Tariffs, Tech & Turmoil: How Trade Wars Impact Us All (S4) S16

🔥 In this must-hear episode of The JMOR Tech Talk Show, we unpack a bold new proposal from Donald Trump — a 145% tariff on Chinese imports — and how this could send shockwaves through the tech world. From Apple’s production lines to your next iPhone bill, we break down the tech, trade, and tension in 14 vital points. If you're thinking about buying a new device or investing in tech, this episode is your roadmap to what’s coming next.🎧 Catch the latest episode within 24 hours: The JMOR Tech Talk Show🌐 Exclusive content: BelieveMeAchieve.com📦 Trump proposes 145% tariff on Chinese importsDonald Trump’s proposed 145% tariff on Chinese imports is sending tremors through the global economy. This isn’t your everyday policy tweak—it’s an aggressive stance that could disrupt global trade relationships. For the tech industry, which depends heavily on Chinese manufacturing, such a tariff would massively inflate the cost of doing business. It could push companies to shift their entire logistics operations, which is neither quick nor cheap.🏭 Most iPhones are produced in ChinaApple’s dependence on China is no secret. Over 90% of iPhones are assembled there, primarily by manufacturing giant Foxconn. China offers Apple vast infrastructure, low labor costs, and streamlined logistics. But that also makes Apple extremely vulnerable. A tariff of this scale could make the cost of each iPhone jump significantly, purely due to its geographic origin.💰 Tariffs could significantly increase iPhone pricesSo what does that mean for you, the consumer? A big hit to your wallet. If the 145% tariff is enacted, iPhones and other Apple products made in China will see massive price hikes. This isn’t just about Apple—it affects laptops, accessories, and even competing brands like Lenovo or Samsung, depending on where their parts are sourced. Retailers may raise prices across the board to maintain margins, creating a ripple effect for the entire industry.📱 iPhone 16 may cost up to $800 moreSome analysts predict that the upcoming iPhone 16 could cost as much as $800 more if the tariff is applied. That would push the high-end models well beyond $2,000. Imagine paying luxury car monthly payments just to get a phone upgrade. For many, this would be a deal-breaker, and it could cause Apple to lose its grip on its core U.S. market—especially among younger buyers or those on tighter budgets.📈 Apple might pass costs to consumersApple isn’t a charity—it’s a business. The most likely short-term move is to pass most (if not all) of the additional tariff-related costs to buyers. That means you’ll see a higher price tag at the Apple Store, plain and simple. And this goes beyond iPhones. Think about AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches—all of them could see significant jumps in price due to this shift in trade policy.🧾 Some analysts expect Apple to absorb part of costsThat said, Apple has one of the healthiest cash reserves in the tech world. Some Wall Street analysts believe the company might absorb a portion of these costs—at least temporarily—to preserve its market share and brand loyalty. They may cut profit margins or delay passing on the cost entirely. However, that’s only sustainable for a limited time before shareholders start asking questions.🌍 Others predict global price hikesEven if Apple absorbs costs in the U.S., the rest of the world may not be so lucky. Many industry experts believe prices could rise globally. Since Apple prices its products consistently across regions, increased costs in one market could cause upward adjustments in others. If you live outside the U.S., don’t assume you're safe—this is a global issue, and Apple’s pricing strategy is deeply interconnected.💵 Tariffs may weaken the U.S. dollarA major tariff war has the potential to destabilize the U.S. dollar. When international trade becomes restricted, economic uncertainty follows. Investors may shift to safer assets, and the dollar could weaken. A weaker dollar increases the price of imports acro

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Hi everyone, I'm John Seymour, the host of
The JMOR Tech Talk show and inspirations for
your life.

(00:46):
Hey guys, it is John Seymour here, serial
entrepreneur.
Welcome to The JMOR Tech Talk show.
Today is April 18th.
It's Friday.
Yes, this is Good Friday for those of
you like myself that are following and are
Roman Catholic or Christian.
This is basically a very important day of

(01:07):
the tritium and Easter Sunday is coming up.
So what is Good Friday?
Well, Good Friday is a day that Christians
basically, they fast and it commemorates the crucifixion
and death of our Lord that we believe.

(01:27):
And it's observed annually on the Friday before
Easter.
It's a day of sorrow, penance and fasting
for many of us Christians with many attending
church services to meditate on the suffering of
Christ.
So that is what today is.
So anyway, I just thought I would let
you guys know that it's pretty important to
me.
I am John Seymour, a serial entrepreneur.

(01:48):
I invite you right now to head over
to your kitchen, get yourself something to drink.
Maybe it's hot, maybe it's cold.
Feel free to do that and come on
back.
This is the JMOR Tech Talk show and
today's title is Tariffs, Tech and Turmoil.
How trade wars impact us all, series four,

(02:09):
show 16.
In this must hear episode today, the JMOR
Tech Talk show will be unveiling a bold
new proposal from Donald Trump.
The 145% tariff on Chinese imports and
how this could send shockwaves through the tech
world.
From Apple's production lines to your next iPhone.

(02:29):
We break down the tech trade and tensions
in 14 vital points that you're not going
to want to miss.
If you're thinking about buying a new device
or investing in tech, this episode is your
roadmap to what's coming down the pipeline.
All right, everyone, be sure to check out
BelieveMeAchieve.com for more of my amazing, inspiring

(02:49):
creations.
And first up, ladies and gentlemen, is something
I think everyone has a question about.
And that is Mr. Donald Trump.
So Trump actually proposes 145% tariff on
Chinese imports.
Donald Trump's proposed 145% tariff on Chinese
imports is sending tremors through the global economy.

(03:12):
This isn't your everyday policy tweak.
It's an aggressive stance that could disrupt global
trade relationships for the tech industry, which depends
heavily on Chinese manufacturing.
Such a tariff would massively inflate the cost
of doing business.
It could push companies to shift their entire
logistics operations, which is neither quick nor cheap.

