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Nintendo / Nintendo Switch 2 / Getty Images / Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s stupid trade war and his blatant abuse of tariffs continue, showing no clear indication this madness will end.
Orange Mussolini said aht aht aht after numerous reports claiming he was gonna exempt smartphones, PCs, and chips from his sweeping tariffs.
Spotted on Eurogamer, Donald Trump has backtracked on those exemptions, saying “no one is getting off the hook” and “there was no Tariff ‘exception” on his Truth social account. This kills all hope of anyone avoiding the absurd 145 percent tariff he slapped on China.
There is also a separate tariff specifically for semiconductors coming as well.
Per Eurogamer:
Chinese electrical goods would simply now be placed in “a different tariff bucket”, Trump continued, concluding that National Security Tarriff Investigations would be reviewing “the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN”.
US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick has told ABC News that a separate “semiconductor tariff” was now planned – exact details of which are yet to be determined.
“We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels, we need to have these things made in America,” Lutnick said. “We can’t be reliant on Southeast Asia for all of the things that operate for us.”
Speaking to CBS News, US trade representative Jamieson Greer confirmed this semiconductor tariff meant Chinese electrical goods had therefore been given something that was “not really an exception. That’s not even the right word for it.”
“It’s not that they won’t be subject to tariffs geared at reshoring,” Greer continued. “They’ll just be under a different regime. It’s shifting from one bucket of tariffs to a different bucket of potential tariffs.”
There is no clear plan for anything this Trump administration does; there is no exact date on when the Trump administration will introduce the semiconductor tariff or how much it will be.
The Gaming Industry Has Begun Prepping For Trump’s Tariffs
The video game world has been prepping and making moves ahead and after Trump’s “Liberation Day.”
Nintendo has already delayed Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in the US indefinitely, begun stockpiling the console in the country, and shifted most of its non-Chinese output there.
Nintendo is not alone. Sony just recently announced it was raising the price of the PlayStation 5’s digital edition in the UK, mainland Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
The company said the “tough decision” was a result of “the backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.”
This nightmare has no end in sight.
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Bowers & Wilkins, a notable audio products brand that has been in existence since the 1960s, produces some of the finest loudspeakers and Bluetooth audio products in the world. After recently announcing a partnership with the British motorsports team McLaren, Bowers & Wilkins has released the new Pi8 McLaren Edition Bluetooth headphones.
We’ve experienced Bowers & Wilkins’ excellent Pi5 and Pi7 S2 in-ear Bluetooth headphones, and we can state firmly that the hardware lives up to the hype. By way of its solid construction, world-class audio, and exceptional all-day comfort, coupled with strong battery life, we’re excited to share the news of the brand’s Pi8 McLaren headphones.
The McLaren Pi8 is equipped with two 12 mm Carbon Cone drivers, offers 24-bit audio connection, 5-band customisable EQ + TrueSound™ mode, Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX™ Lossless technology, and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), a feature that is standard across all the in-ear products we’ve tried from the Bowers & Wilkins brand.
Back in March, Bowers & Wilkins and the McLaren Automotive team announced that B&WW is the Official Audio Partner for McLaren, with hopes of bringing fans of F1 racing into the high-end audio space. We can certainly say without a doubt that from the images, this will be an especially head-turning set of headphones with their Papaya orange and Galvanic Grey color stylings, and the amazing functionality will certainly spark some folks to hop aboard and get into all the offerings put out by Bowers & Wilkins.
Giles Pocock, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Bowers & Wilkins, shared in a statement, “We are thrilled to collaborate with the McLaren team once again. This reimagining of our award-winning earbuds elevates our long-term partnership even further by combining the unmistakable design DNA of McLaren with our industry-leading audio products to create an attention-grabbing version of our Pi8. We’re excited to see how it’s received by Bowers & Wilkins and McLaren fans alike.”
We hope to get our hands on the Pi8 McLaren Edition headphones very soon, and the product is currently not on the market after a brief pre-sale event earlier this month, but it will be dropping very soon. Click here to learn all the nuts and bolts about this exciting release from Bowers & Wilkins.
Click here to learn more about the brand in full.
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Photo: Bowers & Wilkins
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Source: Bungie / Marathon
Bungie hopes to get back in the good graces of gamers following what many deem was a disappointing swan song for Destiny with its highly-anticipated extraction shooter Marathon. The verdict is still out after the reveal if Bungie accomplished that mission.
Finally, we know what Marathon is aiming for following the epic reveal in the form of a livestream event on Saturday. The game’s developers were understandably giddy and excited to show off the fruit of their labor, which some media and 40 creators had the opportunity to get their hands on during an alpha playtest.
