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Remember That TikTok Ban? This Week’s Deadline Brings Hints of a Deal

The Trump administration waxes optimistic once again about getting to a resolution for TikTok in the US.

The Trump administration is working on a deal with China to determine TikTok’s fate, which could be finalized by the end of this week, according to reports citing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

President Trump has plans to meet on Friday with China’s President Xi Jinping, and the two are expected to discuss the fate of the Chinese-owned social media platform. That means the deadline of Wednesday, Sept. 17, may pass before there’s a definitive resolution on the matter. The key question is whether ownership of TikTok will transfer to a US-based company. The platform could shut down temporarily in the US, as it has before, in accordance with a federal law passed last year in response to national security and privacy considerations.

That law requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social media service to a US-based company or essentially be shut down in the US. The initial deadline, set for January, has been extended twice already by the Trump administration as it cited progress on the matter.

Bessent said on Monday that the two countries have reached a preliminary deal and «commercial terms have been agreed upon.»

Neither TikTok nor the Treasury Department responded immediately to requests for comment.

An agreement over TikTok has been complicated by ongoing trade warring between the US and China and a new ruling against US-based Nvidia. China claims Nvidia has violated anti-monopoly laws in that country

Skepticism about a TikTok deal

Even with the administration’s suggestion that a deal is imminent, it’s possible that TikTok’s future could remain in limbo even longer.

«I have seen the TikTok negotiations stall and shift so many times that I am not holding my breath on a deal being completed this week,» said Star Kashman, founder of Cyber Law Firm, who’s been following the TikTok saga. «Every time we hear about progress or a framework getting reached, some external complication throws the whole negotiation back into limbo.»

Tariffs and the Nvidia claims have further complicated what was already a complex negotiation over TikTok, she said. «It is likely that too much is already at play, including ByteDance’s potential obligations to the Chinese government, national security concerns, and privacy issues, as well as the desire to keep TikTok’s addictive algorithm, without isolating and segregating US users.»

Kashman said that none of the parties have been transparent about what would happen to TikTok under US ownership, including addressing reports that a US-only TIkTok app would be offered 

Negotiation factors

If a deal is reached to keep TikTok available in the United States, it could be just the start of wrangling over the platform’s future, said one expert on US-China relations.

«The Chinese generally look at the signing of a deal as the beginning of negotiations, not the end,» said Usha Haley, Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business at Wichita State University. «So the devil will be in the details as they unfold over several years.»

Haley said that any deal would be subject to congressional scrutiny and could set a precedent for how future foreign-based apps operate in the US.

The Trump administration would likely insist on US-based storage of TikTok data, independent oversight and insulation from Chinese legal and political demands, while China’s government would want to protect its tech champion and maintain cultural influence, she said.

Whatever requirements the US imposes, Haley said, China might still find a way to maintain some control over TikTok by «keeping some possibly secret doors and trapdoors open for intervention in the future, if needed.»

Technologies

MacBook Pro May Be Finally Getting a Touchscreen

The OLED MacBook Pro reportedly will break new ground with late 2026 launch.

Get your swiping fingers ready. According to a reliable insider, Apple will introduce touchscreen capability to the MacBook Pro for the first time with the launch of the OLED MacBook Pro in late 2026.


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Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, posted on X that the cheaper MacBook, scheduled to go into production later this year, will not have a touchscreen. However, he said it’s probable that the model’s second generation, slated for production in 2027, could get a touchscreen.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After years of seeing how consumers use their iPads, Kuo believes that Apple realizes that «in certain scenarios, touch controls can enhance both productivity and the overall user experience.»

Read more: What exactly IS the best MacBook for you?

Apple has not confirmed the report. However, on Wednesday, Kuo listed numerous reports that have come true, including the iPhone Air specs, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the iPhone 17 Dynamic Island staying the same size.

What’s next for the MacBook?