(03:33):
But what I want to tell you is
that we come up with these topics, obviously,
before the week starts, which is usually like
on that Friday or Saturday.
And then they get recorded on Sunday night
or early Monday into reels.
And then they get pushed out to a
day, one in the morning and one at
night.
So when we think about this, there, like

(03:55):
I said, is a lot going on with
things that are happening with Mr. Donald Trump.
So I think that's something that a lot
of people are very, very concerned about.
What's actually going on?
What is he doing?
And I think that's a big concern for
a lot of people when we think about

(04:19):
the tariffs and things like that.
So the potential impact of this is really
great, but in a bad way.
So when he had started this, Trump had
said there would be tariffs in place and
that 145 percent – first it was lower,
then it got even higher – and then
up to 145 percent on everything from China.

(04:42):
Okay, so now he suddenly has decided to
backpedal and say that there are tariffs except
on electronic items like iPhones, computers, laptops, any
type of phone or mobile device.
So the point is, what did he really

(05:03):
do?
I mean, that's the big question, right?
Apple was having a fit because of what's
going on because they'd have to pass these
costs on to buyers with some estimates suggesting
the iPhone could rise as much as $800.
They were saying around $2,400 plus tax.
However, some analysts believe Apple could absorb some
of the cost increases, while others expect global

(05:25):
prices to rise due to the tariff effect
on the dollar.
The good news is, the good news for
right now is Trump has removed the tech
tariffs from China to the U.S. Because
this was causing a big, big, big, big
problem.
And so they are now exempt – smartphones

(05:46):
and computers are now exempt from Trump's latest
tariff that just happened a few days ago.
And the question is why?
I think it's because a lot of big
tech firms like Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft are complaining
back to the administration about what's going on.
Are they even going to be around?
And this is something, ladies and gentlemen, that
could really cripple the economy.

(06:07):
So Trump had to respond, and he did
respond.
The question is, is he going to keep
the tariffs off forever?
I don't know.
But the big thing is we should be
building stuff right here in the United States
of America.
We have that chip foundry that was built
in Phoenix, Arizona.
I don't know why we're not getting more
out of that.

(06:28):
I'm not really sure, but we'll have to
keep you posted on what's going on.
But with most iPhones being produced in China,
Apple's dependence on China is no secret.
Over 90 percent of iPhones are assembled there,
primarily by manufacturing giant Foxconn.
China offers Apple's vast infrastructure, low labor costs,
and streaming logistics.

(06:49):
But that also makes Apple extremely vulnerable.
A tariff of this scale could make the
cost of each iPhone jump significantly.
Thankfully, Trump has rescinded the tariffs.
The question is, will Trump ever put the
tech tariffs back?
You know, I don't know.

(07:13):
I don't think he wants any heat from
this.
But in the same breath, it's actually hurting
our own economy.
So he's paused the tariffs.
I don't think he's stopped them indefinitely, but
he's paused them for the moment just to
give people a breath of air.
We've got to start manufacturing the things that

(07:35):
we get from overseas.
I mean, it's the bottom line.
I mean, why are we, like, jerking around
with all this stuff, guys?
I mean, we could be doing this right
here, and we're not.
We're being too reliant on other countries, especially
China, right?
And MEDA faces a pivotal antitrust trial that

(07:58):
just started earlier this week, April 14th.
MEDA was preparing to defend itself in a
landmark antitrust trial that started on April 14th.
As the U.S. federal government is challenging
its acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.
The case is bringing forward during, of course,

(08:19):
the Trump administration as part of a broader
effort to rein in the power of major
technology companies.
And it accuses MEDA of using its market
dominance to eliminate competition and secure a monopoly
in the social media space.
At the center of the trial is the
question of whether MEDA's billion-dollar purchase of
these platforms harmed innovation and consumer choice.

(08:43):
A ruling against MEDA could result in a
forced divestiture of its key platforms and set
a powerful legal precedent example for future antitrust
enforcement in tech centers for other companies.
Now, the question is, what's really going on,
right?

(09:05):
And MEDA has not been innocent as well
as other companies have not been innocent.
And so I think this is a big
concern for a lot of people, okay?
But we're going to have to see what
happens.
And so the MEDA trial is something that

(09:26):
a lot of people think is a great
idea.
But with it now starting to begin, this
is just the beginning.
And if you look at some of the
pictures from, let's say, Mark, let's say he
does not look like a happy camper.
I mean, he looks really the worst I've
ever seen him.

(09:46):
So the Federal Trade Commission's blockbuster antitrust case
against MEDA kicked off this past Monday in
a courtroom in Washington, D.C. And it's
the culmination of nearly six years of investigation
into whether social media giant, Facebook, MEDA, whatever
you want to call them these days, broke
competition laws in acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp.

(10:08):
At stake is the future of MEDA's 1
.4 – make sure you're hearing this, guys
– 1.4 trillion advertising business and the
prospect of having to spin off its huge
popular service into separate companies.
A corporate breakup, the likes of which has
not been seen since AT&T's telephone monopoly

(10:29):
that was forced to split apart more than
40 years ago.
Lawyers for the FTC and MEDA will continue
to deliver their different statements with the district
judge, James Bosaberg, in a trial that is
going to stretch seven to eight weeks.
So we're going to keep you abreast of

(10:50):
what's going on there.
The FTC argues that when MEDA acquired Instagram
in 2012 and the WhatsApp two years later,
that it was part of a strategic plan
to eliminate competition and maintain monopoly power over
the social media market.
The government contends that a buy or bury
strategy propelled MEDA's acquisitions, leading MEDA to gobble

(11:12):
up competitors.
What remedy does the FTC want?
Well, the government argues that the only way
to restore competition to the social media marketplace
is for MEDA to be forced to unwind
its purchase of both Instagram and WhatsApp.
The government says divesting those apps will allow
smaller social media companies to compete for consumers

(11:34):
and add dollars and loosen MEDA's grip on
the industry.
MEDA is countering that it's being punished for
being an innovative and aggressive tech company.
I don't think it's about them being punished.
I think it's that they knew what they
were doing, just like Google knew what they
were doing.
And we all know Google is getting in
a lot of trouble, right?

