August 11, 2026

Why AI Adoption in Materials R&D Depends More on People Than Technology AI tools often fail to transform materials R&D not because the technology lacks capability, but because organizations struggle with workflow integration, skills, and adoption. Bridging computational expertise with materials knowledge can accelerate development and deliver major productivity gains. EE Times

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How AI Search Will Change in the Second Half of 2026 — and What It Means for Your Visibility Google’s January Gemini 3 model swap quietly reshaped AI search visibility, increasing source citations and rewarding fresh, entity-rich content. As major AI platforms roll out new models, businesses face frequent, unannounced ranking shifts, making authoritative, verifiable content increasingly essential. Entrepreneur

Viscosity Does Not Equal Rheology: What Solder Paste Measurements Really Tell You Viscosity is a useful solder paste quality control measurement, but rheology provides a more complete understanding of how paste will roll, fill, release, recover, and remain stable during stencil printing. Technical Paper

Apple is working on a way to authenticate that a photo came from an iPhone camera Apple is developing “Apple Reference Image,” a feature in iOS 27 that could authenticate photos using unique iPhone camera sensor data. The privacy-focused system uses Private Cloud Compute to verify provenance without exposing users’ raw images to Apple. 9 To 5 Mac

Sponsor Flux-Free, Reliable, Efficient: Soldering with Formic Acid Whitepaper shows formic-acid-assisted, flux-free soldering enables reliable, nearly void-free joints for power semiconductors. The technology improves thermal performance and lifespan. Rehm Thermal Systems

Amazon's robotaxi Zoox launches first paid service in U.S. Zoox launched its first paid robotaxi service in Las Vegas, introducing steering-wheel-free vehicles with carriage-style seating. The company secured temporary federal approval for commercial operations and plans to expand on-demand service to Austin, Miami and San Francisco. Mashable

Extending 3D MRS Sensor Technology to Address Challenging Applications There is an increasing need for highly accurate 3D inspection and measurement capabilities for applications in SMT, semiconductor and metrology markets. Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ Flux-Free, Reliable, Efficient: Soldering with Formic Acid ■ Redesigning Material Logistics for High-Mix EMS Production ■ Unlocking Academic-Industry Synergy: A Collaborative Model for Hands-On Electronics Manufacturing Education ■ Viscosity Does Not Equal Rheology: What Solder Paste Measurements Really Tell You ■ Salvaging Electronic Components: A Reliable Method for Reducing Electronic Waste and Ensuring Economic Reuse ■ 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 MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Plasma Etch PE-Avenger The PE-Avenger is an ultra low-cost entry level plasma cleaning system allowing more labs to utilize plasma. It's a low frequency plasma cleaner designed for surface activation and organics removal. Plasma Etch

Chinese AI drives price competition among US labs Chinese AI rivals are intensifying price competition with Silicon Valley as cheaper, capable open-source models gain users. OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI have cut prices, while developers increasingly choose leaner Chinese models to power affordable AI agents and applications. Taipei Times

Democracy is at stake when foolish humans bet on machines being intelligent The rapid rise of autonomous AI is blurring the boundary between machines and living beings, raising serious safety concerns. The article warns that unchecked competition, weak regulation and geopolitical rivalry could make increasingly powerful AI systems dangerous. Taipei Times

High Performance Light and Moisture Dual Curable Encapsulant This study is focused on liquid glop top encapsulants that are placed over the PCB components and wire bonds as a protective layer. Technical Paper

Sponsor How to Simplify Solder Paste Printing StikNPeel removable rework stencils simplifies selective printing of solder paste leaving no residue providing cleaner alternative to metal stencils. BEST Inc.

Open-weight AI can improve care Taiwan should use open-weight AI to address its aging population by connecting health, fitness and nutrition data. Secure local deployment could empower professionals, reduce vendor dependence, personalize care and support safer, more coordinated healthy-aging services. Taipei Times

Foxtron codevelops battery EV with Mitsubishi Motors Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand will launch the ASX VR-e battery electric vehicle in the fourth quarter, developed with Foxtron and Pininfarina. Built at Yulon’s Taiwan plant, the right-hand-drive EV targets New Zealand and Australian markets. Taipei Times

How to Set Up a Successful Blind Via Hole Fill DC Plating Process Successful via fill plating requires a specific electrolyte; the copper concentration is as high 50 - 60 g/L copper with low sulfuric acid at 30 - 60 g/L. Technical Paper

Sponsor High Temp & Chemical Resistant Epoxy Master Bond EP62-1AO is an electrically insulating adhesive that withstands harsh chemical environments while delivering thermal conductivity. View full specs. Master Bond

Agency calls for laws to counter China repression Taiwan plans stronger legal measures to counter China’s transnational repression, including tougher criminal penalties and rapid police reporting mechanisms. Authorities are identifying potential targets and coordinating agencies to respond swiftly to harassment or attacks linked to Beijing. Taipei Times

Farmer trusted AI after it gave good advice, then it helped wipe out 25 acres of his crops A Chinese farmer lost nearly 25 acres of sesame crops after blindly following an AI chatbot’s pesticide advice. The incident highlights AI’s potential dangers when users trust inaccurate recommendations without verifying chemical safety and application instructions. TechSpot

Sponsor Viscom at SMTA Michigan & Ohio Join Viscom at SMTA Michigan (8/18/26) and Ohio (8/20/26) to discover the latest advancements in AOI and AXI inspection technology, including our powerful AI solutions. Viscom SE

U.S. Startup Fields Quantum Sensors to Reduce Reliance on GPS Dirac Labs is field-testing quantum sensors designed to provide GPS-free navigation in jammed or denied environments. The Wisconsin startup combines diamond-based quantum sensing, magnetic mapping and AI, targeting defense, aviation, underground and underwater applications, with production expected within two years. EE Times

Risks Using Flux Only for Soldering BGAs What are the risks using flux only versus solder paste for placing BGAs in a hybrid lead-free environment? Why would you only use flux, why not solder paste? Board Talk

Intel upsizes stock offering to $20 billion at $95 per share as AI demand accelerates Intel raised its planned stock offering to $20 billion at $95 per share, expecting $19.7 billion in net proceeds. The chipmaker will use the funds for capital expenditures and working capital as AI demand drives infrastructure investment. CNBC

Meta to open source its most powerful AI model as it takes swipe at OpenAI, Anthropic Meta plans to open-source its powerful Muse Spark 1.2 model and launch Muse Glimmer for laptops, intensifying competition with OpenAI and Anthropic. Zuckerberg says on-device AI can cut costs, boost speed, and counter China’s growing open-weight model advantage. CNBC

Sponsor What are your economic depaneling needs? Our depaneling machines are high-performance machines for single circuit boards with electronic components. The cutting principles are fast, the best quality. SCHUNK

Canada Wants To Build Data Centers That Grow Into Farms SPUR Innovation planned an ecological AI data center in Ontario that would use waste heat from servers to power a vertical farm. The project aimed to reduce resource consumption, grow food year-round, and create a sustainable data-center model. BGR