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<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Titan X AirTag Trifold Wallet is a sleek, elevated AirTag wallet option that sells for $80. It holds up to 10 cards, has several internal pockets, uses RFID technology to block data theft, and is lightweight. Unlike the Ridge wallet, the Titan X wallet offers dedicated spots for storing cash […] More
Apple / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET”May you live in interesting times” is a phrase often attributed as a Chinese curse. In reality, the phrase can be traced back to Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, who was the British ambassador to China in 1936. In his 1949 book, Diplomat in Peace and War, he attributes the phrase to something a friend told him. The friend apparently told him of the so-called Chinese curse before Ambassador Knatchbull-Hugessen took his posting in China.Also: Worried about a $2,300 iPhone? How US tariffs are causing tech buyers to scrambleThe irony of the phrase, of course, is that “interesting times” sounds like a nice thing to say, but it could be interpreted as a dark way of wishing someone to live in times of trouble and unrest. We, dear reader, are living in interesting times. The tariff unknownsAs you are undoubtedly aware, tariffs are at the top of the economic news. My wife and I have run our small businesses together for a very long time, through a number of recessions and periods of economic unrest. I even wrote a book, The Flexible Enterprise, which talked about how to run a business that is responsive and agile, particularly in response to economic forces. Also: Why I returned to the Apple Watch after a four-year hiatusWhile we have been tracking the tariffs issue fairly closely, the news that China is being hit with 104% tariffs was at the top of today’s planning meeting agenda. Tariffs applied to other countries were also of concern because we do not know how vendors will respond to these sweeping economic changes. We also do not know how long the tariffs will last or whether there will be lasting price increases even if they are withdrawn. I purchase a lot of robotic motion control equipment from Turkey-based vendor Edelkrone. Turkey was only hit with 10% tariffs, but Edelkrone’s response has been to eat those costs so it does not pass the added rates on to its customers. From a consumer point of view, this is great, but I worry about the company. It is a small company with a very niche product and a high cost of goods, and it is unclear how long it can withstand a hit to its margins like this.Also: Why Temu’s bargain prices are about to hit a tariff wallAnd then we get to Apple. Apple produces its gear in many countries. The Mac Studio, which is my main production machine, may be produced in Malaysia, but many of the components, and rare earth minerals, come from China. Malaysian goods have been hit by 24% tariffs while, as I said, China’s rate is now 104%.Mission-critical machineMy M1 Max-based Mac Studio has started feeling its age. I have been experiencing slow-downs during video production and 3D modeling, and last month when I tried to modify a complex model to prepare it for 3D printing, the machine slowed down to an unusable crawl.Even so, last month when Apple introduced the new M4 Mac Studio, I said I was going to wait. I wanted to see how the year turned out financially for my small business before plunking down $5,300 for an upgrade.Also: I spent $4K on my Mac Studio 3 years ago – should I upgrade to the 2025 model?But then, there are the tariffs.My wife and I discussed this. We know that I need a new machine. Let us be clear. This is not a hobby or an optional purpose. I make the bulk of my living through my main desktop machine. Yes, I have a bunch of other machines, including some Windows machines and Linux boxes, but my day-to-day production income is produced using that machine. It is a mission-critical device. I initially wanted to delay an upgrade because $5,300 is a lot of money, and I thought I could limp by for another six months or so. That strategy made sense before the imposition of the new tariffs. What would happen if I waited to upgrade?Here is the question we discussed at length. If I wait to buy an upgrade, will that $5,300 machine cost me nearly $11,000? Also: Are tariffs about to make your next iPhone way more expensive? It’s complicatedThe jurisdictional basis for Mac Studio tariffs is not clear. The M1 Mac Studio is made in Malaysia, but the shipping tracking information for my machine said the unit I ordered back in 2022 was shipped from China. Some other users have reported that their Mac Studios ship from China if the configuration ordered is not the base configuration. My Mac Studio is far from a base configuration, so there is a good chance the new one will also be assembled in China. This level of uncertainty is troubling. For my own decision, I had to factor in that while I do not want to spend $5,300 now, it is a necessary business expense. For the economy as a whole, uncertainty is a key component that fosters recession, and the more uncertain we all are, the more the economy will likely contract.While $5,300 is a stretch financially, double that would be an unreachable expense. Even if the tariffs were calculated based on Malaysian tariff surcharges, the new machine would cost me north of $6,500. More