(11:55):
What would it mean for users of Facebook,
Instagram, and WhatsApp if MEDA was forced to
break up?
Well, the FTC says that it would mean
more robust competition among social media startups and,
therefore, better quality services for everyone.
Government lawyers are arguing that MEDA's services have
degraded in the quality in part because of
its dominant position in the marketplace.

(12:15):
I know that when we used to advertise
with MEDA in the beginning, I felt that
my dollar went far.
The more that we went on, I just
started seeing that I'm spending money, actually more
money, and I'm getting less or no return.
So that is a big concern for me,
and I'm sure for a lot of small
and other big business owners that have a
problem with that.

(12:35):
So we're definitely going to keep an eye
on what's going on and let you know
so you can stay afloat with that.
And Mr. Musk, yes, he gains allies.
This is something that's incredible.
Ex-employees back a lawsuit against OpenAI ShakeUp.
A dozen former OpenAI employees have filed a

(12:56):
legal brief supporting Mr. Elon Musk's lawsuit to
block the company's restructuring, arguing that removing its
nonprofit's controls would violate OpenAI's founding mission to
prioritize humanity over profit.
These ex-staffers who held key technical and
leadership roles emphasized that the nonprofit model was

(13:18):
crucial to the firm's integrity, recruitment, and original
purpose.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but
later decided to exit, claims the company has
strayed from its humanitarian roots.
While OpenAI contends the structural shift is necessary
to raise funds and will not compromise its

(13:42):
mission, as a $40 billion funding round looms,
the battle over the AI giant's future intensifies
with a jury trial set for next year.
See, everyone here is starting to do things,
and it's all about money.
I mean, I'm not going to say that
money is bad, but I'm going to tell
you that you have to do things for

(14:03):
the right reasons.
If you do things solely for money and
you don't care about other people, or what
I like to say is doing things for
the greater good of all concerned, you are
going to get burnt.
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not
next week or next month, or maybe not
this year or next year, maybe not even
this decade, but trust me, you will get
burnt.
Google was operating, I don't want to say

(14:25):
under the table, but they were operating in
a deceitful way for years.
And it took the government a while to
finally clamp down on them, and I'm glad
that they did.
And they're still watching them.
Well, the Irish watchdog is probing X over
potential AI data violations.
What's this all about?

(14:45):
Ireland's Data Protection Commission has launched a formal
investigation into X, formerly known as, quote-unquote,
Twitter, and offering its use of personal data
from European Union users to train its artificial
intelligence system, Grok.
As the European Union lead regulator for X,
Ireland's DPC has the authority to impose fines

(15:07):
of up to 4% of the global
revenue under the GDPR.
The probe basically is there to focus on
whether publicly accessible posts from European Union and
EA users were improperly processed for AI training.
Now, this follows prior legal action in which

(15:28):
X agreed to cease AI training with user
data until consent mechanisms were addressed.
The investigation adds to more tensions between tech
giants like X owner Elon Musk and European
Union regulators, who Musk and former president, before
Trump had been basically brought into office, was

(15:48):
criticized before he was brought into office.
So I think a lot's happening with the
social market, and it's happening because of money,
and people are doing things that are not
ethical.
I'll give you a perfect example.
Many years ago, I'm going to say probably
– we're in business now over 31 years,

(16:10):
coming up this year.
I have to tell you that about maybe
10 years after we got started, I met
up with somebody who was in a local
business and was boosting about how big he
was.
He had a big storefront, and he had
a few people.
And apparently, we all buy from similar distributors,
but I guess I had a contact that

(16:31):
he didn't have.
And he wanted to buy, at the time,
I think like 200 copies of Microsoft –
at the time, I think it was Microsoft
Windows 98.
Now, that gives you a framework of how
far that came back.

(16:51):
So when did Windows 98 come out?
It was a while ago.
It came out June 25, 1998.
I think it came to me right around
– within six months of that, probably like
around – maybe like around December or January,
so maybe like around maybe January 1 of

(17:13):
1999.
And I was talking to him, and he
wanted to buy 250 copies of this particular
operating system.
Now, in order to buy an operating system
back then, you needed to register and be
in OEM, a VAR, value-added reseller, so
you could have the rights to do that.
And what Microsoft used to do is you

(17:35):
would get a whole OEM box package.
It was a whole thing, and it was
really a good value for us.
Well, what happens now is that people can
just go buy the licenses, and it's not
so good of a deal.
But on operating systems, you really don't make
any money.
Back then, we made a little more money
because Microsoft understood that we should make some
money.
Well, now they decided that we're not going

(17:55):
to really make much.
If we make $5, we're lucky.
So anyway, when Windows 98 came out –
and this is probably a good question.
How much – let me ask you.
How much do you think Windows 98 costed
when it first came out?
Does anybody know?
Well, when it first hit the shelves, it

(18:15):
typically costed around – it was in the
$100 range.
And Microsoft Windows, everything they do is always
going to be about profits.
But when we think about this, this really
opened some eyes.

(18:37):
The original full installation was $209.
If you're doing the upgrade, it was $109.
If you, for example, were doing some kind
of bundle upgrade, it was $94.99. And
so what happened was OEMs were able to

(19:00):
charge somewhere around – we charged somewhere between
$50 and $79.
And we might have been making back then
maybe $10 or $15, maybe.
So anyway, Windows 98 was not an easy
product to get.
So he reached out to me kind of
in the mid-life cycle of it, almost
when it was over.
Maybe it was a year or two years

(19:21):
after.
And so let's say that normally you would
buy Windows 98 on the street for a
full license.
Let's say it was like around $150.
Let's just say that.
So $150 times $250, that's $37,500.

