Hasta La Gadget!

The never-ending Trump tariff saga continues. Tesla has halted Model S and X sales in China, according to reporting by Bloomberg. These particular vehicles are imported to the country from the US so they are impacted by a 125 percent tariff on goods flowing into China. This was enacted by China in response to President Trump placing a 145 percent tariff on imported goods from the country. 

This isn’t a huge deal for Tesla, as the high-end Model S and Model X are some of the company’s least-popular vehicles in the region. It’s still selling off pre-existing inventory, but the models will be unavailable after that. The more affordable Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are actually made at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, so they aren’t impacted by the tariffs. 

Trump’s tariffs on China and the ones the country has put on the US in response could seriously harm the EV industry here in the states. The European Union has been thinking about opening up its doors to more Chinese electric vehicles, which would likely ding American automakers. Many Chinese-made EVs are significantly more budget-friendly than their American-made counterparts.

For instance, the BYD Seagull hatchback would cost just $9,600 in US dollars. Chinese EV manufacturers are also making strides in the world of autonomous driving.

As for the tariffs, who knows what the future will bring. Maybe they’ll go away tomorrow or maybe President Trump will whip out his poison pen and increase them tenfold on a whim. What a nice predictable world we live in.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-halts-model-s-and-x-sales-in-china-due-to-tariffs-185752814.html?src=rss

Tequila Works, the Spanish developer that created games like Rime and Gylt and published games like The Sexy Brutale, is auctioning off its intellectual property (via VGC). The studio filed for insolvency in 2024 after “prolonged market conditions” made it financially-difficult to stay above water.

The games and IP rights available to bid on at auction site Escrapalia include Tequila Works’ first game Deadlight, Rime and its horror adventure game Gylt. The company is also auctioning off in-development projects, including “The Ancient Mariner,” “Dungeon Tour” and “Brawler Crawler.” 

Prior to it filing for insolvency and Tequila Works’ founders stepping down, the studio released Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, one of the games on the short-lived Riot Forge publishing label. Riot announced it was shutting down Riot Forge in January 2024. The label published League of Legends spin-off games in variety of different genres, including turn-based RPG Ruined King, 2D action RPGThe Mageseeker, and more.

Back in 2022, Tencent acquired a controlling stake in Tequila Works, a connection that made sense given the Chinese company also owns Riot. Contraction across the games industry, the failure of Riot Forge games to connect with a larger audience and Tequila Work’s Gylt starting life as a Google Stadia-exclusive all likely contributed to the studio’s current position.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-rights-for-tequila-workss-games-are-up-for-auction-after-insolvency-filing-193627934.html?src=rss

With the recent confirmation of Mark Meador as Federal Trade Commissioner, the Republicans now have a 3-0 majority at the FTC, giving President Donald Trump broad control over what was once an aggressive business regulator under former FTC chair Lina Khan.

The vote fell along party lines, with all Senate Democrats voting against confirming Meador. Under normal circumstances three Republican members at the FTC is expected. Whichever party the president represents typically holds three seats, while the other party holds two. What makes the new Republican majority unusual is that Trump fired the Democrat Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter in March, something that’s not supposed to happen without “good cause.”

The FTC, like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is technically part of the executive branch, but exists independently of the rest of the government, with the current president adding new members as terms end or in the rare case there’s good cause to remove a commissioner, like if they’re found guilty of malfeasance or neglecting their duties. 

An executive order Trump signed in February 2025 sought to exert more control over these independent organizations in the name of “accountability.” That was the primary justification for removing Bedoya and Slaughter, both of which are fighting their termination in court. 

Given the actions Biden’s FTC took against corporate America, like suing John Deere over unfair practices and leading antitrust investigations into Meta, Amazon, Google and Apple, it makes sense business-friendly Republicans would prefer less pushback from Democrats. That doesn’t make anything that’s happening legal, though.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-now-has-full-control-of-the-ftc-180816016.html?src=rss

Folks in the UK may be able to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2 now, but Americans are still waiting for their time to shine. Switch 2 pre-orders in the US remain indefinitely delayed. In response to new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, Nintendo delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. Canadians will also have to wait as Nintendo has now also indefinitely delayed pre-orders in that country as well, according to a report from MobileSyrup and confirmed by Walmart of Canada via a post on X.

