone production to the US is probably an unrealistic and expensive goal. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that "in terms of profitability, it's way better for Apple to take the hit of a 25% tariff on iPhones sold in the US market than to move iPhone assembly lines back to US." For now, a lot of Apple-based production in the US is being done via partnerships."We're excited about bringing more production to the US," Cook said during that earnings call. "As you know, we've been very key in the TSMC project in Arizona and are the largest and first customer getting product out of that.""During calendar year 2025, we expect to source more than 19 billion chips from a dozen states, including tens of millions of advanced chips being made in Arizona this year," Cook added. "We also source glass used in iPhone from an American company. All told, we have more than 9,000 suppliers in the US across all 50 states."TSMC, however, is warning that tariffs could hamper its expansion plans in Arizona. "Diminished demand could create uncertainty around the timeline for the construction and operation of our Arizona fabs. It could also undermine TSMC’s financial capacity to timely execute its ambitious Arizona project,” the company said in a letter to the US Commerce Department, which sought public comment on the US potentially tariffing foreign-made semiconductors to help encourage domestic chip manufacturing. A year ago, TSMC said it would receive $11.6 billion in US government funding via the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act signed by President Biden, with $6.6 billion of that as grants and the remaining $5 billion as loans.A $2,300 iPhone? Trump's post suggests that iPhones will be subject to tariffs regardless of their country of origin, which could be costly for those looking to upgrade to the iPhone 17 later this year. Rumors already indicate Apple is considering a price increase for its next-gen phones, which it is trying not to tie publicly to tariffs. In April, an analyst from Rosenblatt Securities tells Reuters that tariffs could increase the cost of producing iPhones by up to 43%, putting the high-end iPhone at $2,300 if Apple passes all the extra costs on to consumers.The White House is currently trying to broker individual trade deals with countries around the globe. Thus far, it's announced one with the UK and paused tariffs on China while it negotiates. In the EU, however, Trump says, "Our discussions with them are going nowhere!"Trump claims the US has a trade deficit of more than $250 million with the EU, "which is totally unacceptable," he said. The only way for the EU to avoid US tariffs is to produce its products in the US.

Apple CEO Tim Cook oversaw his company's deep investment in China. That was an enormously successful strategy for Apple — but now it's a real problem, argues author Patrick McGee. VCG/VCG via Getty Images 2025-05-23T16:56:30Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Donald Trump wants Apple to make iPhones in America. There's no chance that will happen, says Patrick McGee, a journalist who just published a book on Apple's deep ties to China. McGee also argues that Apple's end-around on Trump's China tariffs — saying that some iPhones and other products are made in India and Vietnam — is misleading. Donald Trump says that iPhones need to be built in the US, or they'll face a 25% tariff.But it doesn't matter what Trump says: iPhones are never going to be built in the US.That's according to Patrick McGee, a journalist who just published "Apple In China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company" — a detailed look at all of the money and effort Apple spent over decades to enmesh itself in China.McGee, who has covered Apple for the Financial Times, explains why this has been enormously helpful to Apple — because it created an ecosystem that lets it make ultra-complicated devices at vast scale. But he argues that it was even more helpful to China — because Apple gave Chinese engineers access to valuable technology that has let them build other high-value supply chains.And that McGee posits, has created both a problem for Apple CEO Tim Cook — because he can no longer practically extract the company from China — and for the US — because its adversary is now using American know-how to compete with American companies.(I asked Apple if it wanted to weigh in on McGee's book. Via a rep, the company said that "claims in the book are untrue" and "filled with inaccuracies" and that McGee didn't fact-check the book with Apple.)I talked to McGee for the newest episode of my Channels podcast. In the edited excerpt below, we talk about why he thinks it's impossible for Apple to move iPhone production to the US. And why McGee thinks that Apple saying it's moving some production to India and Vietnam, in order to escape some US tariffs on China, is deeply misleading.Peter Kafka: The Trump administration says it wants Apple to move all of its manufacturing to the US. You and anyone else who knows anything about Apple saying that is literally not possible when it comes to the iPhone. Why?Patrick McGee:And then they're moving on to another project. So Apple doesn't bear the cost. It's