(19:42):
So he said, well, can you do better?
And I said, yes, I can get it
down for you.
He said, if you can get under $100,
I'll buy it from you.
So I got on the price at $99
.99 times $250.
Now, obviously, I was making some money on
it doing the deal.
So it's $24,997.50. So he kept
saying, well, gee, you can do a lot
better.
Finally, he kept pushing me so much that

(20:05):
there wasn't even a $2 or $3 profit.
And so this was the problem.
He was trying to play games.
And a lot of people do this.
They try to play games.
They get the software.
Like you know a lot of people that
probably sell Word or Excel or any other
software package or even other ones.
And they're not software as a service.
They are just the software.

(20:26):
And you put the key in.
A lot of times, these keys, they would,
let's say, buy a whole bunch of them.
They'd email them to people, and they'd activate
it multiple times.
Now, back then, you could activate software maybe
at least five, ten times.
They would figure some people would make a
mistake.
Well, now, you're lucky you can operate and
activate software like twice.

(20:47):
After the first time you try to activate
it, it says, you know, this is a
legitimate yada yada.
So people were doing things that were unethical.
And when I saw what he was trying
to do, I said, you know what, I've
got to get away from this character.
Because he was trying to get the licenses.
He wanted me to give him the numbers,
right, before he even paid me.
And I'm like, I don't think that's happening.

(21:09):
That ain't happening.
So there are a lot of people that
do things deceptively.
And that brings me to our next point.
Online deception campaigns are evolving.
A sophisticated network of fake social media accounts,
which initially surged to support former Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte during his arrest, has now extended

(21:33):
and broadened into an influence to the upcoming
Philippine election.
According to research by tech firm CYBRA, a
third of the accounts discussing Duterte's arrest on
the platform X were fake, operating in a
deliberate, organized manner.
These fake accounts, which blend seamlessly into online

(21:54):
conversations, have played a crucial role in shaping
public discourse, both in the context of Duterte's
legal battles and the upcoming election.
The firm warns that the manipulation of online
discourse is not only pervasive but increasingly sophisticated,
generating millions of views and affecting election discussions

(22:16):
ahead of a pivotal vote between President Fernandard
Marcos Jr. and Duterte Camp.
So I think it's really important what's going
on with some of the social media.
And so I want to tell you about
something else that was dishonest.
So probably around five years after we started
our business, there was somebody I got referred

(22:37):
to.
And we were doing business with them for
maybe two or three years.
It was a tow yard.
I'm not going to give you the name
because that's unprofessional.
And it was a tow yard in New
Jersey.
And, well, what happened was there was time
for a new server.
At that time, Novell was very popular.
Novell Network, you probably remember, Network 311, 312,

(22:57):
came on floppy disks.
And then the next version I remember we
got was NetWare.
It was like NetWare 4, NetWare 5, NetWare
6.
And the big thing back then was putting
in Colorado tape backups or Tamberg data.
I'm not sure if even Tamberg data is
still around.
But they were the big name back then.

(23:19):
I think they actually got bought out, if
I'm not mistaken, Tamberg data.
They focused on storage products.
And I think, if I'm not mistaken, they
probably – yes, somebody bought out Tamberg data.

(23:41):
I'm not sure who, but they were a
very, very good product.
Oh, it was Overland Storage.
That's who it was.
Overland Storage bought them out.
And so Overland Storage basically did a little
bit, let's say, of a different model.
That happened in 2004.

(24:04):
So Overland Storage for data.
And they got away from – it was
basically called Overland Tamberg.
So they have some products like some –
they call it RDX, Removable Disk Solutions.
So they're still doing some of that for
certain clients that require that.

(24:25):
They have that, then they have services solutions.
But Tamberg was a great company, and they
made a high-quality drive.
It was not cheap, but they made a
high-quality product.
Their headquarters are out of Germany, United Kingdom,
and they have one in France.
So I think when we can understand these

(24:47):
things, like what happened with this guy, he
wanted me to build a server for him.
Now, we got quotes, and we sent that
out to him, and he got quotes from
some other people.
And the price was off by a little
bit.
So my price was X dollars, and their
price was X dollars.

(25:08):
And I remember him saying, well, you know,
John, you're off a little bit.
I said, okay.
He says, I'll show you their quote.
I said, okay.
We were off $1,000.
It was like 999.
I said, well, the reason we're off $1
,000 is that that's the license fee to
network for Novell.
He says, well, he's not charging me for
that.
I said, I can't do that.

(25:29):
He said, well, I'll give you $50 if
you can just make it disappear.
I said, I don't operate like that.
I said, first of all, that's illegal.
It's immoral.
It's not ethical.
And the fact that he was insinuating that
he wanted me to work like that, I
immediately stopped doing any work for him immediately.
He wasn't going with me anyway, but I
immediately stopped working with him as soon as

(25:51):
I knew that he wasn't based on integrity
backbone.
And that's a problem for a lot of
people.
They do things just because of the money.
And the cybersecurity industry remains quiet amid Mr.
President Trump's criticism of Sentinel-1.
The cybersecurity industry has remained largely quiet after

(26:13):
President Donald Trump targeted Sentinel-1, a prominent
cybersecurity firm, over its hiring of former Trump
appointee Chris Krebs.
Krebs is a former director of the Cybersecurity
and Infrastructure Security Agency, CISA, and had publicly
refuted Trump's false claims about the 2020 election,

(26:34):
leading to his firing by Trump.
In response, Trump ordered the cancellation of Sentinel
-1 executives' security clearance, but the industry refrained
from voicing support for Krebs or the company.
Despite reaching out to numerous cybersecurity organizations, Reuters
and many others received single supportive comments from

(26:54):
the Cyber Threat Alliance, which criticized the White
House's actions as politically motivated.
The situation highlights the industry's reluctance to speak
out, as many fear potential retaliation.
Given the high-profile nature of Trump's attack
on Krebs, you can obviously see what was
going on.
But when Trump doesn't like something, it's like

(27:15):
he's got to let everybody know.
And Trump definitely hates Sentinel-1.
And it's all political, nothing to do with
the technology itself.
It's sad that things have to get that

(27:37):
way and be that, let's say, ruthless.
I know my family and relatives have been
in politics, and it's dirty in politics, unfortunately.
They do things that I'm not going to
repeat here.
They take people's signs down.
All kinds of stuff goes on.
And we're back talking about the TikTok deal.

