April 22, 2026

Jim Cramer says Tim Cook accomplished something ‘almost impossible’ as Apple CEO Jim Cramer praised Tim Cook for building Apple into the greatest consumer enterprise, boosting its stock about 1,900%, deepening customer loyalty, and expanding services. He said Cook transformed Apple into a more predictable, premium business before John Ternus succeeds him. CNBC

Sponsor Your Award-Winning Cored Wire Our industry-leading, award-winning range of flux-cored wire solder solutions meet the diverse needs of both manual soldering, and rework and robotic soldering applications. Indium Corporation

Apple’s elevation of silicon head Johny Srouji signals sprint to build in-house chips for all devices Apple names John Ternus CEO and promotes Johny Srouji to chief hardware engineer, reinforcing its in-house silicon strategy. The company advances custom chips for AI-era devices, tightening hardware-software integration and reducing reliance on external suppliers. CNBC

Understanding Solder Dross: Causes and Control Strategies This article outlines the main contributors to dross formation, examines how alloy refining methods play a role, and explores practical ways to reduce dross through process control and equipment optimization. Technical Paper

Tenstorrent Previews Large Compute Cluster, Generates Video Faster Than Real Time Tenstorrent previewed its new cluster-scale system by running a Wan2.2-14B video generation demo that produced a 720p, five-second clip from text in three seconds, claiming up to 10× faster performance on optimized BlackHole-based Galaxy servers with 256 chips. CNBC

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

What to Consider Before You Accept a Management Role As an engineering manager at Clorox, writer learns a promotion is a role change. Without training, they struggle as impact shifts from personal coding output to indirect team results, leading them to revert to writing code. IEEE Spectrum

Investigation of Copper Sinter Material for Die Attach 3 copper powders were tested for their feasibility to use as die attach material for pressure sintering process without prior treatment with reducing agents. Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ 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 ■ High Reliability Lead-Free Solder Paste with Rosin and Anti-Crack Resin ■ Understanding Solder Dross: Causes and Control Strategies MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

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Tim Cook turned Apple into a $4 trillion juggernaut by not trying to be Steve Jobs Tim Cook leaves Apple after 15 years, growing market value from $350 billion to $4 trillion through operational discipline, supply chain strength, and services expansion, while navigating tariffs and China dependence, passing leadership to John Ternus. CNBC

Apple Eyes Product Engineering Revival with CEO Transition Apple will appoint hardware chief John Ternus as CEO on Sept. 1, replacing Tim Cook, who becomes executive chairman. The transition signals a shift toward product-led innovation, stronger AI integration, and continued in-house silicon development driving future devices. EE Times

Does HASL or ENIG Reduce Creep Corrosion in Corrosive Environments? We make electronics equipment used in corrosive environments. Do you recommend the use of HASL versus immersion gold for our application? The Assembly Brothers, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall, answer this question. Board Talk

Sponsor Need Improved Solder Joint Visibility? Solder Peel-A-Way° Removable Terminal Carriers in place and peel the carrier away for complete solder joint visibility on both sides of the PCB. Watch a video to see it in action. Advanced Interconnections Corp.

Samsung plans NAND expansion at P5 on AI-driven price gains AI-driven demand for NAND flash is surging, pushing prices sharply higher and triggering new investments by Samsung and SK Hynix. Tight supply, delayed capacity expansion, and rising storage needs are expected to sustain elevated pricing and market momentum. Digitimes

The Changing ASICs Landscape: the Shift Toward Chip Disaggregation AI is transforming ASIC design by driving system-specific architectures and multi-die disaggregation. Engineers now prioritize cross-domain collaboration, advanced packaging, and reusable IP to balance performance, cost, and complexity, shifting development toward holistic, ecosystem-driven approaches rather than traditional monolithic chip design. EE Times

Developments of the X-ray Inspection Technology for PCBAs This paper provides an overview of some of the latest technical developments in the X-ray inspection technology for the electronics industry. Technical Paper

Sponsor Maintenance: The Basics of Cleaning Series Part 4 This is the final paper in a series and discusses some of the common mistakes in maintenance cleaning applications found in electronic assembly operations. KYZEN

ESSCI and UPLC Ink Strategic Pact to Transform Uttar Pradesh into a Global Semiconductor and Electronics Hub ESSCI and UPLC sign a landmark MoU to boost electronics and semiconductor skills in Uttar Pradesh. ESSCI will lead training programs, while UPLC connects institutions and supports a Centre of Excellence to address talent gaps and future industry needs. BIS Infotech

Apple incoming CEO John Ternus faces a defining challenge: Fixing the company’s AI strategy Apple enters a pivotal transition as John Ternus replaces Tim Cook, facing investor pressure to strengthen its AI strategy. While iPhone sales remain strong, Ternus must accelerate AI innovation, navigate supply challenges, and define Apple’s future beyond hardware dominance. CNBC

Sponsor 5 Keys to Component Lead Tinning Success Re-conditioning of electronic components mitigates gold embrittlement, eliminates tin whiskers enhancing quality and sustainability prior to soldering. BEST Inc.

Taiwan has more than 260,000 job vacancies, with manufacturing accounting for 32.4% Taiwan’s AI servers and advanced chip sectors fuel manufacturing growth, maintaining a stable workforce despite 85,000 openings. Most roles are full-time, but talent shortages, demographic pressures, and competition from semiconductor firms lengthen hiring times across industries. Digitimes

Structural Electronics for Automotive Interiors This project evaluates structural electronics for automotive interior use. The car interior application is back-seat-control-panel and the structural electronics. Technical Paper

Exclusive: US battery push faces EV headwinds, but energy storage boom offers relief Slowing US EV demand has strained battery ventures, but booming energy storage needs—driven by AI power consumption, subsidies, and import restrictions—are tightening lithium cell supply and creating new opportunities, especially for South Korean firms expanding into cost-effective LFP battery production. Digitimes

Who is John Ternus, the incoming Apple CEO? After 15 years, Tim Cook will hand Apple’s leadership to John Ternus on September 1. A longtime hardware leader, Ternus now faces steering the company’s future, including AI competition and advancing products like the Vision Pro. TechCrunch

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5 Major Brands That Are Actually Owned By Apple (And What Changed After The Acquisition) Apple marked its 50th anniversary by highlighting how strategic acquisitions—from NeXT and Siri to Beats and Shazam—fueled its rise. The company continues investing in AI and software, using past deals to shape its ecosystem, services growth, and future innovations. BGR