February 25, 2026

Apple Reportedly Brings Mac Mini Back to U.S., Taps Foxconn for Assembly Amid tariff uncertainty under the Donald Trump administration, Apple Inc. will shift some Mac Mini production to the U.S., with Foxconn launching assembly in Houston. The move advances Apple’s reshoring push, though most manufacturing remains in Asia. Trend Force

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VIEWPOINT 2026: Michail Klimkovic, CEO, XIMEA The machine vision and imaging industry enters 2026 with both promise and complexity. Global supply chains have stabilized, yet geopolitical tensions and rising costs continue to challenge manufacturers. At XIMEA, we try to see these dynamics as a feature rather than a bug, attempting to find new ways to innovate ... XIMEA

The Drawbacks of Internal Recycling Systems for Solder Dross This paper examines the risks and hidden costs of in-house solder dross recycling, highlighting contamination, compliance, quality, safety, and economic challenges that often outweigh perceived savings. Technical Paper

Memory chip shortage will last until mid-2026, says Acer CEO Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen warned that the PC industry will confront significant challenges in 2026, as memory and processor shortages drive price increases. He expects supply constraints to persist and remain unresolved until at least mid-2026. Digitimes

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True Entrepreneurs Don't Chase Demand — They Create It. Here's How. Entrepreneurship goes beyond filling market gaps or refining existing systems. It creates new demand, anticipates needs customers haven’t yet identified, and builds entirely new markets. True entrepreneurs shape the future instead of operating within it. Entrepreneur

Advanced in Packaging for Emerging Technologies A review about latest advances in packaging and drivers for the development of novel packaging technologies will be given in this paper. Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ 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 ■ Optimizing BGA Rework: Challenges, Techniques and Quality Control MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

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Apple to move some of its production to Texas Apple Inc. will shift part of its Mac Mini production to a Hon Hai Precision Industry Co facility in Houston, expanding US manufacturing and training operations. The move follows tariff threats and a $600 billion investment pledge, while most Apple production remains in Asia. Taipei Times

Your Watch Will One Day Track Blood Pressure Researchers at University of Texas at Austin demonstrated a non-contact method to measure blood pressure by reflecting near-field radio waves off the wrist. The low-power prototype avoids skin-tone bias and could be integrated into smartwatches within a few years. IEEE Spectrum

Analysis of Mechanism About Data Retention Characteristic in TANOS Structure The long-term evaluation of TANOS structure is investigated and the prediction of retention characteristic can be evaluated through the accelerated tests. Technical Paper

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Intel partners with AI chip startup SambaNova after acquisition talks reportedly failed Lip-Bu Tan is steering Intel into a deeper partnership with SambaNova Systems, backing a $350 million funding round and multiyear chip collaboration. The alliance aims to challenge Nvidia's AI dominance with new data center solutions. CNBC

AI-driven code automation jolts IBM and signals shift in enterprise technology leadership IBM shares plunged after Anthropic unveiled an AI tool that automates COBOL modernization, threatening a core mainframe revenue stream. While investors fear AI could erode legacy lock-in, analysts argue IBM can adapt through its own AI-driven modernization strategy. Digitimes

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

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India Summit Champions Global South AI Inclusion The India AI Impact Summit championed inclusive, human-centric AI for the global south, with António Guterres, Emmanuel Macron, and Narendra Modi praising India's digital model. But poor planning, tight access, and Sam Altman tensions undercut the message. EE Times

AI Impact Summit: From Minerals to Models, India Stakes Its AI Claim India used the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi to anchor itself across the AI value chain, joining Pax Silica and launching partnerships with OpenAI, Tata Group, Infosys and Anthropic, targeting $400 billion in AI investments. EE Times

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How the Supreme Court's decision affects Apple and its $3.3 billion tariff bill The Supreme Court struck down major Trump-era tariffs, potentially saving Apple billions. The ruling lets Apple reduce production costs, keep more margin, and maintain China-based supply chains, while shares rose about 1% on the news. CNBC

Evaluation of High Speed Plating for Copper Post with Flat Top Shape In developing high-speed electro “copper post” plating bath the shape of the post and the uniformity of the post height throughout the wafer were considered. Technical Paper

This Physics Professor Credits Collaboration for Her Success Physicist DaVià transformed CERN experiments by pioneering radiation-hard silicon sensors and forging industry partnerships. Now at the University of Manchester and Stony Brook University, she drives cross-disciplinary breakthroughs in cancer care and portable disaster power. IEEE Spectrum

IT worker tried to destroy an SSD with a drill and failed spectacularly A viral post on Reddit shows an IT worker failing to destroy an SSD by drilling a single hole through its casing without hitting the internal PCB. The blunder underscores the need for proper data disposal, including targeting the actual memory chips. TechSpot

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AI Supercycle Reshapes Memory Landscape, Squeezing NOR Flash Supply The AI-driven memory supercycle is reshaping supply chains beyond data centers. As Samsung and SK Hynix shift capacity to high-margin HBM, DDR5 and NAND, Tier-2 suppliers shoulder legacy demand, sidelining NOR flash and tightening supply across markets. EE Times