According a statement Nintendo provided to Engadget: “Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.”

President Trump recently announced a 90-day pause on steep “reciprocal” tariffs affecting 75 countries, but also announced that the tariff imposed on China will go up to 125 percent (we now know it’s up to 145 percent for that country).

It’s still unclear what this could mean for Switch 2 pre-orders and pricing, but we do know this: Nintendo started moving some of its Switch console manufacturing to Vietnam in 2019. The reciprocal tariff for Vietnam was set to be 46 percent, but with this latest announcement, that appears to be on hold for now in favor of a 10 percent reciprocal tariff that’s now in effect for the 90-day pause period.

The latest speculation is that Nintendo will ramp up production of Switch 2 units in Vietnam so it can ship them to the U.S. on schedule, and possibly even selling them at a loss in the short term.

Nintendo had previously announced the April 9 pre-order date for North America, along with the June 5 date for wider availability. The starting price was to be $450, but that could change now in response to the proposed tariffs. Participating retailers will also be selling the Switch 2 when it eventually makes its way to the U.S. We expect those to include Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and others.

There’s some fine-print attached to pre-ordering directly from Nintendo. According to the pre-order page on Nintendo’s site, you must be 18 years or older, sign in with your Nintendo account and register your interest in pre-ordering. Then, you’ll be sent an invitation email when it’s time to play your pre-order, and the invitation will be valid for 72 hours. And then there’s this bit of info: “Invitation emails will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025.”

That seems to mean those who have paid for Switch Online in the recent past and those who have spent a good amount of time playing Switch games as of late will get first pick at buying a Switch 2. There’s no telling if these same restrictions will apply if you want to pre-order from third-party retailers.

We knew from the teaser trailer for the Switch 2 that Nintendo’s new hardware would be bigger and would have a new approach to the detachable Joy-Cons. The new Joy-Con 2 have a new C button, mouse controls and a built in gyroscope for tilt control. The console has a built-in mic to support a new feature called Game Chat that will let you communicate with friends in-game. The device is indeed a bit larger, with a 7.9-inch LCD screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR and a 1080p resolution.

When docked, you’ll be able to play at up to 4K on your TV, and Nintendo says it improved the consoles internal speakers as well. The new dock also has a built-in fan to keep the console cool and help maintain performance during long play sessions. The Switch 2 has dual USB-C ports for charging, and the base storage amount has increased to 256GB. The Switch 2’s storage can be expanded like the previous model, but it will only work with newer microSD Express cards.

The Switch 2 has a number of accessories that you’ll be able to purchase separately as well, including the new Switch 2 camera for $50, a new Switch 2 Pro controller for $80, an extra pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers for $90, a Joy-Con 2 charging grip for $35 and more. However, considering the new question of tariffs, it’s unclear if those accessory prices will change before customers can actually order the gear.

Pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 from:

• Nintendo

• Amazon

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-pre-orders-release-date-prices-delays-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-140931024.html?src=rss

WhatsApp just rolled out a dozen new features. Most of these are small, but they add up to a fairly substantial software update. Let’s go over some of the more notable additions.

Chats now allow for tappable reactions, which is basically like adding a thumbs up to someone else’s reaction. Group chats feature an indicator that lets users know how many people are actually online. This will be right underneath the group name. Solo conversations now offer the ability to create an event, complete with an RSVP mechanic. This event can also be pinned in the chat.

There are a couple of chat tools just for iPhone users, including the ability to scan and send documents directly from the app. Users can also now set WhatsApp as the default messaging and calling app on iPhones.

Calls finally have their own dedicated tab, which is where folks go to make calls, share call links and manage their history. Users can also add someone from a video call directly from a chat thread. Video calls now offer a pinch to zoom feature, but only on iPhones. WhatsApp also says it has updated its technology for smoother video calls.

Channel admins can now record and share short videos with followers and there are voice message transcripts available on the Channels tab. Finally, admins can share QR codes that link directly to the channel.

WhatsApp says that more features and updates are on the way, so we’ll let you know when new stuff drops. The app has been busy lately. It’s been testing reply threads and has finally added a long-requested drafts feature.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-just-got-a-bunch-of-new-features-including-document-scanning-151607441.html?src=rss