(27:58):
So is the TikTok deal still on the
table?
That's the question.
Because they don't have much time, right?
Is that TikTok deal still on the table?
Everybody wants to know.
Is the TikTok deal still on the table?
Trump likes TikTok.
He says it's still on the table.

(28:20):
This is what he says.
And I don't know if I believe him
or not.
President Trump stated that the presidential deal, the
spin-off TikTok assets, is still on the
table.
And I quote, Despite being put on hold
recently, Trump defended the deal, claiming it involves
reputable U.S. investors, while highlighting the need

(28:42):
for negotiation with China.
But, of course, he wouldn't disclose who they
are.
The deal would, of course, create a U
.S.-based company reducing Chinese ownership of TikTok, a
deadline for TikTok to divest in U.S.
assets is set for June 19, 2025, which
it has been extended to there since the

(29:02):
original date in January.
And with some senators challenging the legality of
this delay, the primary obstacle is to finalize
the deal with the Chinese government's approval, which
could also hinge on resolving ongoing trade disputes.
And we know those keep happening, right?
And here's another interesting one.
I think you guys are going to find
this a little funny.

(29:24):
AI dolls.
The growing trend and its concerns.
The AI doll trend where people create miniature
versions of themselves using generative AI tools like
ChatGPT.
It has gained so much popularity on social
media.
Users are uploading their photos and providing specific
instructions for the AI to generate doll-like

(29:46):
images, often personalized with names and accessories.
However, concerns about this trend are emerging more
and more, particularly regarding the environmental impact of
AI's energy and consumption and the use of
potentially copyrighted data.
Critics are arguing that AI-driven content generation
process has significantly increased the environmental cost.

(30:08):
With data centers consuming vast amounts of energy,
additionally, the trend raises privacy and cultural concerns
as AI is starting to slowly blend personal
and commercial imagery without proper responsibility or accountability.
Despite the fun and novelty concept, experts are
urging caution in how we engage with these

(30:29):
technologies.
So you might be saying, John, how much
is it – it's a good question –
to make an AI doll of me?
Well, you can basically – you can make
what they call like an AI Barbie doll.
But again, if you're a male, it wouldn't
be Barbie.
Maybe a Ken doll, right?
So the question is who – and you're

(30:54):
probably wondering this – who is selling AI
dolls that will make basically of yourself?
And so there are a few companies out
there.
They are asking for a large number of
these.
And so you might be asking me, what

(31:17):
does it take to make an AI doll
of yourself?
Well, first thing is you need an AI
-powered art maker that generates images from plain
text.
You could probably use a picture.
You can use different things like chat GPT,

(31:38):
etc.
Then how do you get an action figure?
Well, Hero Builders is the first and only
company globally to make you a custom personalized
action builder.
Yes, Hero Builders.
So now the next question you're probably asking
is how much does it cost?

(32:01):
So that's a very, very great question.
So basically you fill out a form.
You can text them.
They don't want to get phone calls.
If you want a light-skinned male, it's
$325.
A light-skinned female, $325.
A dark-skinned male, $325.

(32:23):
A dark-skinned female, $325.
So I'm happy that they're staying at least
standard with the prices.
I was waiting for them to give me
a different price.
So here's how it works according to them.
After you place your order, you basically –
they ask you to send a one-sided
view image and a one-front view image.

(32:46):
It's essential to try to give corresponding images
such as a smiling or a serious one
so they can get that.
Once that's scheduled, they start sculpting the face
of your custom action figure.
One of their master sculptors uses the images
you provided and hand sculpts your head in
detail.
I don't know if I believe that.
Once the sculptor is supposedly happy with the
sculpture of the head and face, the hero

(33:07):
builders will email you photos of the sculpture
for your approval.
You can either approve or suggest changes to
the sculpture.
The changes must be realistic for the size
of the sculpture.
If edits to sculpture can be made, they
will make them.
Suppose dramatic changes from your original image are
requested.
Well, for instance, if the original photo shows
you smiling and we created the sculpture that

(33:28):
way and you want the face changed to
an angry look or a hairstyle change, well,
there will be a $150 charge per each
dramatic change.
So if you want an angry change, it's
$150.
If you want to change the hair, it's
another $150.
Everything is $100.
For instance, if you send one email request
and have two changes, add glasses and change
your hair, well, that's $300.

(33:49):
So you can easily get up to $1
,500 to make different changes.
Change the hair.
Change the eyebrows.
Change the smile.
Change the ears.
Change the nose.
Change the eyes.
Change the…
what else?

(34:10):
Maybe change the neck.
Change the shoulders.
Change the feet.
Change the chest, right?
So once you approve the sculpture, the sculpture
is then baked to a rock hard consistency.
Once the sculpture is removed from the oven,

(34:31):
a mold making expert creates a rubber mold
for your action figure head.
Preparing the rubber mold for casting, once the
action figure mold is ready, the head is
casted and heated to 170 degrees using their
proprietary material.
They don't share that.
Your personalized action figure head is removed from
the oven.
Now that the head is cooled, it's meticulously
hand painted and dried to match your image.

