Lilbits: 100% tariffs on semiconductor chips, Copilot for PC gaming, and better touchpad support for Android

President Trump has announced plans to impose tariffs of 100% on semiconductors entering the United States, which could dramatically drive up the price of computers, phones, cars, and a wide range of products that rely on those chips.

There is a carveout for companies that have committed to manufacturing chips in the United States. With Apple announcing plans to invest $600 billion in US manufacturing, the company is able to avoid these impending tariffs… even though it doesn't actually manufacture its own chips and instead relies on other companies to do that.

Apple's laptops, desktops, tablets, and phones all use Apple-designed chips, which are primarily manufactured by overseas partners like TSMC

Anyway, its likely that the costs of electronics will go up no matter what – either companies will have to pay more to import semiconductors or spend more money ramping up manufacturing capabilities in the US, where labor costs also tend to be higher than overseas.

Here's a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.

The Trump administration could impose a 100% tariff on imports of semiconductor chips, with an exception for companies like Apple that have committed to manufacturing in the US. One way or another, expect electronics prices to go up though. www.bloomberg.com/news/article…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 6, 2025 at 6:34 PM

Open source, cross-platform audio editor Audacity has added beta support for Windows on ARM, but plugins aren't supported. Audacity 3.75 also brings bug fixes and support for importing 32-bit FLAC files. www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/08/auda…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 6, 2025 at 12:07 PM

Google is bringing support for new touchpad features to Android, including support for using a 3-finger tap as a middle click, back, home, or recent apps button, or to launch Gemini or other apps. www.androidauthority.com/android-touc…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 5, 2025 at 12:42 PM

Microsoft releases Gaming Copilot (Beta) to Xbox Insiders, promising an AI companion "to help get you past those obstacles." A handheld-optimized version for the ROG Xbox Ally is also under development. news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/0…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 6, 2025 at 1:45 PM

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