July 28, 2026

Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 14.2% in 2026 Gartner projects global IT spending will reach $6.37 trillion in 2026, rising 14.2% as organisations accelerate AI investments. Data centres, cloud and AI software drive growth, while inflation, supply limits and hardware costs pressure budgets. Gartner

Sponsor Highly Thermally & Electrically Conductive TLPS via Filing Paste New filing highlights advanced sintered metal paste enabling faster installation, superior heat dissipation, higher conductivity, and reliable thermal drain performance without long processing cycles. Ormet TLPS

Apple's smart glasses are delayed as company wrestles with privacy concerns Apple has reportedly delayed its smart glasses to late 2027 while adding stronger privacy protections. The device will rely on on-device processing, tighter camera controls and no AI training on captured images to address surveillance concerns and build trust. TechSpot

How pH Cleaning Agents Affect Production Performance Establishing a reliable cleaning process requires a good understanding of all influencing factors, including pH, and defining the correct balance to meet final product reliability. Technical Paper

How Design-Led Companies Build Stronger Customer Experiences Many teams treat design as a final polish rather than a core part of the process, rushing designers just before launch. This last-minute approach limits creativity, weakens user experience and often results in avoidable compromises that affect the project's overall quality. Entrepreneur

Sponsor PAE Certification – Oct 2-5, 2026 Advance your expertise with the ESDA Process Assessment Engineer (PAE) Certification at the 2026 EOS/ESD Symposium. Learn ANSI/ESD SP17.1 principles to assess and improve EOS/ESD processes. EOS/ESD Association

Why Did LG Stop Making Smartphones? LG officially ends its smartphone journey on July 31 after exiting the market in 2021, closing a chapter marked by innovations like the Prada and G3. The company shifted focus to EV components, AI and B2B businesses, where it has since achieved strong growth. BGR

Why Uneven Conformal Coating? We are experiencing an issue with our conformal coating. On matte finish boards the coating is vibrating away from some others and building up in others. Board Talk

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 TIM1 for EV Battery Thermal Management AIT's thermal adhesives, grease-gels, & gum-pads offer proven thermal dissipation for a balance of strength, rework ability, & recyclability of EV battery packs. AI Technology, Inc.

Sam Altman to meet with Trump administration, senators this week. Here's what he plans to say OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will brief US officials, lawmakers and economists on upcoming AI models, cybersecurity, open-weight AI and regulation. The meetings aim to shape AI policy as Washington weighs limits on Chinese AI models and US AI leadership. CNBC

Adaptive Hardware Could Change How EV Chargers Are Designed Vanix Technologies is using AMD's Zynq Adaptive SoC to build AC EV chargers that support remote hardware and software updates. The design helps operators adapt to India’s evolving grid, standards and future power needs without replacing controller hardware. EE Times

Rheology of Solder Paste: Shelf Life Study This study offers a better understanding of the correlation between rheological properties and shelf life of solder paste exposed to extreme conditions. Technical Paper

Sponsor Automation in Transition The world of automation is changing. What does this mean for customers? And what impact is the transformation having on providers? Find out more from a panel of experts. SCHUNK

California's largest AI data center is suing for access to 287 million gallons of Colorado River water a year Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing is suing California's Imperial Irrigation District after it denied water for a proposed $10 billion AI data centre. The dispute highlights concerns over diverting scarce Colorado River water from agriculture to support expanding AI infrastructure. TechSpot

Gartner Survey Finds AI Automation Is Reducing Some Entry Level Hiring at Nearly One-Quarter of Organizations Gartner finds 22% of CHROs say leaders paused entry-level hiring over AI automation fears despite limited value. Firm urges companies to redesign roles, build skills and strengthen talent pipelines instead of eliminating early-career opportunities. Gartner

A Fracture Mechanics-Based Approach to Simulate Die Pick-up Process This paper provides a procedure to simulate die pick-up process based on contact-debonding fracture mechanics approach. Technical Paper

Sponsor Unlock the Potential of Salvaged Devices Component harvesting is a reliable method of electronic component reclamation, reducing e-waste and ensuring economic reuse for automated assembly. BEST Inc.

Nvidia, SpaceX, Microsoft launch AI safety initiative as OpenAI cyberattack fallout continues Nvidia, Microsoft, SpaceX and other tech firms launched the Open Secure AI Alliance to advance open AI security tools after a cyberattack exposed limits in closed models. The initiative also pushes back against potential US restrictions that could hinder open-weight AI innovation. CNBC

AI Data Center vs. Cloud Storage Data Center: What's The Difference? AI data centers are reshaping computing with GPUs, advanced cooling, high-speed networks and specialized storage built for AI workloads. Unlike cloud facilities, they optimize machine learning, real-time inference and large-scale model performance. BGR

Sponsor iX7059 Series by Viscom: Inline X-ray Inspection Power High-performance Inline X-ray Inspection Systems for complex electronics, semiconductors, and power modules up to 200 kg. Seamless integration, AI-powered accuracy, and maximum reliability for every application. Viscom

IBM agrees to acquire HRL Laboratories to expand quantum computing capabilities IBM will acquire HRL Laboratories, a US quantum technology R&D company, expanding its quantum computing research. The deal accelerates advanced hardware development and strengthens IBM's strategy to deliver next-generation quantum technologies. Digitimes

Surface Insulation Resistance of No-Clean Flux Residues No-clean fluxes present great benefits, but the activity of the unwashed process residues must be tightly controlled in order to meet reliability standards. Technical Paper

Samsung opens preorders for new foldables as Apple entry expected to reshape market Samsung opens preorders for its latest Galaxy Z foldable smartphones and smartwatches, seeking to expand its foldable market leadership in 2026. The launch strengthens its position before Apple enters the foldable segment, intensifying competition. Digitimes

France just voted to ban kids under 15 from social media, but Australia's ban shows how hard that is to enforce France approved a law banning social media for children under 15 and restricting smartphones in high schools to curb algorithmic harms. Australia's earlier ban exposed enforcement limits, with many underage users still accessing platforms online. TechSpot

Sponsor Introducing our new Board to Board Connectors These new Board to Board Connectors feature pitch sizes from 0.50 mm to 1.00 mm with multi-pitch and custom pitch designs available. Designed for long-life applications and robust handling. Advanced Interconnections Corp

Apple ends day as world's most valuable company, passing Nvidia Apple reclaimed the title of the world's most valuable company after its shares rose and Nvidia's declined amid investor concerns over AI spending. Investors also shifted focus toward memory and data-centre infrastructure ahead of Apple's upcoming earnings report. CNBC