using the likes of Foxconn to do manufacturing as a service.There's an analyst quoted last month who said it would be like if in the city of Boston, every person dropped what they were doing and just worked on iPhones. And as quotable as that is, that understates the challenge. Because it would like the city of Boston transporting itself to some other place, like Milwaukee, assembling iPhones for a few weeks and then moving on to some other project.China has this floating population — that's literally what it's called — and that workforce alone is greater than America's entire labor force. So we're never going to match them in terms of density of population and, more especially, dynamism of the population.Let alone that it's happening at way lower labor rates. Let alone it's got way better machinery and automation. It's not a matter of willpower and cost — that seems to be what the MAGA dream is based on. It goes so much beyond this.We often say Americans don't want to do these jobs. The Chinese don't want to do these jobs. But there are so many people that would rather be doing that than toiling in the fields for 14 hours a day. We just don't have a base of labor that would do that.One of the other arguments you and others make is that China has people, but there's also just huge infrastructure: a whole series of plants and subplants and subcontractors that all are sort of built around getting Apple the products it needs, at a drop of a hat.Yeah. In the amount of time that it would take China to build a new factory, we would still be doing the environmental paperwork.But in Apple's most recent earnings call, the company said that for the next quarter at least, every iPhone they sell in the US is going to come out of India, and most of the other electronics they sell in the US — AirPods, etc — are going to come out of Vietnam.So what am I missing here? It makes it seem like Apple has gone ahead and figured out how to move this stuff out of China.Not at all. Think of it like this: If there's a thousand steps in making an iPhone and the final one is now in India, you're avoiding tariffs. The final assembly is considered "making it in India."Like if I took every step of baking a cake except for putting the icing on or ...Putting it in the box or something.Honestly, not much is happening in India. That might change in the next five to 10 years, but the idea that there is actual production happening in India is just wrong.If you buy an iPhone next year, it'll say "made in India." I think that's a near-certainty. But that phone will be no less dependent on the China-centric supply chain than any other iPhone you've ever purchased.On that earnings call, Apple also said that the existing tariffs will cost them $900 million in the next quarter. That may sound like a big number, but Apple makes $100 billion in profit a year, so it's not. If that was just the only impact from the tariffs, that seems like a pretty solvable problem for Apple: They have to move final assembly to India, and eat some costs, but they could do it.Yeah, absolutely.Where I think things are much dicier is that the political ties that Apple has with China are unbreakable. I shouldn't say political ties — I really mean the business ties. They are not going to leave China anytime soon.Yet the technological transfer that is engendered by designing cutting-edge products every year and building them in China inherently causes a technology transfer from America to China on a crazy level. And if you think of China as a threat, if you think of them as America's biggest adversary, it is insane that the world's greatest company is equipping China with this technological know-how year in, year out.The Wall Street Journal just reported that Apple is thinking about maybe tacking on some of these additional costs to the next round of iPhones they start selling this fall — passing those costs on to the consumer. Does that sound right to you?Yes, because the other alternative is that you're squeezing out more from your suppliers. Some analysts have suggested that, and it's kind of laughable. Because if there's anything to squeeze out of the supply chain, you damn well better know that Apple's already done it. Apple pays its suppliers very slim margins. There are not a bunch of fat cats out there that they can just be squeezing

President Donald Trump threatened Apple with a tariff of at least 25% if it does not manufacture its iPhones in the US, ramping up pressure on the tech giant to secure more domestic production.“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday. “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25 percent must be paid by Apple to the US”US equity futures dropped to session lows on Trump's announcement and his threat to impose a 50 percent tariff on goods from the European Union starting on June 1. Nasdaq 100 contracts led the decline, while Apple shares were down as much as four percent in pre-market trading.The president's demands for US-based manufacturing pose a stark challenge to the company, whose supply chains for its popular phones have been concentrated in China for years. The US lacks the rich ecosystem of Apple suppliers, manufacturing and engineering know-how that — for now — can only be found in Asia.Apple, which has become a frequent Trump target, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the president's threat. Earlier this month, the company warned that it would face $900 million (roughly Rs. 7,674 crore) in higher costs from tariffs in the current quarter. Last week, during his trip to the Middle East, Trump said he had asked Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook to stop building plants in India to make devices for the US, pushing the iPhone maker to add domestic production as it pivots away from China.