Aug 31, 2026 A Folding iPhone at Last? What to Expect From Apple's Fall Event Apple is preparing to unveil its fall hardware lineup on September 9, marking a major leadership transition as John Ternus succeeds Tim Cook. The event may spotlight a premium foldable iPhone Ultra, while base iPhone models arrive later. CNET

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Big Tech's massive AI spending is putting one of its longtime strengths to the test Big Tech's artificial intelligence spending boom is putting pressure on its traditionally strong balance sheets. Companies are pouring billions into AI infrastructure, raising concerns about rising costs, capital demands and whether future returns will justify the investment. CNBC

Salvaging Electronic Components: A Reliable Method for Reducing Electronic Waste and Ensuring Economic Reuse Component salvaging provides a reliable and consistent method of harvesting electronic components, reducing electronic waste, minimizing fabrication of new components, and ensuring economic reuse for automated assembly. Technical Paper

Noodling on Nuclear Engines What began as a napkin sketch might open up interplanetary exploration From Compaq's portable PC to Vishay's power resistor, napkin sketches have sparked major innovations. NASA engineers now apply the tradition to a nuclear rocket concept that could halve Mars travel time by combining nuclear thermal and electric propulsion technologies. IEEE Spectrum

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South Korea is giving its entire population free access to AI, no token limits South Korea will offer free generative AI services nationwide, helping residents book medical appointments, find housing and manage taxes. September beta tests will support three domestic AI consortia and reduce reliance on foreign systems. Techspot

Screen Print Stepped Stencil Review Should you use a metal or rubber squeegee when using stepped solder paste stencils? What is the proper depth for a step? The Assembly Brothers, Jim Hall and Phil Zarrow, offer their take. Board Talk

Technical Papers ■ UHDI Fabrication for IC Substrates: SAP and mSAP Processes ■ 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 MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

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After 15 Years, the Tim Cook Era at Apple Ends This Week Tim Cook will step down as Apple CEO on September 1 after leading the company since 2011. Hardware engineering chief John Ternus will succeed him, while Cook becomes executive chairman, continuing to support Apple in a new leadership role. PCMag

Tech backlash reaches fever pitch as AI angst collides with social media fears Americans increasingly view the technology industry as a source of economic and social anxiety. Rising AI concerns, potential job losses, data-center expansion and social media harms have weakened trust in tech leaders, creating challenges for major AI companies. CNBC

Converting Cable Assembly Manufacturing to Lead Free Solder This paper reviews soldering applications associated with cable assembly, including process modification and qualification with lead free solders. Technical Paper

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Inside Thailand's bid to wire the world's AI revolution Thailand is emerging as a major printed circuit board hub as AI demand reshapes global technology supply chains. With large investments in factories like WellTek Electronics, the country aims to strengthen its position in Southeast Asia's fast-growing electronics industry. South China Morning Post

Trump signs executive order to create a U.S. Space Academy President Trump signed an executive order launching plans for a U.S. Space Academy to serve the Space Force, NASA and civilian spaceflight industry. He unveiled the initiative in Houston while honoring Artemis II astronauts with Congressional Space Medals of Honor. CBS News

Reliability Challenges for Bottom Termination Components Electro-chemical reliability, assembly defects, and alloy reliability are addressed and challenges for BTCs, solutions, and strategies for optimization. Technical Paper

Sponsor U.S. Marines purchase JewelBox Ultra Compact for X-ray Inspection The U.S. Marine Corps' 2d Maintenance Battalion has deployed a Glenbrook JewelBox Ultra Compact X-Ray Inspection Station, enabling advanced circuit board inspection and BGA repairs. Glenbrook Technologies

Data center backlash isn't about AI, it's about who pays the bills (and the noise) Communities increasingly oppose data centers over rising power bills, water concerns and environmental impacts rather than AI itself. Residents fear infrastructure costs will shift onto households, prompting governments and utilities to demand that companies pay their share. Techspot

You Didn't 'Fail at AI' — You Never Fixed the Way You Make Decisions Companies can scale AI beyond isolated experiments by embedding it into everyday processes. Connecting systems, structuring decisions and reducing fragmentation helps organizations turn AI insights into repeatable workflows and improve value. Entrepreneur

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BlackBerry lost the phone war. Now it's betting on cars and robots BlackBerry has transformed from a smartphone pioneer into a software company focused on secure communications and automotive systems. Its QNX platform powers 275 million vehicles and supports growing opportunities in robotics, autonomous systems and physical AI. CNBC

Reliability of Stacked Microvia Study was designed to understand the reliability of Type 1, 2, and 3 Microvias. The reliability test coupons included four stacks of microvias and a buried via. Technical Paper

AI is driving an "expertise recession" as people increasingly question professional advice Generative AI is reshaping trust in professional expertise, with 53% of surveyed people using chatbots to verify advice and 46% placing less weight on credentials. The trend encourages informed questioning but raises risks when AI provides inaccurate guidance. Techspot

Judge blocks Pentagon blacklist of Anthropic as supply chain risk A San Francisco federal judge ruled that the Pentagon illegally blacklisted Anthropic as a supply chain risk, finding the action violated the First Amendment. The decision gives Anthropic a major legal victory while its separate Washington case continues. CNBC

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Toyota to roll out near fully autonomous cars from 2028 Toyota Motor plans to introduce self-driving technology in passenger vehicles by 2028, developing its own Level 2+ system. The technology will minimize driver input, marking a significant step in Toyota's efforts to advance automated driving capabilities. Asia Nikkei