(34:54):
Wow.
So your custom action figure is then shipped.
They hand assemble your action figure, which is
boxed in their world famous Black Hero Builders
window box.
And shipping is free using a USPS priority.
Shipping is not free, however, if you order
in the month of December.
If your action figure needs to be at

(35:16):
a location on an exact specific date and
they need to use FedEx delivery, of course,
that's an extra charge.
They can use FedEx fully insured if you
instruct, but you'll be charged for that service.
So if you're ordering extreme custom action figures
and are getting a custom outfit, they do
not offer approvals of custom outfits.
So your outfit will be on par with

(35:37):
the outfits shown in the sample images only.
Wow, guys.
That's kind of amazing.
The question is, why do you want an
action figure?
I don't know.

(35:58):
They even have, get this, they even have
domains that are for sale right on their
site.
So you can pay anywhere from $50,000.
I think their cheapest one is $1,000.
And then once you have that, well, then
they're hoping you're going to sell a lot
more action figures.

(36:19):
So they ask you different questions, things like
that.
How do you become a toy maker?
Becoming a toy maker is easy, they claim.
Just like the toy makers at the Hero
Builders, you too can become one.
So this is a fad.
I think it's not going to last forever.
I think it has some interesting caveats.

(36:42):
But I don't know if I'm 100%
on board with it.
I don't know if I like it.
So will Trump's tariff raise iPhone prices ever?
The potential impact of President Trump's tariff could
raise the phones later.
But again, like we're saying, he's not planning
on doing it now.
And Meta has accused, basically, of this very

(37:07):
interesting thing right now.
Actually, they're being accused, I should say, of
using Jerry Adams' book to train AI.
This is pretty serious.
Meta is facing backlash for allegedly using pirated
books, including those written for former Sin Fine
leader Jerry Adams, to train its artificial intelligence
model, El Lama.

(37:27):
And the company is accused of accessing millions
of books and research papers through the illegal
site library genesis, LibGen.
Authors, including Adams, have expressed outrage, with some,
like historian Michael Taylor and academic professor Monica
McWilliams, finding their works on LibGen database.
The matter is currently being investigated, as you

(37:50):
probably would have known.
And authors have called for stronger protection of
intellectual property rights.
Meta defends its actions, claiming its use of
such data is legally justified, while authors continue
to advocate for fair compensation and recognition of
their work.
Of course they're going to say it's justified.
What are they going to do, tell you

(38:10):
it's not, and then have you go against
them?
We all know that these companies, whether we're
talking Google, whether we're talking Amazon, I don't
care who we're talking about, they've all done
things that have been, let's say, very gray
area.
And the OpenAI countersues Elon Musk over alleged
harassment and a sham takeover.

(38:34):
OpenAI has countersued Elon Musk, accusing him of
harassment and seeking to prevent any further actions
that could harm the company.
This comes after Musk made an unsolicited $97
.4 billion takeover bid earlier this year, which
OpenAI rejected.
The lawsuit stems from Musk's ongoing efforts to

(38:55):
prevent OpenAI from transitioning to a for-profit
model, which the company argues is essential to
secure funding and compete in the AI sector.
OpenAI claims that Musk's actions, including public attacks,
legal demands, and failed takeover attempts, are part
of a broader strategy to harm the company
for its personal benefit.

(39:15):
The two parties are set to begin a
jury trial next spring.
So, all right, this sounds interesting, doesn't it?
But the thing is this, if a company
was built as a think tank initiative, that's
why it was built, and now you suddenly
try to turn it into a for-profit,
that's completely wrong, guys.
I mean, that is just completely wrong.
I don't know whose side you're on regardless.

(39:36):
That is just completely, completely, completely wrong.
If you've got a think tank, you need
to be using it as a think tank,
and the money you raise goes back, and
there is no profit after all the stuff
is paid out.
That's how a not-for-profit basically works.

(39:58):
And the techs are getting a pass, so
Trump spares the electronics from the China tariffs,
as we said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has granted a
pass on the tariff for the exemptions for
smartphones, computers, and other key electronics largely imported
from China, easing the burden and the pressures
on tech giants like Apple, Dell, and many

(40:20):
others.
This decision, which includes retroactive exclusions for 20
-plus product categories such as semiconductors and laptops,
comes amid a soaring set of tariffs that
recently reached 125%, and then we went all
the way up, ladies and gentlemen, if you
remember not too long ago.

(40:40):
They skyrocketed all the way up to, what
was it, 145%.
I mean that's just like – that's nuts.
And while the move provides relief to consumers
and tech firms concerned about inflation and supply
chain disruption, Trump's 20% fentanyl-related tariffs

(41:03):
on all Chinese goods remain intact.
Analysts see the exemptions as a bullish sign
for the tech sector, while Trump's administration hints
at new national security investigations that may bring
fresh tariffs even against Beijing as they're pushing
back with their own 125% and now

(41:23):
145% tariffs.
So this is crazy, guys, but I think
Trump's just trying to get some more money,
and I don't have a problem with that,
but I think we can't do something just
because – just because.
That's really the reason.
We can't do something just because.
We have to have a really solid reason.

(41:44):
And if you use chatbot or any of
the other chat systems, chatbot privacy is becoming
an issue.
Protecting your data in the age of AI,
millions of people now rely on AI chatbots
like ChatGPT and Claude and AI Writer and
others to help with everything from drafting emails
to planning vacations.