Mensent Photography/Getty Images Are you worried that giant corporations and government agencies are indiscriminately collecting your personal data and then using it inappropriately? You’re not alone. Also: 9 ways to delete yourself from the internet In a report released today, security firm Malwarebytes published the results from a survey of 1500 readers of its newsletter. Here’s […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 with the Snapdragon X Plus processor is available now, starting at $749. It’s durable and reliable, runs cool, and features a comfortable keyboard and nice OLED display. However, it might not stand out in a market of similarly-specced devices that are lighter and cheaper. more buying choices […] More
DoorDash / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETYour late night DoorDash cravings might soon get a little harder to resist thanks to some new AI-powered tools rolling out for restaurant owners.Also: Why KFC and Taco Bell may be most Americans’ first taste of AI agentsThe food delivery app unveiled several new tools for merchants today, all aimed at helping them optimize menus, enhance customer service, and boost sales. What’s new with Doordash?AI menu descriptions: A good menu goes beyond the title of a dish, but what if you are struggling to put how good something is into words? Once you input the item name and photo, DoorDash’s new menu description tool lets you generate a description with the click of a button. Restaurants can get to this through the Business Manager App or the Merchant Portal. AI photo assistance: A large number of people use menu photos to help make their selection, and DoorDash wants to help restaurants take the most appealing photo possible. A new AI-powered camera can suggest good angles for a dish, give help with lighting, give real-time feedback on framing, and more to help create professional-looking photos. Also: 10 key reasons AI went mainstream overnight – and what happens nextOnce a photo is taken, AI can re-plate a dish (an example photo showed a change from a foam container to a ceramic plate) and enhance a photo’s background — all without changing the look of the food itself. In addition, DoorDash will use AI moderation to provide instant photo approval for images that meet guidelines, meaning a restaurant can update its menu in minutes. Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the #1 thing to remember when you use themPhotos and descriptions are vitally important for an online menu. According to a DoorDash study, menus with item photos saw an uptick of up to 44% in monthly sales and those with item descriptions earned up to 18% more in sales. More
Reddit / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFinding answers on Reddit is about to get a lot easier, thanks to Google Cloud.Also: Everyone can now try Gemini 2.5 Pro – for freeSince so many people are turning to Reddit as a search engine, the site is bringing the power of Google to Reddit. It debuted “Reddit Answers” a few months ago — an AI chatbot that lets you ask questions and receive curated responses with links to the relevant information from more than 100,000 communities. Reddit Answers will use GeminiTo help make its responses more accurate and useful, Reddit has partnered with Google Cloud to help power the service. With more than 400 million active weekly users, Reddit is one of the biggest sources of information on the internet. Instead of having to dig through dozens of posts to find what you’re looking for, you can simply ask Reddit Answers. The tool will use Gemini on Vertex AI to pull information from existing posts on the platform, the company says, ensuring answers are authentic and reflective of Reddit’s unique real-world insight. Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the #1 thing to remember when you use themReddit Answers shows not just comments related to the topic and the post where the comment came from, but entire communities as well, hopefully leading the user to more context and more useful information beyond their query. You can ask follow-up questions or even have a conversation with the chatbot about the topic. Also: Can Digg’s return fix what ails social media today? Reddit’s cofounder is betting on itReddit first announced AI-powered search results in August of last year, saying that it would be using a combination of first- and third-party products. More
Google During its Google Cloud Next 25 event Wednesday, the search giant unveiled the latest version of its Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), the custom chip built to run artificial intelligence — with a twist. Also: Why Google Code Assist may finally be the programming power tool you need For the first time, Google is positioning the […] More
NurPhoto/Getty ImagesThey Google Workspace, a cornerstone of many professionals’ everyday workflows, has been at the forefront of Google’s AI push. The company made the best of its AI offerings available across all Google Workspace commercial plans earlier this year. This release was well received, with Gemini providing business users with more than two billion AI […] More