In the gameplay highlights trailer, we feast our eyes on the lucky few getting hands-on with Bungie’s ambitious extraction shooter, and they looked like they were enjoying their time with Marathon.
As for the game itself, players will take control of “Runners,” cybernetic mercenaries with unique abilities. Unfortunately, you can’t create your Runner, but you can customize their playstyle with the weapons, implants, and equipment you collect on your runs.
Source: Bungie / Marathon
The action takes place in the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV, where its inhabitants disappear without a trace, and rival factions hire Runners to loot the colony. Runners will link up in teams of 3 on maps, allowing up to 18 players, so up to six teams, or if you’re bold enough, you can go a run alone to increase your take. You will take on rival teams, hostile security forces, and creatures as you search for rare loot and try to survive until it’s time to be extracted.
If you die, you loose your loot, it’s that simple.
How Much Will Marathon Cost?
Source: Bungie / Marathon
Bungie also announced the release date for Marathon: September 23 on PS5, Xbox Series S / X, and PC. The game will feature full cross-play and cross-save, and if you head over to Marathon’s Discord server or Bungie’s website, you can sign up to play in the alpha later this month ahead of its full release.
As for the game’s price, it won’t be free, and as the game announced on its official account on X, formerly Twitter, “Marathon will be a premium title. Marathon will not be a ‘full-priced’ title.”
Word on the video game streets is that Marathon will cost $40 at launch, which is giving many gamers pause for concern, given that they are bringing up PlayStation’s epic flop, Concord.
What Are Gamers Saying About Marathon?
Source: Bungie / Marathon
Reactions are all over the place for Marathon. A lot is riding on the upcoming April 23 alpha, which can hopefully leave a great lasting impression on gamers.
But as of right now, things are on the mixed side. Some folks complement the game’s unique art style, but some also don’t like the fact that you can’t create your Runner and are skeptical about the game’s price.
“Marathon just looks… fine? I can’t really imagine playing this more than a few hours without getting bored, but that aside, the fact it’s NOT free to play is insanity. There’s no reason you’d play this over free games like Apex/Warzone/Fortnite/D2,” one user on X said.
Gamer influencer True Vanguard was more positive about Marathon, writing on X, “Marathon is wild. Inventive, beautiful, distinct. It certainly leaves an impression. I hope the team is proud of what they showed today, they should be.”
We are cautiously optimistic and will reserve judgment until we experience Marathon. Until then, you can see more reactions to the game in the gallery below.
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Source: Getty Images / Tim Cook / Apple / Donald Trump
Donald Trump recently boasted that he “knew what the hell he was doing” after stupidly issuing global tariffs, effectively tanking the global market, but his latest move proves he has no clue what he is doing.
After caving on his global tariffs and issuing a 90-day pause after billionaire CEOs and his MAGA allies whispered the ear that was allegedly shot off that their bottom lines are being affected, he is caving once again. He is exempting smartphones, chips, and computers from his stupid tariffs.
Oh, and that includes those same electronics from his favorite punching bag, China, Bloomberg reports.
According to the financial website, late last night, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated its guidance to exempt smartphones, laptops, hard drives, computer processors, and memory chips from the tariffs.
The website also reports machines used by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to make semiconductors will also be exempt.
The Electronics Companies Reacted Swiftly To The Threat of Trump’s Tariffs
There is no word on what pushed Trump to make this decision, but it follows the swift response from numerous electronics companies to his blanket tariffs.
Nintendo unprecedentedly delayed Switch 2 preorders in the US. Apple reportedly filled a plane with 600 tons of iPhones from India ahead of the tariffs going into effect this week.
OnePlus also raised the price of its latest smartwatch without sharing a reason for the decision, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume it was related to Trump’s blatant abuse of tariffs.
So much for Trump’s economics team’s talk about bringing iPhone manufacturing back to the US.
https://x.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1911060500621721877
The story is still developing, but please feast your eyes on the reactions to Trump looking silly in his trade war and Apple CEO Tim Cook seemingly benefiting from kissing the ring early in the gallery below.
As artificial intelligence continues to blur the lines of creativity in music, South Korea’s largest music copyright organization, KOMCA (Korea Music Copyright Association), is drawing a hard line: No AI-created compositions will be accepted for registration. The controversial decision took effect on March 24, sending ripples through Korea’s music scene and sparking broader conversations about AI’s role in global songwriting.
In an official statement on its website, KOMCA explained that due to the lack of legal frameworks and clear management guidelines for AI-generated content, it will suspend the registration of any works involving AI in the creative process. This includes any track where AI was used — even in part — to compose, write lyrics or contribute melodically.