“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said of his conversation. “He is building all over India. I don't want you building in India.”  Apple said earlier this year that it plans to spend $500 billion (roughly Rs. 42,63,505 crore) in the US over the next four years, which will include work on a new server manufacturing facility in Houston, a supplier academy in Michigan and additional spending with its existing suppliers in the country.But that stops short of the full shift to US-based production envisioned by Trump. Moving manufacturing of its signature iPhone and other devices to the US would be an enormous undertaking for the Cupertino, California-based company. Apple's biggest FATP facilities — short for final assembly, test and pack-out — are massive and incomprehensible to many people outside of Asia. They are almost towns themselves, with several hundred thousand people, schools, gyms, medical facilities and dormitories. One major iPhone factory, a complex in Zhengzhou, has even been dubbed iPhone City.Development of new iPhones and other products still starts at Apple's labs in Silicon Valley. But working with Asia-based component suppliers and other partners begins long before a product actually hits the market. Apple engineers and operations experts spend months or years working closely with Foxconn Technology Group, Pegatron Corp. and other suppliers to customise assembly of new devices.One popular counterpoint is that Apple should use its cash hoard to buy thousands of acres in the US and create a fully robotic and automated iPhone manufacturing facility. That would remove any human-related challenges from the manufacturing process, but supply chain experts say that is not realistic due to frequently changing demands. Also, much of the manufacturing equipment is made in China. Escalating pressure on Apple in recent weeks marks a change from the president's first term, when Cook had leveraged a personal relationship with Trump to win tariff carveouts for Apple products. For investors on Wall Street, it signals the uncertainty surrounding the impact of Trump's trade policy on one of the world's most valuable companies. “It's a red flag for me that Trump continues to single out Apple and seems to have something against them,” said Randy Hare, director of equity research at Huntington National Bank. “It doesn't mean that Trump is going to do anything more, but you can't predict what's going to happen, and that makes me cautious.”Cook was one of several Big Tech executives and billionaires who attempted to court Trump following his comeback election victory in November. The Apple CEO had traveled to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for a series of private meetings and dinners. He also sat behind the president at the inauguration in January along with Elon Musk, Google's Sundar Pichai, Meta Platforms' Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon.com Founder Jeff Bezos.© Thomson Reuters 2025(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: Apple, iPhones, US, Donald Trump, Tariff Related Stories

President Donald Trump has threatened Apple with a tariff of “at least 25 percent” just for its iPhones unless it moves production to the United States. “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank your for your attention to this matter!” The threat comes a week after Trump declared that he’d “had a little problem with Tim Cook,” following reports that Apple intends to source all of its US iPhones from India, which will require ramping up Indian production. Just yesterday the Financial Times reported that FoxConn, Apple’s main manufacturer, is developing a $1.5 billion plant in southern India’s Chennai to supply iPhone displays. Apple has been diversifying its production for several years, which was accelerated by both covid and US animosity towards China. India is currently subject to the “baseline” 10 percent tariff that applies worldwide, while China is at a higher 30 percent rate, though that could rise substantially in August once a 90-day reduction in rates lifts. Phones, and most of Apple’s other products, are exempt from the majority of those rates anyway, but the ongoing uncertainty gives Apple good reason to continue expanding production outside China. While Apple has pledged to invest $500 billion in the US over the next four years (and CEO Cook personally invested $1 million in Trump’s inauguration fund), it’s widely acknowledged by industry experts that a “Made in America” iPhone isn’t realistic. As Steve Jobs reportedly told Barack Obama in 2011: “Those jobs aren’t coming back.”

