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Trump Sets 100% Chip Tariffs Unless Firms Invest in U.S.

William Attardi on August 7, 2025

President Trump said he would impose roughly 100% tariffs on all chips coming into the U.S. but exempt tech companies that have promised to manufacture domestically, a big win for Apple and other electronics firms worried about new trade challenges. Trump’s announcement came at an event trumpeting a new $100 billion investment pledge from Apple. The company has increased its commitments in the U.S. but stopped short of moving iPhone production to the U.S. as Trump wants. The company’s $100 billion promise adds to a $500 billion, four-year commitment Apple made in February that repackaged much of Apple’s existing spending plans in the U.S. Nearly every major tech firm has promised to put more into their U.S. operations, resulting in over $2 trillion in new pledges in the past seven months. f16AjRmObp1pmp4xDQAH-WSJNewsPaper-8-7-2025.pdf

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg Think Smartphones Are on Their Way Out. Tim Cook Says They’re Just Getting Better by Olga Racinowska

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

Are we approaching the end of the smartphone era, and what could possibly replace them?Interestingly, three big tech leaders have totally different takes on where things are headed.

Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for 2030 – the Orion AR glasses prototype, a device meant to replace smartphones by letting you use 3D holograms, control apps, chat, and navigate using just your voice, eye movements, and gestures. Meta plans to launch Orion around 2027 and has poured over $80 billion into AR and VR tech since 2014.

Elon Musk wants to replace your phone with your brain – Neuralink is developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that could eventually replace smartphones. Their implants let you control tech using only your thoughts, with no need for screens or buttons. Musk’s long-term vision includes wild ideas like telepathy, memory upgrades, and even merging AI with the human brain.

Tim Cook says smartphones are here to stay – Back down to earth for a sec. Tim Cook thinks phones will stay a key part of our daily routine, with smarter AI features and things like AR and wearables adding to the mix instead of taking over.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg think smartphones are on their way out. Tim Cook says they’re just getting better

Name, Image Likeness (NIL) – NIL legislation has transformed the college sports landscape. The Supreme Court, NCAA, and student-athletes all played a role in the new compensation rules. NCAA long argued that amateurs are understood as those who do not profit off of their athletic performance and college sports fans and consumers demanded amateur play on the collegiate level. That argument was denied by the Supreme Court. Student-athletes can now be paid for their autograph, developing their own merchandise, promoting products or services, and event appearances due to their personal celebrity. Now, athletes are starting their own brands, endorsing brands, and becoming their own brands. While the Supreme Court and NCAA passed Name, Image, and Likeness into affect, schools still have their own specificities around the new rule. One of the most important hurdles for student-athletes now is to use these guidelines properly. That is to say athletes must understand how the state they play in or school they attend may affect the way they can utilize now-legal NIL rules. Rules on school logo restrictions, what products may or may not be sponsored, as well as other guidelines, differ from state and school. Athletes are also expected to inform universities of NIL deals and contracts they decide to engage in. Social media and personal branding are now more important than ever. And this is just the beginning.