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Sure, we've seen millions poured into lobbying and other means of influence during every presidency, but the last two years set a whole new bar. Business leaders, including those from almost every Big Tech company, stepped over themselves to prove fealty to Donald Trump's second administration. It's easy to see why: Their kowtowing was meant to secure regulatory favors, gain tax and tariff advantages and avoid Trump's ire. Ultimately, it was all in the service of appeasing their shareholders. Why else would Apple CEO Tim Cook, someone who typically cultivates a progressive image, hand deliver a gold plaque to the President of the United States? Before we leave 2025 behind, it's worth documenting the many ways tech companies and leaders debased themselves for political favor with the Trump administration. Alphabet (Google)Google dropped diversity recruitment goals in February, following Trumps executive orders dismantling DEI programs in the federal government. Google also changed its AI principles to allow AI in weapons and surveillance, a move that is in line with the relaxed artificial intelligence regulation the Trump administration would later adopt for its AI Action Plan. To the chagrin of geographers everywhere, the company also replaced the Gulf of Mexico in Google Maps with "Gulf of America," following Trump's executive order.Additionally, Alphabet agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle Donald Trump's lawsuit against YouTube, following the suspension of his YouTube accounts after the January 6th riot. Trump will receive $22 million, while another $2.5 million of the settlement will be paid out to additional plaintiffs who were part of the class action which is to say, other rioters involved in the storming of the Capitol.Joining plenty of other tech companies, Google donated $1 million to the Trump inauguration, and its also contributing to the cost of Trumps reported $300 million White House ballroom.AmazonIn August, Amazon Web Services said it would provide up to $1 billion in credits to the Trump administration through 2028. Those credits can be put towards AWS cloud services, training and certification and direct contracts.Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also did his fair share to support Trump: He donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration, and since purchasing the Washington Post in 2013 he pushed the paper to the right. This year, Bezos declared that the Posts opinion pages would be devoted to the support and defense of personal liberties and free markets. He added, Well cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others." To that end, the Post also hired three new conservative columnists. Bezos reportedly also blocked his paper from endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.I shared this note with the Washington Post team this morning:Im writing to let you know about a change coming to our opinion pages. We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. Well cover other topics too Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 26, 2025 Amazon, too, is contributing to Trump's $300 million White House ballroom. The Washington Post, unsurprisingly, was one of the first major publications to praise Trumps ballroom. AppleApple relied on big numbers and flashy trinkets to ingratiate itself to the Trump administration. In February, it said it planned to invest $500 billion into the US economy over the next four years. While that sounds impressive, Apple previously announced another $430 billion multi-year investment for the US in 2021. In a potential bid to avoid the administrations volatile tariff plans, Apple also said it would invest another $100 billion into the US in August.Tim Cook personally donated $1 million to the Trump inauguration fund, Cook's first political donation since 2017. At that August event, he also gave Donald Trump a now infamous gold statue for being a special little guy. Additionally, Apple followed in Googles footsteps by replacing the Gulf of Mexico in Apple Maps with the Gulf of America. The company is also chipping in for Trumps $300 million White House ballroom.MetaMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wasted no time trying to get into Trumps good graces, perhaps to erase his previous statement that the President should be held responsible for his words for inciting the January 6 Capitol riot. On top of donating $1 million to Trump's inauguration, Meta announced that it would be getting rid of third-party fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram on January 7. Instead, it's relying on community notes similar to X. Meta also ended its DEI initiatives and changed its hate speech rules to allow for calling LGBTQ people mentally ill. "We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words such as 'weird,'" reads the companys updated policy.Even Zuckerbergs charity, which he runs alongside his wife, bowed to Trump. