Apple’s latest MacBook Air is getting the Black Friday treatment, dropping to a new best price of $849 on Amazon, a rare 23 percent off its original $1,099 price. That’s an absolutely lit discount for a laptop that’s only been out for about eight months, and doubly so because Apple tends to be stingy with its sales. This 13.6-inch laptop features Apple’s speedy M3 chip, which is phenomenal for multitasking, streaming content, and even casual gaming. The 16GB of RAM ensures you have a smooth experience no matter what you’re doing. This is a productivity powerhouse. But if there’s one thing that truly sets MacBooks apart from their counterparts, it’s their gorgeous displays equipped with Liquid Retina technology. The latest MacBook Air is no different, delivering vibrant colors and sharp details and an overall great viewing experience. Also worth noting is this laptop’s incredible battery life. Apple claims you can get up to 18 hours of active use on a full charge, so you won’t have to worry about taking the charger with you if you decide to work out of a coffee shop, for instance. This is a stunning early Black Friday deal that you don’t want to miss, especially if you’ve been eyeing a MacBook Air for a while. Save $250 on this MacBook Air M3 on Amazon while you still can! This MacBook Air M3 is the perfect Black Friday treatBuy now on Amazon Read...

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The Trump administration will arrive in Washington this coming January with an enormous question mark over its head: Will Trump deliver on his promise to impose tariffs of up to 60 percent, and how will that affect the technology products that Americans buy? The short answer? No one really knows. For now, however, we have to take Trump’s words at face value, even if Trump eventually changes his mind. And if we do that, we can point you to where you’ll be paying more. Specifically, Trump’s statements indicate that two tariffs would be imposed: a flat tariff of about 10 percent on all imports, plus an additional 60 percent tariff on goods imported from China. The Consumer Technology Association has estimated that, based on current levels and patterns of trade, the effective tariff on Chinese goods will go up as high as 80.6 percent. Major consumer organizations, though, have begun calculating what these tariffs will cost American consumers. Prior to the election, the Consumer Technology Association said that the tariffs would raise laptop and tablet prices by 46 percent. On Nov. 4, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimated that prices on “household appliances” would rise by 19 to 31 percent, and the price of toys would rise between 36 and 56 percent. The Center for American Progress (CAP) calculates that the average American family will pay up to $3,900 more per year, across the board, under the plan. Though Congress has the power to impose tariffs, it can cede the power to the President. Trump used Section 301 of the Trade Act during his first term, when he levied a smaller “retaliatory” tariff against Chinese imports (specifically solar panels, steel, and consumer goods), which the Tax Foundation considered to be a $80 billion tax hike on the American taxpayer, according to the Tax Foundation. However, President Biden left virtually all of those tariffs in place, the organization found. The National Retail Federation has projected two scenarios: a 10% or 20% tariff imposed on every country, and either a 70% or 120% tariff imposed on Chinese goods. The estimated effects of both are listed here. What is a tariff? A tariff is a fee imposed by a government to import goods. Economically, it’s a lever that a government can pull to push its citizens into buying more domestically. It works most effectively, however, when the countries in question both produce a common good, such as wheat. If a country like China manufactures a television or motherboard that an American citizen can’t buy from an American manufacturer, the American buyer has no choice; they must pay the tariff regardless. Here’s the way a tariff works: A tariff is a fee imposed at the point of entry. If a retailer wants to import a Chinese-made Blu-ray player, that retailer will buy the player for a certain cost — say, $100. At U.S. customs, the tariff is imposed: If the retailer wants to import that player, it must pay (in this case) 60 percent of the cost, or $60. (Foreign shippers, such as a Chinese company, do not pay the tariffs.) The retailer is going to resell the Blu-ray player for a markup, anyway — let’s assume 30 percent. If there was no tariff, the consumer would pay $100+ 30 percent, or $130, for the right to run down to Best Buy or Target and pick up the player. Retailers aren’t likely to absorb the cost that any tariffs bring.Best Buy With the tariff, the retailer has to make a choice: Absorb the cost of the tariff and sell the player at or near the original price of $130, or pass along the tariff’s cost to the consumer. Given that a retailer has an obligation to make money, the common belief is that the retailer would opt for the latter choice and make the consumer pay. Now, our hypothetical Blu-ray player costs $100 plus the tariff’s 60 percent ($160), plus the 30 percent