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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

Interesting: The Three Pillars of Independence of an Organization

The 3 Pillars of Independence most commonly refers to a framework from the UK voluntary sector (specifically promoted by organizations like Bond and the Directory of Social Change). It is a toolkit for assessing and maintaining the independence of charities, NGOs, or civil society organizations.

The Three Pillars are:

  1. Independent of Party Politics – The organization (or regulator) must remain free from bias or influence by any political party or the government of the day. Decisions should be impartial, not favoring one political side.
  2. Independent of Populism – It should not be swayed by popular public opinion, media-driven campaigns, or transient public pressure, especially on controversial or unpopular causes.
  3. Independent of the Press – Freedom from media influence or pressure, ensuring decisions are based on evidence and law rather than headlines or public narratives.

This toolkit was created to monitor potential political encroachment on charitable regulation and to ensure charities can operate without undue external interference.

 

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