The De Mimimus exemption nears its EOL - DTNSB 5072

Microsoft joins the $4 trillion club with Nvidia, and Dr. Niki talks about using computer models for the discovery of archeological history.

Starring Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao, Tom Merritt and Dr. Niki.

JASON: This is the Daily Tech News for Thursday, July 31, 2025. We tell you what you need to know, follow up on the context of those stories and help each other understand.

HUYEN: Today Dr. Niki tells us about using computer models for discovering archeological history and the De Minimis exception is going away for everyone. [29:32]

I’m Jason Howell,

I’m Huyen Tue Dao

JASON: Let’s start with what you need to know with the big story.

BIG STORY

Trump ends de minimis exemption for global low-cost goods
JASON: The US Presidential administration has issued an Executive Order eliminating the "de minimis" trade exemption for packages worth $800 or less from all countries that takes place on August 29. The loophole previously allowed low-value goods to enter the US duty-free. This change effectively means that all imported goods will be subject to country-based tariffs regardless of their value.

In May, the administration banned de minimis shipments from China and Hong Kong. Now, that expands globally regardless of the country of origin.

Shares of PDD Holdings, owner of Temu, dropped after the announcement. Temu is based in China, but still benefited by routed some shipments through other countries and using global suppliers to get around those tariffs. Now that avenue is blocked seemingly for good. Shein and AliExpress will also face a similar challenge.

Amazon shares also dropped after the announcement. Amazon's low-cost storefront called Haul relies directly from shipments coming from China.

The change is likely to impact independent sellers in marketplaces like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon Global who fulfill their orders from warehouses outside the US.

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JASON: There’s more we need to know today, let’s get to the briefs.

BRIEFS

Microsoft officially tops $4 trillion in market cap, joining Nvidia in exclusive club
Microsoft officially tops $4 trillion in market cap, joining Nvidia in exclusive club

Xbox Console Sales Drop 22%, Game Pass and First-Party Titles Drive 10% Rise in Overall Microsoft Gaming Revenue
Xbox Console Sales Drop 22%, Game Pass and First-Party Titles Drive 10% Rise in Overall Microsoft Gaming Revenue

HUYEN: Microsoft's earnings this week were strong, placing the company in the $4 trillion market cap club along with Nvidia. Microsoft's Azure cloud business was a big driver of the company's revenue growth seeing a 34% bump from last year. Microsoft revealed that Xbox console sales dropped by 22% even while gaming revenue rose by 10% thanks to strong growth in Game Pass subscriptions and first party titles. Players appear to be spending less on hardware and more on digital content, cloud streaming, and new game releases.

Microsoft’s software rules harming cloud competitors, CMA panel says
Microsoft’s software rules harming cloud competitors, CMA panel says

JASON: Unrelated to earnings, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority finds that Microsoft's software licensing practices are harming cloud competition. They say that is driving up costs for rivals like Amazon and Google in the UK market, highlighting Microsoft's "significant market power." The CMA recommends further requirements on Big Tech cloud providers to make pricing fairer and to give consumers more choice. Microsoft says the CMA has missed its mark again, pointing to its failure to notice Google's increasing cloud presence in the UK as a solid competitor in the space.

Meta shares soar 10% on big earnings beat as Zuckerberg predicts "superintelligence"
Meta shares soar 10% on big earnings beat as Zuckerberg predicts "superintelligence"

Zuckerberg says people without AI glasses will be at a disadvantage in the future
Zuckerberg says people without AI glasses will be at a disadvantage in the future

HUYEN: Meta's Q2 earnings topped expectations while detailing heavy investments in AI infrastructure that coincides with the company's full court press on building its Superintelligence Lab vision. CEO Mark Zuckerberg first shared a blog post ahead of yesterday's earnings call and then expanded on his thoughts during the earnings call stating his belief that glasses are the ideal form factor for the future of AI. He said "I think in the future, if you don’t have glasses that have AI — or some way to interact with AI — I think you’re probably [going to] be at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage compared to other people." Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration has tripled in revenue over the past year, according to EssilorLuxotica who makes the smartglasses for Meta.

Apple, Google, OpenAI to Work With Federal Agencies to Make Health Data Helpful
Apple, Google, OpenAI to Work With Federal Agencies to Make Health Data Helpful

JASON: Apple, Google, Amazon, Anthropic, and OpenAI have joined with federal officials and major US health systems in an agreement to make fragmented health data more useful to patients and providers. The alliance, announced at a White House event yesterday, is all about breaking down barriers in digital health so people can access, use, and share their health information which has become fragmented and complicated. The agreement doesn't force companies to hand over trade sensitive data. Instead, it invites tech firms, who voluntarily chose to take part, to help set standards and improve product development under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' framework.