One user tracking his stolen iPhone has led to the uncovering of a global theft system where it hardly matters that your device is locked.Find My has been used to track stolen iPhones across the worldIncreasingly sophisticated thieves have previously been reported using tracking data to steal iPhones before they are delivered. Whether it's that or snatching iPhones out of people's hands, though, it appears that at least many stolen devices are then shipped internationally.According to the Financial Times, they end up in the Huaqiangbei district of Shenzhen, China. It's an ironic place for them to go, since Shenzhen is around 30 minutes drive from where Foxconn originally manufactures so many of them. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The Belkin division responsible for developing the excellent Phyn Plus smart water shut-off valve has been acquired by an investor group led by contractor and TV personality Jonathan Scott (HGTV’s Property Brothers). The announcement is the latest sign that Belkin, which brought the Phyn Plus to market back in 2018, is rapidly losing interest in developing new smart home products following its own acquisition by Foxconn. Belkin has already discontinued many of its Wemo-brand smart home products, and it “paused” its efforts to develop Matter-compatible products in early 2023. We’ve praised both the first- and second-generation Phyn Plus devices for their ability to not only warn homeowners of leaky or burst pipes, but to automatically take action to shut off a home’s main water supply to prevent the catastrophic damage that can result. In an exclusive telephone interview with Scott and Phyn CEO Ryan Kim late last week, Scott described himself as a “technology nut” and expressed his admiration for the Phyn Plus, which he said he’d previously installed in his own home as well as in a guest house and in his parents’ home. Celebrity contractor and TV personality Jonathan Scott is leading a group of investors buying Phyn from Foxconn’s Belkin.Scott Brothers Global “One of the benefits of being on the air for as long as we have is that when something feels ‘off’ to me, I have to dig in. My brother [Drew Scott] once spent $3,000 to put in a water leak-detection system in his own home, but if it detected a leak and shut off your water, you had to be there to turn it back on. There was nothing like Phyn at the time.” Asked why more consumers haven’t already installed products like the Phyn Plus, Scott replied “Sometimes you can tell people all the benefits in the world that a product has to offer, but they still don’t see the value.” Scott continued: “People hate to spend money on what they don’t see, but eliminating the risk of a flood [caused by a pinhole leak or a burst pipe] is so worth it. [My family has] already recouped 10 times the value of the Phyn devices we’ve installed just based on the kids leaving the tap on or a toilet handle getting stuck. The Phyn Plus is one of the greatest kept secrets that no one knows about.” The Phyn Plus leak detection and smart water shut-off valve also tracks household water consumption patterns.Michael Brown/Foundry Phyn CEO Ryan Kim said the acquisition “will unlock not only massive awareness in the consumer space but also increased adoption by the insurance industry.” Given the average cost of a water damage claim stemming from a leaking or burst pipe is around $12,500, many insurance companies already offer policy discounts to homeowners who install water leak detections systems with smart shut-off valves, such as the Phyn Plus and Moen Flo. Scott believes the insurance industry will eventually move beyond just offering homeowners incentives to install such products. “I think in a matter of years,” he said, “all insurance companies will require this type of leak detection and smart water shut-off [as a condition of coverage].” Phyn has revenue streams beyond selling its hardware, according to Kim. “Phyn is not just a hardware company.” he said “It’s also a data company. There’s value in the data we’ve collected from the 2.5 billion [water-related] events we’ve collected. The data is anonymized—we don’t track individual homes—but we can see trends on a regional basis, which can help insurance companies and utilities understand trends to offer better services. It’s exciting for me that this powerhouse group came together.” In addition to Scott, the investor group acquiring Phyn includes Intuit founder and Quicken developer Tom Proulx, who will serve as an advisor and board member; Silicon Valley venture capitalist and Microsoft board member David F. Marquardt; and Allen Sands, founder of Icon Builders, a construction company focused on renovating affordable housing. A source has told us the deal is worth “up to $24.9 million U.S. dollars.”