retailer markup: $208. That’s a difference of $78 from the original, pre-tariff price to the higher, post-tariff price. “In brief, we find that the additional costs associated with these proposed tariffs would be too large for U.S. retailers to absorb and, when passed on to consumers, would result in prices higher than many consumers would be willing or able to pay,” the NRF said. “Some consumers would stop purchasing the items and demand would fall.” Whether you characterize the tariff as an effective tax, as CAP does, or simply inflationary, the simple answer is that the Trump tariffs will likely raise prices. What will Trump’s tariffs do to the price of tech products? That’s the simple math. The problem is that electronics manufacturing is anything but simple. Companies like Plugable have already made contingency plans to leave China, though tariffs really didn’t play a part.Mark Hachman / IDG Laptops, smartphones, and other complex electronic devices contain varying numbers of components, many of them sourced from China — but also from Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Asia. Some peripherals — especially peripherals like USB-C hubs, for example — ship directly to Amazon, produced by a variety of small Chinese startups. Intel manufactures its chips in countries like Israel, Ireland, and others, but packages them in still other countries, such as Malaysia. Tariffs are still assessed, whether on the individual components or the finished goods. Other companies, such as peripherals maker Plugable, have moved their operations out of China. Plugable moved because of intellectual property concerns, but a variety of reasons have prompted manufacturers to distance themselves from China, IDC analyst Phil Solis wrote in an email. (IDC is owned by IDG, which owns PCWorld.) “It is important to note that because of the tariffs introduced in President-elect Trump’s first term and kept in place by the Biden administration, the supply chain disruption from the global COVID-19 pandemic, countries looking to increase manufacturing jobs, and the potential for an escalation of the trade war, companies have already been shifting manufacturing to other countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, India, and Brazil,” Solis wrote. “The semiconductor ecosystem has seen chip fabs being built in countries around the world with government investments to help,” Solis added. “If tariffs were to focus only on China, the effects would be lessened overall by the fact that many companies have already shifted manufacturing to other countries from China or are planning to do so because of President-elect Trump’s statements about tariffs.” The Consumer Technology Association’s estimates on how much the proposed Trump tariffs will cost the average U.S. family.Consumer Technology Association The CTA found that the current tariff on lithium-ion batteries — currently the highest the CTA tracked, at 5.9 percent — would go up to 50.5 percent under the new plan. Laptops and tablets would go from zero to 57.3 percent. Video games could be the hardest hit, with tariffs that would increase from zero to 62 percent. That will raise prices across the board, the CTA estimated. The average laptop price will increase by $357. Oddly, the CTA was much more optimistic in terms of desktops, as prices might only increase by $74. Here, though, the tariffs would have their desired effect, as Chinese imports would essentially vanish. The price of computer monitors, many of which are imported from China, would increase by 31 percent or an average of $109. Smartphone prices would increase by $213 (if a price of $816 is used as a baseline), the CTA found. Smartwatch prices would jump $37. Television prices might only go up $48 — but the cheapest TVs, such as those made by Chinese brands like TCL, might face relatively steep price increases. But it’s the price of video-game consoles that tech enthusiasts should worry about, with tariff costs potentially adding $246 to the total price. Consumer Technology Association The NRF didn’t focus on consumer tech products, per se. Its examination of “household appliances” comes closest, with its estimates of prices for items like refrigerators, toasters, and ovens. Still, consumers are likely to pay between $126 to $202 more for a $650 refrigerator, the NRF found. Can tariffs be avoided? Yes, they can, if only because Trump is a negotiator. As Bloomberg noted, Apple chief executive Tim Cook essentially talked Apple out of the first Trump tariffs simply by flying to Trump’s New Jersey golf club and making his case. But that strategy has only seemed to work when individual company executives meet Trump one-on-one. For now, tech companies haven’t had to answer the tough questions on how they plan to weather any Trump tariffs. Election Day (Nov. 5) fell shortly after major chipmakers like AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm reported earnings, which are accompanied by a routine grilling of executives by Wall Street analysts. Next up is Nvidia, which reports earnings on Nov. 20, followed by Dell on Nov. 26. Meanwhile, contract manufacturer and iPhone builder Foxconn said Thursday, Nov. 14 that it’s diversifying its supply chain, and its chairman said that “it’s uncertain” what policies Trump will implement. Foxconn was the crown jewel of a 2017 plan to bring foreign manufacturing to the U.S., under Trump. It went bust. