Entertainment
Will Trumps tariffs make costs explode for this years most anticipated products?
Tech lovers: Bigger price tags may be on the horizon.
The incoming Trump administration has proposed a sweeping economic agenda that includes controversially high tariffs on imported goods, and while the plan has reportedly fluctuated over the last month, the President-elect argues increased tariffs on imports is the best way to pay for sweeping tax cuts and reduce the amount of drugs and immigrant workers coming into the U.S.
The more likely result? Higher prices for consumers and their favorite foreign-made goods.
Analysts and businesses themselves have warned about the potential price surge, and predict that Trump’s current tariff plan would have disproportionate effects on consumer goods and electronics made in China, as the President-elect proposes blanket tariffs on all imports and a levy on Chinese goods that could be upwards of 60 percent.
According to reports from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), this policy path would have a net negative effect on purchasing power for U.S. consumers in the tech market, which could see a $90 to $143 billion decline over the next year.
Meanwhile, the consumer tech industry is still on track for multi-billion dollar revenues in 2025, with the Consumer Technology Association predicting a $537 billion market in 2025. This year may see a reverse of the previous, which recorded dismal sales in its first half. For now, the industry’s innovators and sales-folk aren’t slowing down.
The annual Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES), which is produced by the CTA, unveiled everything from stair-climbing robot vacuums (well, sort of) to a laptop that unrolls itself into a bigger display.
But Trump’s tariff crackdown may affect the kinds of products that make up CES’ bread and butter, including the non-automobile lithium-ion batteries powering portable electronics, televisions, computer accessories, PCs, laptops, tablets, and other connected devices, among others, writes Business Insider. Around a quarter of CES exhibitioners are made up of Chinese AI hardware and robotics firms this year, the Information reports, amid an ongoing tech and AI race between the U.S. and China. In a statement to the Global Times, China’s display maker BOE explained it has doubled its exhibition area since 2024, with more than 1,000 registered Chinese companies in attendance.
Speaking in Las Vegas this week, CES organizers made an indirect jab at Trump’s economic plan to the international crowd: “To keep our economies thriving and inflation in check, we need policies that enable startups, allow businesses to flourish, and create the next generation of tech leaders — policies that create rules of the road for tech companies and offer guardrails to protect safety, privacy, and fairness,” said CES CEO Gary Shapiro. “Here in the U.S., that means finding a way to break through the gridlock and pass sensible immigration reforms to promote highly skilled immigration and recognizing that tariffs are taxes paid for by American businesses and the American people and the world.”
Companies and brands at the showcase are taking a much less vocal approach to the looming levies, either avoiding discussion of tariffs or taking a “wait and see” stance as they debut new products.
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“We will keep monitoring global regulations and will take strategic actions that increase our operational resilience, which includes being closer to the markets with a shorter supply chain so that we can act faster,” said Lisa Emard, Acer’s Director of Media Relations, in a comment to Mashable. “We work with ODMs (original design manufacturers) for manufacturing of our computers and in some regions, we have our own final assembly lines to increase our flexibility to meet local customer needs. Currently we also have manufacturing and assembly capacity in Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, and the United States.”
Behind the scenes, some, like Apple, have tried to shift away from Chinese-dependent supply chains in recent years, with mixed results.
Consumers, on the other hand, are raring to go in a market full of shiny new products. Here’s where some of CES’ most anticipated showings fit into the country’s potential economic future.
Vacuum cleaners
With Chinese companies quickly taking over the market for home cleaning electronics, consumers may first feel the tariff pinch as they shop for increasingly more expensive vacuum cleaners — including the robotic ones.
And CES exhibitors showcased a veritable army of new robotic vacuums this year. The Roborock Saros Z70 has an extendable arm that can help pick up obstacles in its path, while the Dreame X50 Ultra can breeze over thresholds that other vacuums balk at — as long as they’re not taller than two inches.
Computers, tablets, and smartphones
In its most recent report, the CTA estimates that Trump’s economic plan could bump up the average price of laptops and tablets as high as 47 percent — that’s a $200 to $350 margin. Due to rising prices, laptop sales overall could take a 68 percent hit in 2025, according to the CTA.
Those in the market for their own Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable (a laptop that can enlarge itself) or Nvidia’s personal AI supercomputer may be inclined to get in early, then. New products from brands like Alienware and Acer could also feel the pressure later on, and monitors, like LG’s buzzy 5K2K bendable gaming monitor, aren’t safe from price hikes.
Gaming consoles
The CTA estimates that gaming consoles will see an average $250 increase from their current sales price, which, at the extreme, could drop sales by as much as 58 percent.
Notable CES showings include the handheld hybrid Acer Nitro Blaze 11 and the third-party SteamOS powered Lenovo Legion Go S.
Smart TVs
With AI set to innovate the somewhat bloated market of smart TVs, the products themselves may see up to a nine percent price increase in prices under the new tariff plan.
At CES, Samsung’s Neo QLED, OLED and QLED, and The Frame models, as well as LG’s OLED evo lineup debuted with a new suite of AI features. Samsung and LG also announced partnerships with Microsoft’s Copilot AI, and Google unveiled it would be bringing Gemini AI to TVs, too.
Battery-powered TVs, like LG’s StanByMe 2, could also take a hit.
