March 21, 2025

Nvidia CEO Huang Says He Was Wrong About Timeline for Quantum At Nvidia's Quantum Day, CEO Jensen Huang admitted he misspoke in January about quantum computing's future. He walked back his skeptical comments, highlighted Nvidia's support for the field, and announced a new quantum research center in Boston. CNBC

Sponsor High-Density Rigid PCB Boards Summit's rigid capabilities include HDI high-layer count boards, staggered microvias, blind/buried vias, multiple sequential lam, via fill, metal backed/metal core, and oversized panel options. Summit Interconnect

VIEWPOINT 2025: Shoich Rashed, Sales Director, Mek (Marantz Electronics) 2024 was a transformative year for Mek as we expanded into new markets, particularly India, a rapidly growing hub for electronics production. This growth laid the foundation for an exciting 2025, where we plan to release a series of cutting-edge AOI systems, including the highly anticipated 8th-generation desktop inspection ... Mek (Marantz Electronics)

Use of Numerical Simulation Methods for the Development of Thermal Systems & Coating Equipment The use of numerical methods in order to support the development of systems and processes has now become widespread. The implementation of these methods helps to minimize development costs by reducing the number of required prototypes thanks to a pre-selection process. Technical Paper

Electronics Manufacturers Double Down on Sustainability Efforts Despite Challenges IPC launched Evolve at IPC APEX EXPO to accelerate sustainability in electronics manufacturing, offering tools, collaboration, and resources. The initiative responds to rising industry demand for circularity, efficiency, and long-term environmental innovation. IPC

Sponsor AVOID THE VOID® with Proven Solder Paste Looking to achieve void reduction and enhanced SIR performance? Indium8.9HF is your proven, no-clean, Pb-free, halogen-free, solder paste solution. Indium Corporation

Huawei's $1,000 foldable will run self-developed HarmonyOS 5 as it pushes Apple, Google alternative Huawei launched the foldable Pura X, its first smartphone running HarmonyOS 5, aiming to rival Android and iOS. Featuring dual displays and AI assistant Xiaoyi, the device marks Huawei's bold push back into China's smartphone market. CNBC

Technical Papers ■ Recycling vs Circularity: Minimising E-Waste in Manufacturing ■ Optimizing Cleaning Strategies for Advanced Packaging Technologies with Low Standoff Components ■ Probe Card Manufacturer 'Sees the Unseen' With X-ray ■ Electronic Assembly Cleaning Basics: Manual Concentration Monitoring Methods ■ An Eight-Step Methodology for Bringing a Process Under Statistical Control ■ Bismuth in Solder Alloys: From Bulk Constituent in Low Temp to Performance Enhancer in High Rel ■ Plasma as a Key Technology: Increasing Efficiency and Quality Assurance in the Electronics Industry ■ Use of Numerical Simulation Methods for the Development of Thermal Systems & Coating Equipment ■ Recent Advances in Final Finishes Push Past the Limits of Conventional Electrolytes ■ Smart pH Employment in Electronic Cleaning MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor A Lifespan of Reliability Nordson Electronics Solutions makes reliable electronics an everyday reality. Selective soldering, dispensing, coating, and plasma solutions. Nordson Electronics Solutions

Forget Apple Intelligence, Siri doesn't even know what month it is Apple faces backlash after indefinitely delaying its smarter Siri upgrade, a key feature of Apple Intelligence. Frustrated users report Siri can't answer basic questions like "What month is it?", marking a troubling decline in functionality and trust. BGR

Synopsys: Autonomous AI Agents to Tame Chip Design Complexity At SNUG 2025, Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi unveiled a bold vision for agentic AI to tackle soaring chip design complexity. He likened the shift to autonomous vehicles and stressed re-engineering engineering to speed innovation, design, and time-to-market. EE Times

Sponsor Vapor Phase Profiling Thermal profiling the vapor phase soldering process – especially those with vacuum – is challenging. ECD's M-VP™ sealed barrier can take it. Learn more. ECD

Alaska governor to meet with nation's president, premier Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy is visiting Taiwan to strengthen trade ties, meeting with President Lai and top officials. His delegation will engage with business leaders and attend key events to boost economic cooperation between Alaska and Taiwan. Taipei Times

Why The Electronics Industry Says Trump's Tariffs Won't Benefit It IPC stresses that electronics power every industry and drive innovation. Amid talent shortages, tariffs, and fragile supply chains, IPC urges global cooperation, strong local strategies, and workforce development to ensure future resilience and competitiveness. Forbes

Sponsor Circuitnet Advertising Delivers Results! Introduce your technology, new products or services in our daily e-mail newsletter & website to see how a digital advertising campaign can deliver results. Reach over 200,000 professionals. Circuitnet LLC

Data Centers Seek Engineers Amid a Talent Shortage AI's rapid growth is driving a global data center boom, creating fierce demand for electrical engineers. Major tech firms are investing billions, but talent shortages threaten progress. Engineers skilled in power systems now command top salaries and career opportunities. IEEE Spectrum

5 Leadership Strategies That Actually Prevent Employee Burnout Burnout is surging as rigid policies and an "always on" mindset push workers to their limits. Leaders can combat it with flexibility, open communication, and mental health support, while proactive analytics and empathetic leadership foster a healthier, more engaged workforce. Entrepreneur

Sponsor Advances in Final Finishes Push Past the Limits of Conventional Electrolytes New article explores DIG, RAIG, EPIG, EPAG, and the competition-fueled evolution from mSAP to full semi-additive SAP. Read it here. Uyemura

EU mandates Apple to open up iPhone, iOS to competitors under Digital Markets Act The EU is forcing Apple to open iOS to competitors under the Digital Markets Act, requiring broader device interoperability by 2026. Apple opposes the changes, citing privacy risks and innovation slowdowns, but faces major penalties for non-compliance. TechSpot

Nvidia plans to invest hundreds of billions in US manufacturing Nvidia plans to invest hundreds of billions in U.S. chip manufacturing over four years, aiming to reduce tariff risks and align with Trump-era trade policies. The company also acquired AI startup Gretel to strengthen its synthetic data capabilities. Verdict

Toyota-Honda alliance evolves as Trump tariffs pressure auto market Japanese automakers quietly boost U.S. investments in response to Trump’s tariffs, aiming to stay competitive. While their strategic shift supports local production, tariffs strain cross-border supply chains, and building new factories remains a slow, complex fix. Digitimes

Sponsor Copper Stud & CTE Nano Tech Underfill AIT's proven flip-chip and BGA multi-level underfills offer both 18 ppm/°C copper CTE matching fine-pitch & nano-pitch with 10 µm & 0.3 µm respective cut-off particles. AI Technology

Artificial Intelligence and Its Role in Improving Automated Optical Inspection With the help of AI we hope to ease the workload of engineering and operation teams while also improving labor cost, efficiency, and product quality. After reviewing the four AI use cases presented in this paper, it is very apparent the overwhelming benefit AI can have. Circuit Insight - Production Floor

NASA and Firefly release stunning moon sunset and eclipse photos Firefly's Blue Ghost became the first private spacecraft to land perfectly on the Moon, capturing stunning footage of a lunar sunrise, sunset, and eclipse. Over its 12-day mission, it transmitted groundbreaking data and deployed all 10 NASA experiments. TechSpot

Memory Safety Will Be Key to Tackle Fundamental Cyber Security The U.K.'s Digital Security by Design initiative showcased CHERI, a memory-safe hardware technology, in London. Experts praised its cybersecurity potential but noted adoption challenges. With 160+ companies involved, standardizing memory safety remains a key priority. EE Times