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In the very first week of his presidency, Donald Trump vowed to force silicon manufacturing back to the United States by making processors more expensive, a threat he’s repeated since. Is he finally going through with that plan? Trump just announced he’ll putting an enormous 100 percent tariff on chips and semiconductors — unless your company kisses the ring like Apple CEO Tim Cook just did, perhaps. In the same live news conference where Apple announced a new $100 billion US manufacturing plan and presented Trump with a 24-karat gold and glass statue, the president explained that Apple had now…

At a White House press conference to discuss Apple’s new US manufacturing plans, CEO Tim Cook presented a gift to President Donald Trump: a “unique” piece of glass from iPhone glass manufacturer Corning that’s set in a 24-karat gold base. The piece of glass is a large disc with the Apple logo cut into it. On the top of the glass, President Trump’s name is printed. On the bottom, there’s a signature that appears to be Cook’s as well as the message “Made in USA” and the year 2025. The glass was designed by a “former US Marine Corps corporal”…

Google’s August Pixel update includes a fix for Android’s three-button navigation and gesture navigation systems becoming unresponsive. The issues appear to have started popping up shortly after the official release of Android 16 in June. Ever since that update, the user said that navigation has been “a complete mess” and that they ran into issues with buttons being “completely unresponsive” or delays of “over 30 seconds” on their Pixel 8 Pro. Another user said they had to occasionally press the back button “a few times” on their Pixel 9 to get the phone to register it. The swipe gesture to…

Apple’s latest iPad Mini features some nice internal upgrades and support for Apple Intelligence. If you know where to look, it’s surprisingly easy to save on an iPad — even outside of major sales events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. Here’s an insider tip: Skip the Apple Store, where discounts are almost nonexistent. Instead, your best bet is to check third-party retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, which frequently offer deals on everything from the entry-level iPad to the powerhouse iPad Pro, making it possible to snag a bargain any time of the year. Apple’s tablet lineup…

Apple is suing the owner of the Apple Cinemas theater chain, Sand Media, over alleged trademark infringement, as reported by Reuters. In the lawsuit, Apple alleges that Apple Cinemas and Sand Media have made efforts to “capitalize on the highly-regarded Apple brand in connection with the aggressive nationwide expansion” and that they have “refused to engage with Apple’s repeated efforts to resolve the matter amicably.”  “Consumers should not go to an ‘Apple Cinemas’ theater thinking it is connected to the famous Apple brand, with all its goodwill and brand equity, when Apple Cinemas has no relation whatsoever to Apple,” Apple…

TP-Link’s new Wi-Fi 7 travel router doesn’t feature a battery but can be powered by your laptop or a power bank. | Image: TP-Link Connecting to free airport or hotel Wi-Fi can often be a time-consuming and frustrating task that doesn’t seem worth the effort for a bag full of wireless devices. TP-Link has announced its first Wi-Fi 7 travel router, providing up to a total of 3.6 Gbps of bandwidth while also making it easier to get multiple devices online from anywhere. The TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 BE3600 Travel Router (TL-WR3602BE) is available now for $139.99 but Amazon has it…

Ziff Davis-owned IGN Entertainment has laid off staff, including eight members of the IGN Creators Guild. Those cuts represent 12 percent of the bargaining unit. The layoffs are the latest shift in the turbulent gaming media landscape. Earlier this year, Verge parent company Vox Media sold Polygon to GameRant owner Valnet, Giant Bomb went independent, and Game Informer returned after being shut down by GameStop. Last week, Ziff Davis also laid off staff at CNET. Laid off IGN staffers include former senior features editor Matt Kim and video editor Chelsea Miller, but no single department was primarily targeted by the…

Amazon has killed the cloud-based skill that connects Sengled bulbs to Alexa. Some Sengled bulbs that use local protocols, like this Matter one, can still work with Echo devices. After repeatedly leaving customers without smart control of their lights, Sengled has been booted from Amazon's Works With Alexa program. As first reported by TechHive, beginning August 1st, Sengled's Alexa skill for controlling its line of LED lights, plugs, switches, and sensors with your voice and routines is no longer available. In a statement to The Verge explaining the decision, Amazon spokesperson Lauren Raemhild said, "We hold a high bar for…

Valve founder Gabe Newell is setting out on a new adventure — and it doesn’t involve Half-Life 3. Instead, Newell is acquiring Oceanco, the yacht-building company that’s creating his $400 million super ship, as reported earlier by Boat International. In a post about the change, Oceanco says Newell’s interest in the brand comes from a “lifelong fascination with the sea” and “a deep respect for the people who live and work on it.” Oceanco is based in the Netherlands, and it has changed leadership a few times since its founding in 1987, with private investor Mohammed Al Barwani helming the…

On Monday, the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed a complaint against Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr. The filing, sent to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel at the DC Court of Appeals, alleges that Carr had repeatedly broken basic principles of conduct as a licensed attorney, including by leveraging his power to control media outlets' speech. As a legal complaint it's a long shot - but as a document, it sums up months of Carr's escalating war on free speech. While the complaint's examples go back months, Status reports that the FPF's "tipping point" was Carr's recent approval of…