(42:04):
But concerns are growing over what happens to
the data users share with them.
The Wall Street Journal's chatbot, Confidential, explores key
privacy issues such as who owns the input
and the output data, how is it stored,
and whether the responses can be trusted.
As generative AI becomes more integrated into daily

(42:28):
life, understanding how to safeguard personal information when
using these tools is more important than ever
before.
So you might be asking me, John, how
do we safeguard our personal info when using
ChatGPT or something of a similar?
Well, to safeguard personal information, avoid sharing sensitive

(42:51):
data like names, addresses, financial information, phone numbers,
credit cards.
You can use the incognito mode to prevent
chat history storage and opt out of data
sharing features in the settings.
There's some more things you can do, like
don't reveal, as I said, personal details, nothing
personal.
Keep your health and your financial data completely

(43:14):
out of there.
Be mindful of what you type.
Again, temporary chat, some platforms offer temporary chat
that also prevents data storage.
You can disable data collection and training.
Most platforms allow you to disable data collection
or opt out of using your data for
training the model.
You can toggle off certain features that allow

(43:35):
ChatGPT to record your inputs or use your
data to improve the model.
You can use strong passwords, enable multi-factor
authentication, and log out of all devices.
But the question is, is this enough?
Because if you did it one place, and
let's say somebody else was using ChatGPT to
improve their workflow, then your data could still

(43:59):
be getting in.
So I think this is almost as serious
as a HIPAA issue.
I think we almost need to have a
HIPAA issue, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
We need to have something like that for
ChatGPT.
That's my feeling.
But we're going to have to see what
happens, guys.
We're definitely going to have to see what
happens there.
And what is the CHIPS Act?

(44:22):
And why does Trump want to change it?
Well, Donald Trump is targeting the CHIPS and
Services Act.
It's a $52 billion initiative signed by President
Joe Biden in 2022 to boost U.S.
semiconductor manufacturing and reduce the dependence on Asia
as part of its broader efforts to reverse
its predecessor's policies and shift more manufacturing back

(44:45):
to the United States of America, the bipartisan
law.
It was designed to strengthen national security and
economic resilience by investing in domestic chip production.
But it's now in the crosshairs as Trump
pushes for a new approach to trade and
industrial policy.
I just see this getting to be really
messy.

(45:05):
I don't know about you.
And about this little tidbit, hackers were found
being spied on 100 U.S. banks.
Hackers secretly accessed the emails of approximately 103
U.S. bank regulators at the Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency, OCC, for over

(45:27):
a year, intercepting more than 150,000 messages
and exposing highly sensitive financial information.
The breach, which began in June of 2023,
was discovered in early 2025, two years later.
Wow.
After Microsoft alerted the OCC to unusual network
activity, investigators found that the attackers infiltrated the

(45:47):
system by compromising an administrator's account, raising serious
concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in key federal financial
oversight agencies.
I got to tell you, I never liked
Microsoft security.
I still don't trust it today.
When I was using Novell, which is not
around anymore, but that operating system was amazing.

(46:10):
And Microsoft copied a lot of what they
did, what I tried to, when you have
to do things like set up permissions.
In Microsoft, you have to set up a
lot of other rules.
In Novell, you could set up permissions within
permissions.
You could set up a directory.
You could go back.
You could do all these different things.
In Microsoft, they have a lot of weird
ways to do that because they're Microsoft.
And I know that the interesting thing about

(46:33):
this whole thing is that government agencies are
using Microsoft, and they're not only using two
-factor.
Hopefully, that's changing.
We know the big problem that happened with
the Slack not too long ago with Disney
and a few other companies, and they're all
complaining and crying about the security.
But it's their own fault for not enabling

(46:53):
two-factor.
Now, you might say, John, Slack could have
forced people to enable two-factor.
Yeah, they could have.
Can we blame Slack for that?
No.
They're giving people an option if they want
to enable it, but they probably could have
some nag screens and say, hey, you have
enabled two-factor.
I mean there's some systems that just require
it.
I want to tell you a real funny

(47:14):
story.
I was doing work for a bank.
I won't tell you which bank.
It was a bank in New Jersey, pretty
large bank, one of their branches.
And I was checking out their WAN, their
Wide Area Network Connection, coming in from –
this time I think it was Optimum –
coming into their modem and then into their

(47:36):
router.
Well, as I was checking different things around,
I found there were so many vulnerabilities.
I brought it up to them, and I
said, hey, you've got this vulnerability.
You've got this.
They're like, oh, yeah, you should let our
chief of security know.
I let them know, and you know to
this day – again, I'm not telling you
which bank – they still haven't fixed these
issues.

(47:56):
This is a major publicly traded bank.
Gets better.
Doing work for another large bank for a
very long time.
A gentleman that I had known for a
very long time brought us on to help
him with some things, and he decided that
he was going to leave and start his
own company, which was great.
He probably sensed something was wrong.

(48:18):
So we're doing work for this company that's
a majorly publicly traded bank and investing –
really an investment firm.
And apparently, the connection started to go south
once this person left.
And what they're doing now is they're hiring

(48:42):
people to come in at lower rates.
They don't care about their qualifications.
They just care that it's under the wire.
I was bidding for a project the other
day, and the lady was so gung-ho
to get our team on the project.
And I said, we don't play games.
We don't BS.

(49:02):
This is the way it's going to go.
We're going to give you our quote.
She said, oh, yeah, that's fine, and when
can you get there, and we're going to
schedule everything.
And I said, do you still use your
schedule?
She said, oh, no, no, we don't use
it anymore.
By you just confirming verbal with me, that's
enough.
Well, she calls me back, and she tells
me we can't use your firm, and I
said, why not?
She says, well, your rate's too high.
I said, you've got a negotiated rate.

(49:23):
I said, our rate right now is like
three times that price or two and a
half times that price.
So what they're trying to do is get
people in at the lowest possible labor rate,
people that may not be that skilled.
And then you know what they do?
They get those people in, and they figure
that they don't need the best.

(49:44):
They don't need the best.
And I think that's a big problem for
a lot of people when we say they
don't need the best because how do you
deal with something?
I mean, how do you even equate to
something like that?
So this bank, who were doing work for
a very long time, is now working with

(50:04):
a firm that doesn't really care because they're
trying to get the cheapest people in there.
That's crazy, right?
Really, really crazy.
But people are doing it.
Okay, people are definitely doing this.
And the sad part, ladies and gentlemen, is
that they think they're doing the right thing.

