Category | News

The post-pandemic slowdown within the broader collectibles industry continues apace. Funko, Inc. has published its earnings report, and it’s not pretty. Their total, period-over-period net sales is down 14.3% according to Yahoo!Finance. The Interim CEO, Mike Lunsford, strikes a stolid tone: "As expected, our 2025 second quarter performance was impacted by a dynamic and uncertain tariff environment." From a public relations standpoint, it’s never a bad idea to blame external forces when speaking to the press.

I’m not predicting catastrophic failure for the company, but the present economy is not conducive to discretionary spending. Any company trying to capitalize on the pop-culture memorabilia market in specific or the hobbyist market in general is going to experience anemic cash flow in the coming year.

Long term, the national economy probably won’t experience the sharpest recession pains until Trump exits the While House. Not because of the dynamic tariff policies necessarily but because of certain 20- and 40-year market cycles that may coalesce around that time.

Longer term, you can take solace in knowing that the Funkos decorating your coding desk will stand resolute until the end.

On the topic of finding a job in this economy, my pessimistic gut tells me don’t bother. The internet is rife with anecdotal stories of tech pros getting laid off and incapable of finding another job.

Frankly, I’m one of those stories.

Below is just a sampling of recent ballast shedding by leading technology corporations. Next year will be financially disastrous for many individuals in North America trained only in the computer sciences.

1. IBM cutting thousands of jobs in the fourth quarter. "IBM employed 270,000 people at the end of 2024, according to its latest annual report. A 1% cut to headcount would represent the loss of 2,700 jobs."
2. Intel cuts 15% of its staff as it pushes to make a comeback. "Intel said Thursday it has mostly completed plans it announced last quarter to cut 15% of its workforce, as the struggling chipmaker attempts a turnaround."
3. A laid-off Microsoft manager shares why he's ready to say goodbye to Big Tech after 2 decades. "After three stints at Microsoft spanning more than two decades, Joe Friend was laid off in May. He's still figuring out what's next, but there's one thing he's sure of: His time in Big Tech is over. …He had planned to stay at Microsoft until at least his 65th birthday — a milestone that, under company policy, allows most stock grants to continue vesting even after the employee leaves."
4. Meta lays off 600 from ‘bloated’ AI unit as Wang cements leadership. "Meta will lay off roughly 600 employees within its artificial intelligence unit as the company looks to reduce layers and operate more nimbly, a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC on Wednesday."
5. CrowdStrike to lay off 5% of staff, reaffirms forecasts. "CrowdStrike reiterated its fiscal 2026 first quarter and annual forecasts on Wednesday and announced a plan to cut about 500 roles, roughly 5% of its workforce, to streamline operations and reduce costs. The cybersecurity company will incur about $36 million to $53 million in charges related to the layoffs, of which about $7 million will be recognized in the first quarter ended April 30, it said in a regulatory filing."

AI, Tariffs Continue to Dominate Headlines

• Google Launches Gemini 2.5 Flash: Google introduced a new version of its Gemini AI model, signaling advancements in its AI offerings. This move underscores ongoing competition in the AI space.
• ChatGPT’s Reverse Location Search Trend: A viral trend emerged involving ChatGPT, where users leverage AI to reverse-search locations from photos, raising both interest and privacy concerns.
• Apple’s Tariff Avoidance Strategy: Reports highlighted how Apple CEO Tim Cook negotiated to shield the company from President Trump’s tariffs, potentially saving Apple from significant financial impacts.
• US Consumers Embrace Chinese Shopping Apps: Platforms like DHgate and Taobao saw a surge in popularity among US shoppers, reflecting shifting e-commerce trends.
• Meta’s Antitrust Negotiations: Insights emerged about Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to resolve an antitrust case against Meta, with allegations of offering US user data to China to enter its market.
• Oracle Denies Cloud Breach: Oracle reported a hack on “obsolete servers” but denied any cloud infrastructure compromise, addressing cybersecurity concerns.

Humanoid Robots

The quest for domesticated automatons is bringing to market new aspirants on the daily. Figure.ai isn’t a johnny-come-lately, but it has recently announced its robotic humanoids, the Figure-02, will have a hive mind called Helix AI to enable organized operation. They anticipate an accelerated timeline to getting robots into your pantry.

• Further reading: Yahoo! News

Quantum Computing

Microsoft has announced its Majorana 1 quantum computing chip. The most notable distinction is its “Topological Core” architecture. However, keywords in Microsoft’s celebratory article like “expects,” “progress,” and “offer a path” paint an optimistic portrait of the world to come; but the language of the publication do not indicate efficacious operation in the here and now.

• Further reading: Microsoft