May 7, 2026

California Will Soon Begin Ticketing Driverless Cars for Traffic Violations California will begin enforcing Assembly Bill 1777 on July 1, 2026, creating rules to ticket autonomous vehicles for traffic violations. Police will issue noncompliance notices, and the DMV will review cases and hold operators accountable for infractions. Motor Trend

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 SE

Jim Cramer says Big Tech cannot afford to be cheap on AI spending CNBC’s Jim Cramer says cloud giants must keep investing heavily in AI data centers, arguing demand already exists from customers like OpenAI and Meta. He cites Amazon’s $200 billion spending as proof that rivals risk losing business if they underbuild. CNBC

Maintenance: The Basics of Cleaning Series Part 4 This article is the fourth and final part of the series titled "The Basics of Cleaning". In this final chapter, some of the common mistakes in maintenance cleaning applications found in electronic assembly operations will be covered and a summary of the entire series. Technical Paper

Microsoft made Copilot a co-author on every VS Code project, reverted after developers revolted Microsoft is rolling back a controversial Visual Studio Code update that automatically labeled Copilot as a co-author on all projects. After backlash, the company called it a bug and plans to limit attribution to AI-assisted work with user consent. TechSpot

Sponsor Openair-Plasma for Semiconductor Manufacturing Openair-Plasma for semicon-ductor production is an alternative to vacuum plasma. Typical apps are wire bonding, die bonding & pre-molding. Download here. Plasmatreat GmbH

iPhone owners could get up to $95 from Apple settlement. Here's what to know. Apple will pay up to $95 per iPhone as part of a proposed $250 million settlement after a class action alleged it misled buyers about unreleased Siri AI features. 37 million users of iPhone 16 and 15 Pro may qualify. CBS News

Low Temperature Solder “Reverse Hybrid” Method This paper will review the implementation of LTS “Reverse Hybrid”, which is the assembly of a ball grid array component with LTS solder balls to the motherboard. 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

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.

Could China’s embrace of AI shape how its used globally? China rapidly embraces AI tools as crowds learn to install assistants like OpenClaw driving mass adoption across work and daily life Firms integrate agentic AI government boosts R&D while US chip restrictions slow but don’t stop ecosystem growth and innovation Taipei Times

Beware of government by AI Critics warn the UAE’s plan to run half its government services on agentic AI risks repeating algorithmic harms seen in Netherlands and Australia, where automated systems caused wrongful fraud accusations, welfare cuts, and accountability failures, while eroding transparency and oversight. Taipei Times

Machine Vision-based Defect Inspection for Plated Through Hole Components This study delineates the conceptualization of a machine vision-based defect inspection model, meticulously engineered to confront the intricacies of high-throughput PCB assembly. Technical Paper

Sponsor Scoring Big With Glenbrook's Real-Time X-Ray Inspection Jewel Box 70T helps East/West Manufacturing ensure accurate assembly of complex boards, for a system delivering statistics in seconds. Read more Glenbrook Technologies

The quiet reinvention of search in the age of AI Search hasn't died; it has shifted from visible blue-link pages to backend infrastructure. AI summaries now synthesize results while APIs deliver structured data. This change reduces transparency, reshapes SEO incentives, and turns search into machine-consumed data streams. TechSpot

OpenAI Is Reportedly Building an AI Phone — And Taking Aim at the iPhone OpenAI accelerates development of its first AI-focused smartphone, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasting mass production by early 2027 and up to 30 million shipments by 2028. The device will compete with iPhone using advanced AI hardware and real-time data. Entrepreneur

Single Device Traceability in Assembly without ECID The recent evolution of data analytics allows correlation analysis from wafer fab to wafer test to assembly and packaging to product level test and field performance. Technical Paper

Sponsor ASYMTEK Select Coat SL-1040 The SL-1040 Conformal Coating System upgrades the SL-940 and added significant system-level advancements to elevate automation, control, precision & preventative maintenance for better yield. Nordson Electronics Solutions

A single Micron SSD can now store 245TB and use half the power of hard drives Micron now focuses on hyperscalers and AI workloads, launching its 6600 ION SSD offering up to 245TB in a single drive. It reduces rack space, power use, and costs versus HDDs while boosting efficiency and performance for data centers. TechSpot

Apple is paying $250 million after overselling AI features before they actually worked Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle class-action lawsuits alleging it overstated Apple Intelligence capabilities during its 2024 rollout on iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 models. Eligible buyers may receive up to $95 per device, while Apple denies wrongdoing. TechSpot

Sponsor Dedicated Tool for Process Development Advanced plating capability at Uyemura Tech Center: Process Development, UBM, pilot production. ENIG, ENEPIG, EPIG/EPAG, RAIG immersion gold; all substrates. On-site analysis. Uyemura

Scientists create "living plastic" that can self-destruct on command Chinese researchers developed a “living plastic” containing dormant bacteria that activate on command to break down the material without leaving microplastics. The prototype degraded fully within days and could eventually help create recyclable electronics and more sustainable biodegradable plastics. TechSpot

Can High Particle Concentrations Impact PCB Assembly? At our SMT facility we currently control ambient temperature, relative humidity and particle count. Is particle count a good parameter to control? The Assembly Brothers, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall, discuss this question. Board Talk

A major study claiming ChatGPT improves student learning has been retracted Springer Nature retracted a widely cited 2025 study claiming ChatGPT significantly improved student learning after researchers uncovered flaws in its meta-analysis. Critics say the paper amplified exaggerated claims about AI in education despite weak evidence and questionable comparisons across underlying studies. TechSpot

Apple’s R&D investments top 10% of sales as AI race creates ‘sense of urgency’ Apple boosted R&D spending to 10.3% of revenue in the March quarter, its highest level in decades, as the company accelerates AI investments ahead of new Siri, Apple Intelligence and wearable products under development. CNBC

Sponsor Boost Reballing with EZReball Preforms EZReball reballing preforms provide fast, clean, and accurate reballing of complex BGA packages while eliminating traditional complexities and the need for operator dexterity. BEST Inc

How Spain’s ICFO Helped Build a Quantum Security Startup for the AI Era Barcelona-based Quside uses photonic chips to generate verifiable quantum entropy for encryption and post-quantum security systems. Spun out of ICFO, the startup is expanding globally as AI infrastructure and cybersecurity demands accelerate demand for hardware-based randomness. EE Times