Meet Manus, an AI that thinks on its own. What it means for your job and the future of work. Plus, futuristic laptops, Millennials’ biggest parenting regrets, and a message sent 15 billion miles into the unknown.
Your tech is about to get expensive
ChatGPT
If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your phone, laptop or maybe finally grabbing that gaming console, here’s your sign: Do. It. Now. Not “next paycheck” now. But now.
🚨 Thanks to a fresh batch of tariffs, tech prices are about to go full popcorn ceiling, high and not looking cute.
What’s happening?
As of April 2, 2025, President Trump rolled out hefty tariffs targeting electronics imported from three countries that, spoiler alert, make tons of our gadgets.
Here’s the breakdown: Chinese goods now face a 54% tariff, Vietnam is hit with 46%, and India gets 27%.
Most of our electronics come straight from these countries.
Translation: The next wave of iPhones, laptops, TVs and consoles will cost more before they even hit the boat.
But how much more?
Grab a stress ball.
- The base model iPhone 16, currently $799, could jump to around $1,142. And the iPhone 16 Pro Max? Try nearly $2,300. Nearly all iPhones are made in China.
- Around 80% of laptops (and tablets) sold in the U.S. are made in China. With that 54% tariff, you’re looking at about $350 added to your next laptop.
- Most gaming consoles are built in China and Vietnam. Prices could jump 58%, meaning a $500 console could soon cost you $790. Nintendo already delayed preorders for the upcoming Switch 2 because of tariffs.
- Tariffs on Chinese-made e-bikes soared to 79%.
⏰ Why you need to act now
The tariffs only apply to new imports. What’s in stores and warehouses right now was brought in before the tariffs hit. But once that inventory is gone, up go prices.
Meet your future robot coworker
Humanoid robots have come a long way. In 2000, Honda’s $2.5 million ASIMO could barely shuffle along at 1 mph. Now, robots are running, flipping and handling customer service. Let’s dive into the robot revolution.
🚗 A parent’s worst nightmare: An Uber driver recently took off with a sleeping 5-year-old daughter still in the back. The mom, Julia, called 911, but Uber refused to call the driver without paperwork. It took Toronto cops over an hour to find the girl safe. Uber’s apology? A $10 future ride credit, because nothing says “sorry, we misplaced your child” like one free quarter-ride to Chili’s.
7,000 miles
That’s the range of the U.S. military’s MQ-9B spy drone. The twist? It just got a whole lot deadlier. They’ve strapped a 25-kilowatt laser to it that can melt incoming kamikaze drones and missiles right out of the sky. And it doesn’t stop there: The laser can be scaled up to 300kW in future versions.
📖 Plot twist: Looking for fresh reads? Check out Wattpad, where hobbyist writers and future best-selling authors share everything from romance and sci-fi to thrillers and fan fiction. Many stories you can read without an account, or sign up for free to unlock more. Feeling inspired? Publish your own.
The future of laptops
My job is to keep you ahead of the curve, so you know what’s worth your hard-earned money and what’s just hype. One reader recently asked me: Where are laptops going next? Let’s break it down.
As AI gets better, imagine a bot that automates boring laptop tasks like booking flights, ordering groceries or organizing your files. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs promise to do just that.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
AI is taking these jobs and creating these jobs
© Dzmitry Auramchik | Dreamstime.com
You’ve probably seen the headlines: “AI is coming for all our jobs.” But instead of you panicking, I did the hard work for you. I tracked down the 290-page Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum and actually read it.
🤓 Lost your glasses? Save a digital copy of your prescription, so it’s always handy while you’re away from home. On iPhone, open the Health app > Browse > Body Measurements > Vision Prescription > Add a Prescription. Tap Add once you’ve filled in your info. Android crew, scan your card and upload it to Google Drive. The future is 20/20, but only in your file storage settings.
$10,000 an hour
What lawyers might charge in the future, according to the LexisNexis CEO. With AI doing the grunt work like digging up case law and writing summaries, they’ll have more time to focus on the important stuff. Better service, bigger bills. Let’s just hope these lawyers do their due diligence and fact-check the work. In my humble opinion, at $10K an hour, your lawyer should also do your taxes, walk your dog and solve your childhood trauma.
$5,750
That’s how much Jeff Bezos’ future wife Lauren Sánchez’s coffee cup costs. Well, sort of. It’s actually a special designer Balenciaga handbag called the “9 AM Clutch.” Dumb.
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Save time in Microsoft Word with Quick Parts. It stores things like text, graphics or whole paragraphs to use them again in future docs. Just highlight it and go to Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
🗣️ Speak up, please: If you haven’t tried this yet, it’s slick. Otter’s AI bot already takes notes and summarizes meetings. Now, its Meeting Agent answers questions, drafts emails and schedules future meetings. Score. Use it on Zoom for free; coming soon to Teams and Google Meet.
The future of robotics: A Swedish startup just built “Luna,” a robot dog that adapts like a human — no preprogrammed data, no training simulations. Instead, it’s one of the first examples of physical agentic AI, meaning it can think, make decisions and act on its own. Since it learns through experience, they’re going to hire a dog trainer to teach it. Wild. Watch it here.
▶️ YouTube first impressions: A channel trailer gives future subscribers a taste of what to expect. Just sign into YouTube Studio > Customization > Layout. Click ADD under Video Spotlight to choose a video as your trailer, then hit Publish. Pro tip: Upload a custom video and mention your release schedule, so folks come back for more.
Kim Komando Show Preview: The world’s most advanced chatbot
Meet Manus, an AI that thinks on its own. What it means for your job and the future of work. Plus, futuristic laptops, Millennials’ biggest parenting regrets, and a message sent 15 billion miles into the unknown.
More replies = more reach: Want more engagement on social media? Accounts that reply to comments within 30 minutes see 50% more engagement on future posts. Stay on top of it by turning on post notifications. Look under Settings > Privacy > Notifications.
The future is clear: Meta’s new Aria Gen 2 glasses check your heart rate, and more health tools are coming. They’re working with Envision to help folks who are blind walk around safely with the glasses’ AI assistant. If that’s you or someone in your life, sign up here for updates.