Now, every new registration must be accompanied by an explicit self-declaration confirming that no AI was involved at any stage of the song’s creation. This declaration is made by checking a box on the required registration form — a step that carries significant legal and financial consequences if false information is declared. False declarations could lead to delayed royalty payments, complete removal of songs from the registry, and even civil or criminal liability.
Trending on Billboard
“KOMCA only recognizes songs that are wholly the result of human creativity,” the association said, noting that even a 1% contribution from AI makes a song ineligible for registration. “Until there is clear legislation or regulatory guidance, this is a precautionary administrative policy.”
The non-profit organization represents over 30,000 members, including songwriters, lyricists, and publishers, and oversees copyright for more than 3.7 million works from artists like PSY, BTS, EXO and Super Junior.
Importantly, the policy applies to the composition and lyric-writing stages of song creation, not necessarily the production or recording phase. That means high-profile K-pop companies like HYBE, which have used AI to generate multilingual vocal lines for existing songs, are not directly affected — at least not yet.
While South Korea’s government policy allows for partial copyright protection when human creativity is involved, KOMCA’s stance is notably stricter, requiring a total absence of AI involvement for a song to be protected.
This move comes amid growing international debate over the copyrightability of AI-generated art. In the U.S., a federal appeals court recently upheld a lower court’s decision to reject copyright registration for a work created entirely by an AI system called Creativity Machine. The U.S. Copyright Office maintains that only works with “human authorship” are eligible for protection, though it allows for copyright in cases where AI is used as a tool under human direction.
“Allowing copyright for machine-determined creative elements could undermine the constitutional purpose of copyright law,” U.S. Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter said.
With AI tools becoming increasingly sophisticated — and accessible — KOMCA’s policy underscores a growing tension within the global music industry: Where do we draw the line between assistance and authorship?
This article originally appeared on Billboard Korea.
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Getty Images / PlayStation / PS5 / PlayStation Portal
The PS5 and PS Portal just got exciting updates.
PS5 owners have been screaming for PlayStation to give them the ability to customize their PS5 homepages with themes, specifically dynamic ones like on the PS4, and we are finally getting something in that same vein.
PlayStation Lifestyle reports that PlayStation has been slowly rolling out an update that allows PS5 owners to change their welcome screen with one of many new animated backgrounds.
Players with access to the new animated backgrounds will be greeted by a system notification about adding the animated themes.
A screenshot revealed that players can access themes from these games: Days Gone Remastered, Ghost of Yotei, Ghost of Tsushima, Demon’s Souls, God of War Ragnarok, the Horizon Zero Dawn games, and more.
https://twitter.com/Genki_JPN/status/1909954530080444446
The PlayStation Portal Also Gets A Significant Update
The PS Portal has also gotten a significant update that dramatically improves it. Now, players can access many new features that will enhance their gaming experience while using Cloud Game Streaming Beta.
Here is a breakdown via the PlayStation Blog:
Sort
You can now sort games in the Cloud Streaming (Beta) catalog screen. There will be a new sort icon added to the top left corner, allowing you to sort games by: Recently added to PS Plus (default), Name, and Release date.
Capture gameplay
The Create button on your PS Portal will now be enabled during a Cloud Streaming (Beta) session. Here is what you can do:
Press once: Display the create menu
Press and hold: Take a screenshot
Press twice: Start/finish recording a video clip**
Images and videos captured during a streaming session will be automatically uploaded to the cloud server, which can be accessed from the PlayStation App by selecting [Library] > [Captures]. Your captures will be stored for 14 days after they were created.
Queue
You can now wait for your turn to play when the streaming server is full. The estimated wait time will be displayed on screen, and the game session will automatically start as soon as it’s your turn.
Pause
During a Cloud Streaming (Beta) game session, gameplay will now pause in the following situations:
Gameplay will pause when you open the PS Portal quick menu. You can open the quick menu by pressing the PS button, swiping left from the top right corner of your screen, or tapping the quick menu icon from the status bar.
When you press the power button once, PS Portal will be put into rest mode and the game will be paused. You can un-pause and get back to your game play by pressing the power button again. If PS Portal remains in rest mode for more than 15 seconds, the cloud streaming session will be disconnected.
Gameplay will also pause when a system error message is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Note that the pause feature will not be supported in some cases, such as during an online multiplay session.
Notification of inactivity
You will now receive a system notification when your streaming session is about to close due to inactivity of over 10 minutes.
User feedback screen
We have added a user feedback screen at the end of the streaming sessions to rate the quality of your streaming experience. This will help us identify what went well or could be improved, as we continue to enhance the quality of our service.
Sony has unveiled its latest superstar partnership with none other than chart-topper Post Malone. The global star has teamed up with the brand for the launch of its new Ult Power Sound series, part of Sony’s For The Music audio brand campaign, the company announced on Wednesday (April 9). According to the release, Sony picked […]
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Elon Musk
Elon Musk didn’t help convince people he’s good at Path of Exile 2.