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative ended its diversity programs and stopped providing social advocacy funding, which supported immigration and racial equity efforts. According to The Guardian, the charitys website removed every reference to diversity or promoting scientific research from underrepresented groups. Similar to Google, Meta said it will pay Donald Trump $25 million to settle his lawsuit related to his Facebook suspension after the January 6 riot. And yes, Meta is also contributing to Trump's $300 million White House ballroom. MicrosoftMicrosoft contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. Previously, it donated $500,000 to Biden's fund and the same amount for Trump's first term. Its also contributing to Trumps $300 million White House ballroom.Similar to Amazon, Microsoft also offered up to $3.1 billion worth of services to the Trump administration as part of the American-centric OneGov strategy. That includes discounts for Microsoft 365, Azure cloud services and cybersecurity tools. Copilot AI will also be discounted to government agencies, and itll be completely free for a year for agencies subscribing to Microsoft G5 service.Elon Musk (X, SpaceX, Tesla)Elon Musk was by far the biggest booster for Trump in the business world. He spent a whopping total of $277 million to back Trump and other candidates in 2024, including $239 million to America PAC, his super PAC focused on securing votes for Trump and other Republicans. Musk went so far as to offer $1 million to people who said they would vote for Trump, a move that the Justice Department warned might be illegal. Wisconsin's Attorney General challenged Musk's ploy but the state's Supreme Court declined to hear a case on the matter, thereby giving Musk leeway to award two $1 million checks to voters. Musk's team edited a video of one of the recipients to remove her admission that she was paid "to vote." He also joked that he could be jailed if Kamala Harris won the 2024 election, which could be referencing potential election fraud, his penchant for busting unions, national security concerns from his uncomfortably close relationship with Vladimir Putin or any number of potential crimes.Elon Musk spearheaded DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), an unelected position from which he was given nearly unprecedented federal oversight. Once installed he hired his techie acolytes to chip away at government budgets and staffs. For the first few weeks of the second Trump administration, it appeared as if Musk had unfettered power to manipulate the government.And let's not forget, while leading DOGE, the world's richest man also destroyed USAID, the world's largest food aid provider, for no apparent reason other than cruelty. After purchasing Twitter in 2022 and renaming it "X," Musk has also transformed Twitter into a Trump-friendly social network focused on free speech. He reinstated Trumps Twitter account, which was banned after the January 6 Capitol riot, and he also paid Trump around $10 million to settle his lawsuit over being kicked off the platform. X is now a platform that amplifies far-right extremists, treats the inclusive term cisgender as a slur and doesnt punish users for deadnaming and misgendering trans people.What about the rest?This is by no means an exhaustive documenting of every single tech tycoon that has bent the knee. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, for instance, told Joe Rogan in an interview that everything that [Trump] thinks through is very practical and very common sense, and, you know, it's very logical. According to Axios, Huang added that Trump "wants to make sure that that the important, critical technology of our nation is built in United States, and that we re-industrialize and get good at manufacturing again, because it's important for jobs." Its also worth remembering that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison joined President Trump onstage in announcing Stargate the largest AI infrastructure project by far in history. The two were joined by Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, who called the moment the beginning of a golden age. The next day, Altman posted on X that he believed Trump will be incredible for the country in many ways!Ellisons son David is the CEO of Skydance, and has infamously been rebuilding Paramount with Bari Weiss since the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media was approved this year. The list of major tech players bowing to Trump only grows from here, and putting the bulk of the transactions in one place should serve to remind us how closely tied Big Tech is with American (and global) politics.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/big-tech-bent-the-knee-for-trump-in-2025-140000365.html?src=rss
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Warner Bros. Discovery's board has formally rejected the $108 billion takeover bid from Paramount Skydance, the company announced. WBD said it remains committed to its $82.7 billion deal with Netflix, which would close some time next year, pending regulatory approval. "[The board] has unanimously determined that the tender offer launched by Paramount Skydance on December 8, 2025 is not in the best interests of WBD and its shareholders and does not meet the criteria of a "Superior Proposal" under the terms of WBD's merger agreement with Netflix announced on December 5, 2025," the studio said in the press release. Paramount's offer was funded in part by sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, so it could have triggered a national security review by the US government. However, Paramount said that even if those entities dropped out, the company's owners (the Ellisons) would "backstop the full amount of the bid." However, the board said that Paramount "has consistently misled WBD shareholders that its proposed transaction has a 'full backstop' from the Ellison family. It does not, and never has," adding that "the terms of the Netflix merger are superior." WBD explained that Paramount is relying on an "opaque revocable trust" for said backstop which is "no replacement for a secured commitment by a controlling shareholder." WBD's board also noted that Paramount expects to achieve $9 billion in cost synergies from the merger, and that "would make Hollywood weaker, not stronger." In a statement, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that "the Warner Bros. Discovery board reinforced that Netflix's merger agreement is superior and that our acquisition is in the best interest of stockholders. This was a competitive process that delivered the best outcome for consumers, creators, stockholders and the broader entertainment industry." Paramount has yet to comment, but the company has previously said that its $30 per share offer is a better deal, due to the all-cash nature (compared to 84 percent cash for Netflix) and fact that it would have a clearer path to regulatory approval due to the Ellison's supposedly tight relationship with President Trump. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/warner-bros-discovery-rejects-paramounts-hostile-bid-131055882.html?src=rss