It’s been nearly two decades since Apple introduced the first MacBook. CNET’s Scott Stein believes that the iPad and MacBook platforms will eventually merge.

YouTuber Jon Rettinger, who has 1.65M subscribers, agrees that the iPad and MacBook are «on a collision course with unity» and that consumers are always looking for the next level of interaction and form factors: in this case, a touchscreen.

But with the devices and their operating systems merging, Rettinger says a big question mark is what’s next for the iPadOS. «How will that continue to evolve?»

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Technologies

New PS5 Update Lets DualSense Controllers Pair With Multiple Devices at the Same Time

A software update brings the controller pairing feature to all users and also adds a power-saving option for some games.

All you PlayStation 5 players can now pair your wireless DualSense controllers with up to four devices at a time and toggle among them. 

For some time, you’ve been able to pair your DualSense controllers not just with PS5s and other PlayStation consoles, but also with PCs, Macs, smartphones and other Bluetooth devices. But that pairing could happen with only one device at a time; using a different device with a DualSense required pairing all over again.

That changes now, with system update 25.05-12.00.00. PS5 owners who download and install the update, which is now available, can pair their DualSense controllers with up to four different devices. The new feature also works with DualSense Edge controllers.

How to enable and use multidevice pairing on DualSense controllers

To enable the feature (which has been available to beta testers since June):

  1. Hold the PS button for 5 seconds and then hold one of the action buttons (triangle, circle, square or X) until the light bar and player indicator flash twice.
  2. Turn on Bluetooth pairing on your device and select the DualSense controller.
  3. Once pairing is done on the other device, the light bar and player indicator light should blink in one of four slots.

To use the feature once you’ve assigned other devices:

  1. Make sure the device you want to switch to is on and has Bluetooth enabled.
  2. Hold the PS button and the action button that was assigned (triangle, circle, square or X)for 3 seconds.
  3. The player indicator light (1-4) should flash according to which device pairing has been activated.

For more detailed instructions and troubleshooting, click here. 

Other PS5 system updates

The PS5 system update also brings another new feature: Some games will support power saving, which reduces power consumption by scaling back game performance. You can enable or disable that for specific games by going to Settings > System > Power Saving > Use Power Saver.

In addition, Sony says, the update improves messages and usability on some system screens, as well as software performance and stability.

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Technologies

Forget the iPhone 17, the 2025 Moto G Power Is on Sale for a Record-Low $250

This midrange Motorola is one of our favorite budget-friendly phones on the market, and right now you can snag one for $50 off the usual price.

There’s a lot of buzz about the iPhone 17, which hits shelves this Friday. But not everyone wants to spend $800 (or substantially more) on the latest Apple phone. Motorola has some great options for those looking for a more affordable alternative, and right now you can grab one for even less.

Amazon has knocked $50 off the 2025 Motorola Moto G Power, which drops the price to a record-low $250. It’s also on sale at Motorola, where you’ll get an extra $100 in credit if you’re trading in an old phone.

CNET’s mobile device experts named the Moto G Power as the best phone you can get for less than $300, with Mike Sorrentino calling it the «lowest-priced Motorola phone worth buying.» It’s not the most advanced model on the market, but can still has the hardware needed to «handle the basics without breaking the bank.»

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If features a vibrant 6.8-inch display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, as well as an impressive 50-megapixel rear camera system that preforms surprisingly well in low light. Under the hood, it’s equipped with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a Mediatek Dimensity 8100 CPU, as well as a respectable 5,000-mAh battery. It also has a unique «RAM Boost» feature that converts a small amount of available storage into virtual RAM to temporarily boost performance. Plus, it supports 5G connectivity and has durable IP68 design so its resistant to water and dust.

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Why this deal matters

As one of our favorite affordable models, the Motorola Moto G Power is already a decent value at full price, and a bargain whenever you can pick it up for less — especially a record-low price. It features decent specs and hardware, as well as a fairly rugged design, making it well worth the money at just $250.

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