Musk, who is reportedly on his way out of the White House, didn’t do much to repair his credibility as a gamer after he admitted to “fraudmaxing” in Path of Exile 2, which is basically paying someone to play the game and level up his character for him.
The billionaire decided to stream himself playing the game while on his private jet during an “airborne continuity test” of his Starlink internet service.
During the stream, Musk was mercilessly trolled by viewers, who attacked the Tesla chief for his “work” with DOGE, laying off government workers in the name of “efficiency” and his wild personal life, making babies, he’s currently at 13 kids.
The stream, which is still on his X profile, lasted about an hour and 45 minutes. Musk rarely said a word, instead staring into the camera while playing the game’s early parts.
Musk died a few times, and he had to create a new character because he played on hardcore (i.e., perma-death) difficulty.
The Trolls Showed Elon Musk No Mercy
It didn’t take long for the trolling to begin. One message said to Musk was, “make it clap for daddy.” Another person claiming to be Ashley St. Clair, one of Musk’s many former partners, and is currently locked into a custody battle over their five-month-old.
Another comment read, “Elon, deep down you will always be cringe no matter how much money or power you have.”
https://x.com/YourAnonCentral/status/1909473669522260134
Elon Musk has been silent as his buddy Trump destroys the global economy with his stupid tariffs. Musk has broken his silence on the matter, saying he hopes for zero tariffs and even called Trump’s top financial advisor a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.”
You can see reactions to Elon Musk getting trolled in the gallery below.
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Nintendo / Nintendo Switch 2
Unfortunately, Nintendo is sticking to its no-achievement formula for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Switch 2 will not join PlayStation and Xbox because Nintendo is sticking to its guns by not adding its own version of achievements. Nintendo confirmed the sad news in a recent interview with Polygon.
Nintendo’s vice president of player and product experience simply said “Nope” when Polygon asked if potential Switch 2 owners can expect to see trophies or achievements on the console.
With the Switch 2 passing on an achievement system, the console stays in line with its predecessor by leaving the ball in the developer’s courts to implement their own in-game trophies.
Ubisoft already does that with Ubisoft Connect, which rewards players for completing tasks in their games and gives them points they can redeem and use towards in-game purchases. Those achievements do pop up while playing games on the Switch.
But there is some sliver of an achievement system when you play the Switch 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild and Tears of The Kingdom.
The company revealed that players will earn medals for completing in-game tasks like traveling long distances or collecting large amounts of rupees via Zelda Notes inside the Nintendo app.
You can also compare your progress to that of other players globally.
We guess it’s a start, but honestly, Nintendo needs to stop being stubborn about achievements. Players do enjoy them, and they keep playing games for a longer period of time.
Who wouldn’t want to see a trophy pop for collecting all 900 Korok Seeds in Breath of The Wild?
We’re just saying.
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Source: PlayStation / PS5 Pro
Gamers are taking immediate action, anticipating that Donald Trump and his stupid tariffs will make buying a PS5 Pro or PS5 console more expensive.
Spotted on PlayStation Lifestyle, some gamers purchasing PS5 Pro and PS5 consoles in a panic to get ahead of looming price hikes as a direct result of Donald Trump’s ridiculous sweeping tariffs on every country.
The website says gamers have been scooping up the recently released Astro Bot PS5 Bundle and sharing receipts for PS5 Pro and standard PS5 console purchases on web forums.
Gamers’ actions might be premature, as Sony has taken measures to combat Trump’s tariffs and avoid raising prices for now.
Per PlayStation Lifestyle:
Over the weekend, we spotted numerous posts across gaming forums and social media, where players shared screenshots of their order screens while encouraging others to purchase a PS5 and/or PS5 Pro and accompanying accessories before prices skyrocket. However, it might be a little too soon to panic.
As pointed out by renowned industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, the idea of Trump tariffs was being floated for quite a while before it was implemented, and Sony would have taken measures like “duplicating supply chains and stockpiling PS5s” in the U.S. “The strategic stockpiling of PS5 units in the U.S. will provide Sony with a temporary buffer against the impact of tariffs,” he added.
Only A Temporary Solution
Sony’s countermeasures to Trump’s tariffs are only a temporary solution because all of the company’s manufacturing locations are feeling the tariffs’ sting. It’s only a matter of time before the company will feel their effect.
Trump’s tariffs have already negatively impacted the video game industry. Nintendo has already paused Nintendo Switch 2 US preorders in an unprecedented move.
Sighs.
It hasn’t been 100 days, and Trump is already putting on a masterclass of ruining our lives in so many ways.