How the tech world is responding to tariff chaos
The Vergecast
Tariffs and Technology: A Chaotic Connection
This chapter explores the unpredictable landscape of recent tariff changes, contrasting conventional decision-making approaches with the chaos of governance. It uses Sony's speaker innovations as a metaphor for shifting societal dynamics, while also examining consumer reactions to pricing changes in their electronics, particularly televisions.
Welcome to tech in 2025, where everything's made up and the numbers don't matter. Nilay, David, and The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes start the show by running down the latest tariff news, the uncertain future facing tech companies of all sizes, and what we're learning so far about how they're responding. After that, the hosts talk about a big week in AI news, including Meta's sketchy benchmark numbers and the latest damning reporting about the future of Siri. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for America's favorite podcast within a podcast, Brendan Carr is a Dummy, along with some news about the TikTok ban and the Pixel 9A. And then some more tariff numbers, because they just never stop.
Further reading:
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- Sony adds three new speakers to bass-boosted ULT Power Sound lineup
- Sony seemingly bakes tariff penalty into its new US TV pricing
- Samsung’s The Frame Pro was never going to be cheap — and it isn’t
- Trump’s tariffs are officially in effect, including 104 percent on China
- China retaliates with additional 50 percent tariff on US goods
- Trump announces a ‘90-day pause’ on tariffs outside of China
- Trump believes iPhones can be made in the US, says White House
- Get your screwdrivers ready.
- Apple quickly shipped 600 tons of iPhones to ‘beat’ the new tariffs
- Trump triples tariffs on low value packages from China and Hong Kong
- Some Shein and Temu ‘haul video’ creators are stocking up
- Shein’s supply chain uncertainties.
- Amazon is already changing its ultra-cheap Temu copycat
- Framework stops selling some of its cheapest laptops due to Trump tariffs
- Framework delays Laptop 12 orders in the US over tariffs
- Framework will open US preorders for Laptop 12 after all: tomorrow, starting at $549.
- Framework raised prices and then un-raised them an hour later because of Trump
- Price hikes, idled factories, layoffs: how car companies are responding to Trump’s tariffs
- China will show fewer US films in response to tariffs
- Trump’s new tariffs leave small creators scrambling
- Arduboy creator says his tiny Game Boy won’t survive Trump’s tariff
- Trump’s latest tariffs may set the smart home industry back
- Nintendo boss on Switch 2 and tariffs: ‘we are actively assessing what the impact may be’
- Trump’s tariffs ‘pause’ could help Nintendo ship more Switch 2s
- Musk calls Trump’s trade chief ‘dumber than a sack of bricks.’
- We just declared a trade war with the world
- Meta gets caught gaming AI benchmarks with Llama 4
- Siri in The Information
- Amazon plays catch-up with new Nova AI models to generate voices and video
- Shopify CEO says no new hires without proof AI can’t do the job
- Most Americans don’t trust AI — or the people in charge of it
- Adobe is building AI agents for Photoshop and Premiere Pro
- Samsung is finally releasing Ballie, its rolling home robot
- Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s AI project could involve a screenless device.
- Trump Is Now Mandating His Cabinet/Loyalist Wear "Trump Golden Bust" Pins
- From Ars Technica: The speech police: Chairman Brendan Carr and the FCC’s news distortion policy
- From Variety: FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez Sounds Alarm Over Trump Administration’s ‘Absolute Pattern of Censorship and Control’
- From the FCC: Spectrum Is Back—Again!
- FCC eyes major satellite rule revamp in spectrum-sharing shakeup
- Trump delays TikTok ban again
- Trump’s TikTok delay is ‘against the law’ top Senate Intelligence Democrat says
- The US told Apple to keep TikTok in the App Store.
- Instagram might finally release an iPad app
- Google Pixel 9A review: a midrange phone done right
- Pixel 9A hits stores, and it’s still $499.
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