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that corporations will keep prices down, even if they’re not subject to tariffs — one of the underlying issues of the Biden presidency. Could this year’s Black Friday be the last before tariffs kick in?Amazon, Apple Snopes.com pointed out a 2020 economic paper that found that the price of clothes dryers rose by about 12 percent in 2012 and 2016, when the U.S. placed antidumping duties, or tariffs, on China and South Korea. The problem? Washing machines were the subject of the tariffs, not dryers. But dryer prices went up anyway. Preventing that is up to U.S. government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission…which may or may not face cuts by the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. There are other corollary costs consumers could face: Proposed tariffs on cars imported from Mexico, and the phasing out of the federal tax credit for electric vehicles. Mario Morales, another IDC analyst, said he’s more concerned about the potential effects of the CHIPS Act, which hasn’t really paid out any substantial amounts of funding — and that Trump has promised to rework. What about immigration? That’s left even more uncertainty in the supply chain. There’s even the very real possibility of a tariff war or trade war, where other countries place tariffs on American goods. U.S. exports then fall, hurting American companies. But it might not be China that imposes it, but Trump. In 2023, Trump suggested levying the exact same tariff other countries place on the U.S., as a retaliatory measure. Basically, we don’t know for sure what will happen. That’s left some in the industry scratching their heads, wondering whether tariffs will turn out to be another Trump bluff, or the last opportunity to grab a bargain during Black Friday 2024 before prices jump hundreds of dollars next year. Is normalcy still a possibility? Analysts hope so. “Hopefully cooler heads prevail over time,” IDC’s Morales said. Read...

Whether you want some extra storage space for your smartphone or tablet, got a new GoPro, dashcam, or security system, a speedy microSD card is something that can always come in handy. And right now, you might want to snag this one — even if it’s “just in case” — because SanDisk’s 256GB microSD is absurdly cheap at just $21 on Amazon. This early Black Friday deal cuts the price down by 67 percent, down from its original $60. Big savings! With read speeds of up to 100MB/s, anything you store on this card can be transferred fast between devices. Also, this is a Class 10 V30 card, so it’s fast and stable enough to record 1080p and 4K video without any lost frames. It’s perfect for GoPros, dashcams, and security cameras. The available 256GB of capacity should provide a nice boost of additional storage for your device, no matter what you’re using it for. Generally, even if you’re recording in 4K, this card will have enough space to get you through a full day of filming. And this tiny microSD card was built to survive your adventures just fine, as it’s resistant to water, shocks, extreme temperatures, humidity, and even magnets. Plus, it comes with an SD adapter for hassle-free use on your laptop, desktop PC, etc. Take advantage of this early Black Friday deal and get this 256GB microSD card for its best price yet on Amazon! SanDisk`s 256GB microSD card just hit its all-time best priceBuy now on Amazon Read...

Every so often, when looking up deals, we do a little happy dance because we spot a deal that’s just so good. Here’s one such case: these Bose QuietComfort headphones are down to $199 now, a solid 43 percent discount from their original $349. The Bose QuietComfort is one of the best headphones out there, a perfect mix between comfortable design and advanced noise canceling technology. Whether you want to focus on work in your home office, get some peace and quiet on an airplane, or just chill to music on your public commute, these will serve you well. And as the name suggests, these headphones are designed for maximum comfort with plush ear cushions and a lightweight build. They also promise high-fidelity audio — clear and detailed sound to make your latest musical obsession that much nicer to listen to. These headphones have a battery life of up to 24 hours, and a quick 15-minute recharge is enough to restore 2.5 hours of playback. You can plug these in while you grab the last of your things before leaving home and still have enough juice to carry you through to your destination. Why should you jump on this deal? Because it’s the absolute best price you can get for these headphones. The Bose QuietComfort usually go on sale for around $230 to $250, and the only time they ever dropped to $199 was on Prime Day with a Prime membership. Right now, anyone can snag the Bose QuietComfort headphones for $199 on Amazon! So if you’re interested, order them quick while you still can. These Bose QuietComfort headphones have never been cheaperBuy now on Amazon Read...

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