(50:28):
They think they're doing the right thing.
So as this Seamistic tariff proposal looms and
could come back, the tech landscape is bracing
for dramatic transformations, which could come any day.
Consumers, business owners, investors, and tech giants alike
are entering a new era of uncertainty where

(50:48):
trade policies could dictate everything from your next
upgrade cost to the global supply chains, next
pivot.
This is really important.
And in this episode, we peeled back the
layers of policy and price and knowing that
a lot of it's about politics and giving
you the clarity to make some smart tech

(51:09):
decisions.
Because right now, I don't think President Trump
knows.
I don't think our administration knows if we're
going to come back with tariffs.
I don't think they know.
Whether you're a diehard Apple fan or simply
just curious about the ripple effects of global
trade, today we broke it down for you
with insight and urgency from rising production costs
to global inflation triggers.

(51:33):
We gave it all to you, and we
spelled it out.
And we didn't give it to you with
a political shift.
I don't care whether you're a Republican side,
a Democrat side, you're independent.
The bottom line is you've got to do
what's right for the country regardless of what
party you are.
And I think that becomes a major, major
issue for a lot of people.

(51:55):
Why?
Because it affects everything.
It affects everything.
And the reason it affects everything is everything
is kind of tied together.
Everything has a codependence.

(52:16):
A codependence.
Trump's proposed 145% tariff on Chinese imports
could reshape the global tech, but now he
decided to drop that because the companies were
complaining to him.
With up to 90% of iPhones assembled
in China, this impact wouldn't be subtle.
So you could see why he had to
stop this.
But why isn't there a timer on there

(52:36):
like they did with other things that were
forcing companies in the U.S. that were
using biotech companies outside?
They gave them, I forget what it was,
two or three years to get off of
them.
He's not doing anything like that, just like
he's not doing squat about TikTok.
And I don't care whether you like the
president or you don't like the president.
I go for what they're doing.

(52:57):
I'm not here for politics.
I'm not here for a personal relationship.
I'm here for who is the best person
that has the right tactics for our country.
At the same time, the ripple effects could
extend well beyond phones.
But we're lucky he's given us a pass.
The question you're probably asking is will Trump

(53:19):
reinstate the tech tariffs?
And, you know, I don't know.
I don't know.
But I know it caused a lot of
disruption when there were issues.
I can definitely tell you that.
At the same time, more people were getting

(53:39):
fearful.
I had a client of mine that was
supplying something that came from all parts of
the world, including China.
And he was telling me, he said, John,
he says, if something was in the water
yesterday, and the day I was told this
was last week, on the 9th, then there
was no tariff.
But if it was in the water on
the 10th or later, then there would be

(54:01):
a tariff.
And it disrupted so many things with quotes
and people reneging things.
So I think this is why Trump had
to do this, because this was becoming a
real anarchy.
I mean, I'm not just talking about something
that was an inconvenience.
I'm talking about something that had the power,
ladies and gentlemen, to literally cripple our world.

(54:25):
I mean, tell me that that's not important
to you.
Tell me that tariffs wouldn't have affected you.
I don't care how much money you make.
Do you want to pay an extra 30
or 40 percent for a car?
I mean, hypothetically, let's just say, I don't
know, let's say that you bought a Porsche

(54:49):
that's $125,000.
And now they tack on 40 percent more,
$50,000, $175,000, $50,000 increase.
That's nuts.
And you and I all know that you

(55:10):
can't just push something through and not increase
something else.
It's not going to work.
It's not going to give.
So you have to figure somewhere where you're
going to come back with these costs.
I mean, that's just our bottom line.
And I think a lot of people don't
like the fact that we're not making things
in the United States.
I'm not happy with it either.
And the question I want to know is,

(55:30):
when will we be getting, let's say, tech
chips from Arizona?
I mean, when?
TSA's MC's first chip manufacturing plant started mass
production in 2024, and they announced plans for
two more plants in Arizona.
But the question I have is, are we

(55:54):
getting supplies from TSMC in Arizona?
I mean, are we really getting supplies yet?
I don't know.
It employs more than 3,000 people on
1,100 acres, and it's been in volume

(56:15):
production.
So, again, are we getting product from TSMC's
fab in Arizona now?
I don't think we're getting them yet.
AMD is set to produce its chip, the

(56:35):
CPU chip there in Arizona.
Recently it was stated, and its key processor
chips would soon be made at TSMC's.
The question is, what chips will be made
at TSMC Arizona?
What chips?
The plant is supposed to be making the

(56:57):
new AMD Ryzen 9000 and NVIDIA Blackwell chips.
That's what they're saying.
They're currently producing chips on a 4-nanometer
N4 process, but they're aiming, ladies and gentlemen,
at a 3-nanometer and a 2-nanometer.
That's, like, mind-boggling.
We were only doing 6 or 7 about
a year or so ago.
And following this, TSMC's earnings are definitely going

(57:21):
to jump, right?
I mean, when they can get down to
a 1.4-nanometer or a 1.0
-nanometer, that's pretty powerful.
NVIDIA has brought some of its chip productions
stateside, and NVIDIA announced that it's starting to
produce its Blackwell AI GPUs there.
But we're still not getting a major push.

(57:44):
And I think it's going to take some
time for people to understand.
But the big thing I don't like is
that factory is – well, it's owned by
the United States.
We own the factory.
But we do not own the contents, what's
in it.
We do not own the business.
No, we don't.

(58:05):
That's pretty scary, guys.
Pretty scary.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am John C.
Morley, serial entrepreneur.
Do check out BelieveMeAchieve.com, and I'll catch
you guys real soon on another episode.
Have yourself a great rest of your weekend.
I'll see you next week.

(58:41):
Thanks for watching.