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When Amazons latest Echo speakers arrived in October, a feature the company spent time hyping during its fall devices event was missing. Alexa Home Theater arrived in late November, allowing owners of a recent Fire TV device and either of the new Echo speakers the ability to use up to five units and an Echo Sub as a surround sound setup. The main selling point is that the underlying tech allows you to put the speakers wherever you want and Alexa Home Theater will handle the rest. A robust array of speakers is a considerable investment, though, and there are limitations to Amazons latest play for your living room.What is Alexa Home Theater?At the most basic level, Alexa Home Theater is an automatic room calibration tool thats akin to Trueplay from Sonos, SpaceFit Sound from Samsung or Sound Field Optimization from Sony. The feature, no matter which company builds it, is designed to automatically tune the acoustics of a soundbar or other speakers to the acoustics of the room. These tools allow companies to account for things like high ceilings and weird angles, adjusting audio performance so things sound their best no matter how your home is designed. Like similar technologies from other companies, Alexa Home Theater and the latest Echo speakers also support spatial awareness. This allows you to position the speakers however they best fit in your living room and the underlying tech will balance the sound based on their proximity to each other. Gone are the days when you have to put rear speakers in a specific spot in order for them to work. For the latest Echo speakers, Amazon overhauled Alexa Home Theater to accommodate more devices in a single setup. Now you can use up to five Echo Dot Max or second-generation Echo Studio units and a subwoofer at the same time. Of course, this means you can put the compact speakers around the perimeter of your home theater space, providing more immersive surround sound than a single speaker or two can muster. Alexa Home Theater recognizes each Echo speaker and adjusts the system accordingly. What hardware do I need to use it?My test setup was four Echo Studio speakers and a Fire TV Stick 4K Max.Billy Steele for EngadgetIf you want to use more than two Echo speakers and a subwoofer in your Alexa Home Theater setup, youll need the latest Amazon devices to make that happen. That list includes the Echo Dot Max and second-gen Echo Studio, along with the Echo Sub if you crave more bass. Youll also need a Fire TV streaming gadget for the multi-speaker option, but it has to be one of the following:Fire TV Cube (3rd gen)Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen) Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd gen)Fire TV Stick 4K PlusYou might be wondering why Alexa Home Theater isnt supported on other (older) Amazon streaming and audio models. Well, it is but youll only be allowed to pair just two Echo speakers of the same model with an optional subwoofer for a total of three devices. That list of supported models is quite long, but it accounts for the two most recent generations of both the Echo and Echo Dot in addition to the Echo Pop, Echo Plus (2nd gen) and the original Echo Studio. This two-speaker method is also supported on more Fire TV devices, including some standalone TVs with Amazons streaming platform built in. In that scenario, it means you could pair two Echo speakers with a subwoofer, for example, and have them play the same audio content with Alexa Home Theater.Currently, Amazon says these are Fire TV devices that dont support Alexa Home Theater: Fire TV Stick 4K SelectAmazon Fire TV 2-SeriesFire TV 4-Series (2025 Release, newest model)Fire TV Omni QLED Series (2025 Release, newest model)Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series (2024 Release, newest model)How to set up Alexa Home TheaterLike nearly all home theater speakers and soundbars these days, setting up Alexa Home Theater is easy once you have the required hardware in place. Unlike a lot of the competition, this initial configuration isnt done in a mobile app its handled by the Settings menu on a compatible Fire TV device. Before you initiate the setup process, youll want to make sure your Echo speakers and Fire TV device are up to date. You can ask Alexa to check for updates to the speakers, while youll need to check the Device & Software section of the Fire TV Settings menu for those gadgets. Once everything is current, here are the steps to follow to get started with Alexa Home Theater: Go to Settings on your Fire TV.Select Display & Sounds. Select Alexa Home Theater.Select Create Alexa Home Theater. Select the compatible Echo speakers. You can also add an Echo Sub during this step. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure the system. After you select either the second-gen Echo Studio or the Echo Dot Max, hit Next and the system will calibrate automatically. If you select other Echo speakers, hit Next and then confirm the placement of the speakers before calibration. When the setup is complete, the Alexa Home Theater system is ready to use. To do so, select either Home or Watch Preview. Using Alexa Home Theater with four Echo Studio speakersThe two Echo Studio speakers that flanked my TV primarily handled dialogue.Billy Steele for EngadgetLike most home theater gear, the Fire TV will play short audio clips through each Echo speaker and your TV speakers to determine their location and to calibrate the group to the room. From start to finish, the setup process takes about five minutes so long as your Fire TV and all speakers are running up-to-date firmware. Its a quick and straightforward process, which meant I was watching Fallout soon after putting all of the speakers in place. While streaming that video game-inspired original series, the Echo Studios provided an immersive audio experience with directional sound and crisp, clear dialogue. The front two speakers handle speech, but theres some nuance in what direction its coming from on screen. Rear speakers are tasked with the bulk of the environmental noise, whether thats nearby water, passing cars, rain or gunfire just to name a few. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much bassy rumble these speakers produced during movies and shows. I didnt think a single unit was particularly adept at low-end tone during my review, but I think it would be just fine to use a collection of Echo Studios without having to add the Echo Sub. The overall audio performance here is certainly a boost over any TVs built-in speakers, but the sense of immersion isnt as complete as what a soundbar and a pair of rear satellite speakers can provide. Specifically, I felt like the foursome of Echo Studio speakers in my test setup stumbled with the height channels. Despite the angled design of the devices and their multi-driver configurations, the effect of overhead and aerial sounds was quite subdued. And the worst part about this is that theres no way to try to fix it with settings. Thats because there are minimal settings to adjust once Alexa Home Theater is set up. There are two features dialogue boost and volume leveler but those are both Fire TV settings rather than items meant for any connected speakers. In the Alexa Home Theater menu, theres a lip sync tool to address any audio lag, which is a standard item for any soundbar. I wouldve loved to see some kind of channel adjustment at the very least, so that I could dial in the mix a bit rather than relying on Amazons preferences. If you turn to Alexa for help, the assistant can only change bass, treble and midrange, and it can only do so when prompted by voice commands. When I asked for it to turn up the dialogue, it seemed to just increase the volume. If I asked it to adjust the height channels, Alexa responded affirmatively, but it didnt sound like any tweaks were applied. Amazon later confirmed that those basic EQ changes are Alexa and actually do here. Another gripe I have with Alexa Home Theater is the inability to connect my phone or another device to the entire group for music. You can still sync with individual Echo Studio speakers for music via Bluetooth, but if you want to use the whole shebang, youll have to play your tunes from the Fire TV or ask Alexa to help. The Fire TV platform has plenty of audio streaming apps, but Apple Music isnt there and thats where my monthly subscription resides. You have to add the Apple Music skill to the Alexa app on your phone first, then you can stream content from the service by asking Amazons assistant. For other services with Fire TV apps, youre using your TV to play music, and most of the time I want the TV off and to just pick up my phone to blast some Spiritbox. I also like to control the queue from my phone, but alas thats not an option here. Wrap-upAmazon's new Echo Studio is a complete redesign from the 2019 model.Billy Steele for EngadgetThe main issue with using four Echo Studios and a Fire TV is the cost. For the speakers alone, youre looking at nearly $900 for the setup I tested. When the new Echo speakers were announced in September, Amazon said it would offer Alexa Home Theater bundles with multiple speakers, but I couldnt find those on the companys website. For comparison, Sonos currently offers multiple configurations of the Beam soundbar and either Era 100 speakers or a sub for less than $800. For the same price as four Echo Studio speakers, you can get Sonys Bravia Theater System 6, which comes with a soundbar, rear speakers and a subwoofer. There are other options from other companies as well in the $800 range, and most people will likely be happier with a dedicated soundbar-based setup than four Echo units and a subwoofer. Hello, AirPlay and Google Cast.From an aesthetic perspective, I can see why someone might opt for multiple Echo speakers instead of a mid-sized (or larger) soundbar. Two Echo Studios on either side of my TV with the two rear units tucked away on a shelf certainly creates a clean look. And in terms of sound, using two Echo Studio speakers, let alone four like I tested, will provide a noticeable boost over a TVs built-in speakers. However, the lack of customization and the inability to control music from my phone for an Alexa Home Theater group makes it hard to recommend Amazons latest for shoppers looking for more immersive audio in the living room. Hopefully the company will continue to refine this feature so that its more capable in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/alexa-home-theater-everything-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-newest-echo-feature-130000328.html?src=rss
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