Tech-boosted vehicles
Trump’s tariff plan could also bump up the price of vehicles in the U.S., including from American-made brands, with some experts estimating a $600 to $2,500 price increase per vehicle. And while Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese assembled vehicles would certainly be hit by a country-specific tariff plan, the fate of other foreign vehicles is up-in-the-air.
CES audiences were introduced to the AFEELA 1 Signature, a brainchild of Sony and Honda, that debuted at CES this year with LiDAR cameras, touchless doors, and a Sony PlayStation 5 controller that you can literally game with. It’s already sitting pretty with a six figure price tag.
Entertainment
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allegedly practicing medicine without a license
Pennsylvania has taken the unusual step of suing an AI company for practicing medicine without a license.
In a lawsuit filed May 1, the state is targeting Character.AI after an investigator found a chatbot on the platform posing as a licensed psychiatrist and providing what the state characterizes as medical advice.
According to the complaint, filed by the Pennsylvania Department of State and State Board of Medicine, a Professional Conduct Investigator for the state created a free account on Character.AI and searched for psychiatric characters. He selected one called “Emilie,” described on the platform as a “Doctor of psychiatry.”
The investigator told Emilie he had been feeling sad, empty, tired, and unmotivated. The chatbot mentioned depression and offered to conduct an assessment to determine whether medication might help.
When pressed on whether she was licensed in Pennsylvania, Emilie said she was and even provided a specific license number. The state checked and found that the number doesn’t exist.
The complaint also states Emilie claimed she attended medical school at Imperial College London, has practiced for seven years, and holds a full specialty registration in psychiatry with the General Medical Council in the UK.
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In a similar case, 404 Media reported last year that Instagram AI chatbots were pretending to be licensed therapists, even inventing license numbers when prompted for credentials by the user.
Pennsylvania is seeking an injunction ordering Character.AI to stop allowing its platform to engage in the unlawful practice of medicine. The company has more than 20 million monthly active users worldwide and hosts more than 18 million user-created chatbot characters, according to the complaint.
In an email to Mashable, a Character.AI spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit. Further, they added that “our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our users. The user-created Characters on our site are fictional and intended for entertainment and roleplaying.”
The spokesperson added that the company “prioritizes responsible product development and has robust internal reviews and red-teaming processes in place to assess relevant features.”
A much bigger legal battle looms over AI health
The Pennsylvania lawsuit lands in the middle of an already messy legal debate over what AI is actually allowed to tell you — and whether any of it is even admissible in court.
As Mashable’s Chase DiBenedetto reported, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly advocated for “AI privilege,” arguing that chatbot conversations should be afforded the same legal protections as conversations with a therapist or an attorney. Courts have so far been split, with two federal judges reaching opposite conclusions on the question within weeks of each other earlier this year.
The stakes are high on both sides. Legal experts warn that sweeping AI privilege protections could effectively shield companies from accountability, making it harder to subpoena chat logs and internal records when something goes wrong. Meanwhile, health AI is booming — $1.4 billion flowed into healthcare-specific generative AI in 2025 alone, according to Menlo Ventures — and much of it operates outside of HIPAA protections.
Pennsylvania is one of several states to have introduced an AI Health bill this year, following a trend of states that aren’t waiting for Washington to act.
Entertainment
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Bayern Munich vs. PSG would have made an amazing Champions League final, but we should be happy that we’re getting two matchups between these electric teams. The first leg finished 5-4 to PSG. We’re not expecting the same again, because that was probably one of the best games of all time. If we get half that level of entertainment in the second leg, we’ll be delighted.
Expect more of the same from the likes of Michael Olise and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as these teams battle it out for a spot in the showpiece event. The winner will meet Arsenal at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Bayern Munich vs. PSG?
Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on May 6. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free
Bayern Munich vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.
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RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
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Visit RTÉ Player
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Watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
AI stocks are cooling — this ChatGPT trading tool keeps delivering
TL;DR: A ChatGPT-powered investing platform that helps you find and manage stocks with clearer signals—lifetime access for a one-time $54.97.
Credit: Sterling Stock Picker
The AI trade has seemingly had its moment — big runs, big headlines, big expectations. The AI fun is not over by any means. But now that things are settling, the real question is what comes next?
Instead of chasing whatever’s trending, Sterling Stock Picker leans into a more grounded approach: using a ChatGPT-powered assistant (Finley) to help you understand what’s actually happening inside a stock. You can ask questions about companies, sectors, or your own portfolio and get explanations that are tied to real data — not just surface-level summaries.
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It also handles the heavy lifting most people avoid. The platform analyzes financials, growth metrics, and risk, then surfaces signals like whether a stock is worth buying, holding, or avoiding. There’s even a “North Star” system that simplifies that call into something actionable.
Mashable Trend Report
If you’re building from scratch, there’s a done-for-you portfolio builder that aligns with your risk tolerance. If you already have positions, it can suggest adjustments based on your portfolio’s performance.
One thing that stands out is how it balances guidance with transparency. You’re not just handed picks — you can see the reasoning behind them, which matters if you’re trying to build a repeatable process.
Have a lifetime way to pressure-test your judgment — especially in a market that’s moving past hype and into something more selective.
Get lifetime access to the ChatGPT-driven Sterling Stock Picker while it’s on sale for a one-time $54.97 payment (reg. $486) through May 10.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allegedly practicing medicine without a license
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
