May 26, 2026

U.S. Quantum Bet Puts Hardware First, But Utility Remains the Test U.S. Commerce backs nine quantum firms with $2.013 billion CHIPS Act incentives, expanding support across foundries and competing hardware modalities. The initiative accelerates domestic quantum manufacturing, but industry must still prove real-world applications & enterprise value. EE Times

Sponsor Affordable Profiling Excellence Four channels of precision data capture from the most trusted name in thermal profiling. New and improved V-M.O.L.E.™ 2 is the ideal solution for budget-conscious electronics pros. Learn more here. ECD

Lenovo shares jump nearly 20% on record earnings as AI revenue nearly doubles Lenovo shares jumped 19.32% after the company reported strong AI-driven growth, with quarterly revenue rising 27% to $21.6 billion and net income nearly sixfold to $521 million, while AI revenue surged 84% and it retained top PC market share. CNBC

Digital Warehouse Automation in High-Mix PCB Assembly High mix SMT production demands full material visibility. This white paper shows how ASTER improved traceability, inventory accuracy and FIFO control through integrated automation and reel-level tracking across warehouse operations. Technical Paper

99% of executives expect AI to trigger layoffs within two years, survey finds Mercer's Global Talent Trends report shows 99% of 825 executives expect AI-driven layoffs within two years. Leaders prioritize redesigning work for automation, yet only 32% believe workers can effectively combine human & machine capabilities, while employee morale & productivity decline. TechSpot

Sponsor Wave Soldering Processes Rethought As a pioneer in the development of automated soldering technologies, SEHO is setting global standards today more than ever with outstanding features. Find out more. SEHO Systems GmbH

Data Centers in Space: A Brilliant Idea or Delusional? Tech companies are exploring orbital data centers powered by solar energy, but experts warn that extreme launch costs, heat dissipation limits, and operational complexity make the concept highly impractical, suggesting it may remain an expensive, attention-grabbing but unviable idea. EE Times

Sustainability is Key for Material and Chemistry Choices OEMs have started adopting sustainable materials and chemistry technologies for their electronics as a part of better ESG score rankings. Sustainability is becoming a key parameter for material and chemistry choices for the next generation electronics. The use of non-toxic options are being evaluated and preferred. Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ Digital Warehouse Automation in High-Mix PCB Assembly ■ Evaluation of Techniques for Intentional Contamination of PWB Substrates for Quantitative Cleanliness Analyses ■ Scaling SMT Traceability ■ The Drawbacks of Internal Recycling Systems for Solder Dross ■ Engineering ESD-Safe PCB Assembly for High-Reliability IoT and Industrial Electronics ■ The Analysis of Variance: Drawing Conclusions from Data That Are Correct, Unambiguous, and Defensible ■ PCB Rework Evolves, With X-ray a Constant Support ■ How pH Cleaning Agents Affect Production Performance ■ A Universal AI-Powered Segmentation Model for PCBA & Semiconductor ■ RAIG Minimizes Corrosion, Allows Higher Gold on ENEPIG MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Catch Defects Before They Cost You 3D AOI analyzes true solder height, contour, and volume to expose defects 2D systems miss—reducing false calls, rework, and escapes on ultra-compact components. Manncorp Inc.

5 Challenges for New Apple CEO John Ternus Apple will hand leadership to hardware chief John Ternus on September 1 as Tim Cook steps down after 14 years as CEO. Ternus, an engineering leader, inherits pressure to sustain innovation while navigating AI disruption and geopolitical tensions. Design News

A Practical Approach to Building Consistent Quality at Scale Teledyne's Machine Vision Cameras Group unified quality across global sites by combining IPC standards, in-house certification, and lab validation. The system improved workmanship consistency, increased confidence, and won aerospace contracts. Global Electronics Association

Using Rheology as a Measurement Potentially Predictive Tool The types of rheology measurements studied here show trends that mirror the print volume and volume reproduceability for three pastes. Technical Paper

Sponsor Low Thermal Resistance Epoxy Master Bond EP53TC is a thermally conductive, electrically insulating adhesive that combines good physical properties and the ability to transfer heat rapidly and effectively. Master Bond

Most Leaders Misunderstand Authenticity — and It's Costing Them Credibility With Key Stakeholders Strong leadership demands more than authenticity. It requires the discipline to defend clear values, stay focused on meaningful goals, and ignore distracting opinions. Real influence comes from standing firm on principles instead of constantly reacting to outside pressure. Entrepreneur

AI Is Actually Moving Jobs Out The Tech Industry - Here's Why AI's rapid growth is cutting white-collar tech jobs as companies automate tasks, while boosting demand for skilled trades. Construction and infrastructure workers now earn higher wages, enjoy stronger security, and build the systems powering AI. BGR

Solder Boards Not Holding Up to Shock Testing We are using a vapor phase oven. We have experienced problems with a no-lead BGA that has low silver solder balls. The solder boards do not hold up to shock testing. Board Talk

Sponsor Training for Certified IPC Specialists BEST's 7711 Training Rework Kit is designed for certification/re-certification of Certified IPC Specialists (CIS) so employees can be tested for speed, accuracy and quality. BEST Inc

Tech layoffs have already passed 100,000 in 2026 as the industry cuts jobs to fund AI Tech industry layoffs in 2026 have already crossed 100,000, with companies like Meta, Cisco, and Intuit cutting thousands of jobs as they shift spending toward AI infrastructure, automation, and restructuring, pushing projected annual losses toward 370,000. TechSpot

Microsoft's GitHub was positioned to win the AI coding race. Outages got in the way Microsoft faces mounting pressure as outages, security lapses, leadership turnover, and rising competition from Cursor and Anthropic weaken GitHub's once-dominant position in AI-assisted coding, threatening customer trust and market leadership. CNBC

Sponsor EZ-FLO High Precision Dispense Tips Each needle is machined from solid stainless steel as opposed to rolled tubing. The resulting smoother internal profile enhances material flow and consistency. Learn more. DL Technology

Steve Wozniak told graduates they have "actual intelligence," and they loved it Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak won cheers during a university graduation speech after praising graduates' "actual intelligence" and criticizing AI's limitations. He urged students to think differently, contrasting sharply with recent pro-AI commencement speeches that drew loud boos. TechSpot

Assessing Electronic Devices with 3D X-Ray Imaging and Electron Microscopy This article presents workflows that combine 3D X-ray microscopy, nanoscale tomography, and electron microscopy for visualization of the interior of electronic devices. Technical Paper

Imec Says AI Scaling Needs More Orchestration Across Research, Design, Manufacturing Imec CEO Patrick Vandenameele compared AI to a violin in an orchestra at ITF World 2026, stressing that semiconductor companies, hyperscalers, and AI developers must collaborate across hardware, software & standards to manage growing system complexity and scale AI effectively. EE Times

Developers: Get Your Medical Mobile App Verified By IEEE Patients increasingly rely on therapeutic medical apps that often lack independent safety, privacy, and clinical reviews. To address growing regulatory gaps and misleading claims, the IEEE Standards Association launched a global registry to evaluate and verify trusted medical apps. IEEE Spectrum

Sponsor The perfect protection for your electronics Rehm's ProtectoXP and ProtectoXC systems offer flexible, high-quality coating solutions that shield electronics from moisture, corrosion, and other environmental damage. Rehm Thermal Systems

You May Not Know Actions Technology, But You've Definitely "Heard" It Actions Technology evolved from MP3-era chipmaker Actions Semiconductor into a global wireless audio SoC supplier, powering earbuds, speakers, and peripherals with Bluetooth and proprietary ultra-low-latency technology that delivers high-fidelity audio for major brands. EE Times