AlphaEarth Foundations helps map our planet in unprecedented detail
AlphaEarth Foundations helps map our planet in unprecedented detail

HUYEN: AlphaEarth Foundations by Google DeepMind is a new digital mapping platform that uses information from satellites, radar, LiDAR, and climate simulations to create detailed summaries of every 10x10 meter patch of land on Earth. This project creates the largest satellite embedding dataset yet. It lets partners like the United Nations and conservation groups track land use, detect deforestation, and monitor agriculture or ecosystem changes with speed and a 24% accuracy improvement over prior models.

Samsung confirms Exynos 2600 as first 2nm flagship smartphone chip
Samsung confirms Exynos 2600 as first 2nm flagship smartphone chip

JASON: Samsung announced during its earnings call that the Exynos 2600, Samsung Foundry's next mobile chip, will be its first made on its 2nm process. Samsung will likely have a leg up over rivals like Qualcomm and Mediatek who are expected to stick 3nm for their upcoming chips. The Exynos 2600 is currently rumored to arrive in the Galaxy S26 series which is expected to feature a 10-core CPU and the Eclipse 960 GPU for a 15% performance improvement over Qualcomm's current flagship chip. Samsung has stuck with Qualcomm chips here in the US the past few years until most recently choosing the Exynos 2500 chip for the Z Flip 7.

Amazon-backed Showrunner launches “Netflix of AI” platform — and you can star in your own show
Amazon-backed Showrunner launches “Netflix of AI” platform — and you can star in your own show

HUYEN: Showrunner, a startup backed by Amazon, is launching a platform for creating custom TV shows and episodes instantly using AI and natural language prompts. Users can describe an idea, upload a selfie, and star in their own AI-animated show of differing genres like sitcoms or action series. Early users will have access to AI capabilities that script, animate, and voice content automatically. Branded experiences are also part of the long-term vision for the platform. Showrunner had previously captured buzz with an AI-generated South Park episode that went viral in 2023.

Uber Eats is adding AI to menus, food photos, and reviews
Uber Eats is adding AI to menus, food photos, and reviews

Uber Eats now lets merchants message customers about their orders
Uber Eats now lets merchants message customers about their orders

JASON: Uber Eats is introducing new AI-powered features to its platform including generative AI tools for creating descriptions for menu items and summarizing customer reviews. Another feature allows establishments to enhance their food photos with AI tools that improve lighting, resolution, and can even re-plate or expand upon the item shown in the original image. Customers are now able to upload food pictures that they've taken of their food when they rate their orders. A new Live Order Chat feature lets restaurants message customers directly to confirm things like replacements, clarify dietary needs, and address special requests before the food is picked up. Customers can only reply after merchants initiate contact.

HUYEN: Those are the essentials for today. Let’s dive a little deeper.

JASON: AI isn’t just for hallucinating bad answers to your question about bands from the 1970s, computer models can also usefully find history. We’re not kidding. Dr. Niki has the scoop. [TRT 4:33]

HUYEN: If you have feedback about anything that gets brought up on the show… Get in touch with us on the socials. @DTNSshow on X, Instagram, Threads!, Blue Sky and Mastodon. For TikTok and YouTube you can find us at Daily Tech News Show.

HELPING EACH OTHER UNDERSTAND

JASON: We end every episode of DTNS with some shared wisdom. Yesterday, Tom accidentally left out some important words when he wrote that Microsoft Authenticator will stop working on August 1st. We got several emails, and Jason F’s was the nicest about it.

HUYEN: Jason F wrote:
Just wanted to let you know that a small detail was missed when y’all reported on Microsoft Authenticator yesterday. The way it was reported (and is written in your show notes) is that “Microsoft Authenticator will stop working in August.”

But the linked AP article (and all the freaking notifications the app has been sending me) is “Password autofill in Microsoft Authenticator will stop working in August.” The authenticator itself will keep working as it’s used with Hotmail/Outlook.com and M365 enterprise authentication. (TOPTs and authorization push notifications)

Thanks for the work y’all do!
–Jason

And we should note that passkey storage will also continue to work. Thanks Jason F!

JASON: What are you thinking about? Got some insight into a story? Share it with us feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com

JASON: Thanks to Jason F and Dr. Niki for contributing to today’s show. And thank YOU for being along for Daily Tech News Show. You can keep us in business by becoming a patron, atPatreon.com/dtns.