October 24, 2025

Apple Begins Shipping American-made AI Servers from Texas Apple has begun shipping AI-focused servers from its Houston factory, advancing its $600 billion U.S. investment plan. The facility, using Apple's own silicon, aims to create thousands of jobs while supporting Apple Intelligence and Private Cloud Compute services. CNBC

Sponsor RAIG Minimizes Corrosion, Allows Higher Gold on ENEPIG Paper describes a mixed reaction RAIG electrolyte that minimizes galvanic corrosion and allows higher ENEPIG gold thicknesses, enabling robust designs and world-class quality on target with minimal variation. Uyemura

Meta Lays Off Risk Employees As Technology Takes Over Jobs Meta is reducing staff as automation reshapes its operations. The tech giant is cutting roles in risk, compliance, and Superintelligence Labs, shifting routine tasks to technology while retaining human teams for complex, high-impact decisions. Entrepreneur

High Reliability Lead-Free Solder Paste with Rosin and Anti-Crack Resin As electronics are increasingly used in automotive and other high reliability applications, ensuring durability is critical. This paper explores a 'crack-free' flux paste designed to inhibit cracking in harsh environments while meeting stringent surface insulation resistance and ... Technical Paper

Software is the next battleground in the US-China tech war The Trump administration is weighing new restrictions on exports of U.S. software-powered products to China, from laptops to jet engines. Beijing vows retaliation, heightening trade tensions ahead of critical negotiations in Malaysia this week. TechSpot

Sponsor Storage Solutions – Free Online Demo Our online demos give our clients a deep insight into our solutions, allowing them to interact with an expert and have their questions answered throughout. Discover our technology wherever you are. Essegi Automation

One-on-One Talks With Electronics Industry Leaders On Sustainability At Climate Week NYC's "Power On" panel, electronics executives tackled how to balance sustainability with new tariff pressures, stressing global compliance, circular design tradeoffs, and the need to align green strategies with shifting supply chains and customer demands. Design News

Technical Papers ■ 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 ■ Maintenance: The Basics of Cleaning Series Part 4 ■ The Economics of Electronic Component Salvage and Reuse ■ Cutting Without Contact: How Laser Depanelling Redefines PCB Manufacturing MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Affordable Excellence - iS6052 AOI The latest addition to Viscom's esteemed lineup of AOI systems. This new system offers a compelling option for manufacturers looking to enhance their PCB inspection processes. Viscom

OpenAI buys AI startup that built interface for Apple computers OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Incorporated, the maker of Sky—an AI interface for Mac that helps with writing, coding, and daily planning. All 12 employees will join OpenAI, advancing its goal of embedding AI into everyday tools. CNBC

Rupert Baines: If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It In this episode of Silicon Grapevine, deep-tech entrepreneur Rupert Baines reflects on his journey from building radios to founding startups, sharing insights on translating technology for people, the electronics industry's collaborative spirit, skill shortages, and his advice to "be bold." EE Times

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

Trump admin not negotiating equity stakes with quantum firms: Commerce official The U.S. Commerce Department denied reports that it is negotiating equity stakes in quantum computing firms like IonQ, Rigetti, and D-Wave, following a Wall Street Journal claim. Despite the denial, shares of quantum companies rose sharply. CNBC

Wi-Fi can accurately identify people, even if they aren't carrying a phone or computer Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology unveiled BFId, a Wi-Fi–based identity-inference attack that tracks people—not devices—using standard Wi-Fi 5 routers. By exploiting beamforming signals, it identifies individuals with near-perfect accuracy, raising global privacy concerns. TechSpot

Sponsor Replace Slow Curing Gaskets Cure Form-in-Place gaskets in under 15 seconds with UV/LED light, even to 1/4-inch-thick beads. Replace labor-intensive methods, improve yield. Dymax

How Many Devices Can You Plug Into One USB Port? Since its 1996 debut, USB has transformed computing, becoming nearly universal. While the theoretical limit is 127 devices per host controller, practical limits—hub cascading, power, and bandwidth—usually cap a single port at about 10 devices to maintain stability and performance. BGR

Board Level Reliability Testing of RF Packages The paper presents a summary of board level reliability test performed on RF packages, the assembly process, mechanical and environmental tests, and understanding failures. Circuit Insight - Production Floor

Sponsor Malcom Paste Mixers Unlike hand mixing, the Malcom SPS Solder Paste Mixer is a non-contaminating mixer which utilizes pseudo planetary motion to stir the solder paste. The SPS-1 provides uniform consistency. Seika

What Too Many Enterprises Get Wrong About AI Arm's AI Readiness Index reveals that while 82% of global business leaders use AI and most plan to boost spending, only 39% have a solid strategy. Arm stresses that scalable infrastructure, skilled teams, and efficient architectures are essential for turning AI investments into real ROI. EE Times

Selective Soldering Frame Causing Cold Solder Joints We have continual problems with our wave soldering system, especially cold solder joints. Could the cold solder joints be caused by using a selective soldering frame? Circuit Insight - Ask the Experts

Report: Apple to Skip 'iPhone 19' Name for 'iPhone 20' Omdia's Heo Moo-yeol confirmed reports that Apple will shift its standard iPhone launch to the first half of the year, starting with the iPhone 18 series in 2027, as part of a lineup revamp marking the iPhone's 20th anniversary. MacRumors

Sponsor AI Void Detection - X-Ray Inspection X-ray Inspection for hidden and buried solder joints. BGA, QFN, THT, and more. High Speed and High Resolution configurations available. Test Research, Inc.

First rare earths and chips, now quantum computers: Trump reportedly eyes new U.S. stakes The Trump administration is weighing plans to grant the Commerce Department equity stakes in quantum-computing firms such as IonQ, Rigetti, and D-Wave in exchange for federal funding, underscoring Washington's drive to secure strategic tech leadership against China. CNBC

China and India to face supply jolt as U.S. targets Russia's oil giants The U.S. sanctioned Russia's oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil to curb Moscow's war funding, threatening Asia's energy supply but avoiding an immediate shock. The move pressures major buyers like India and China to seek alternative crude sources, likely raising global prices. CNBC

Memory Safety Will Be Key to Tackle Fundamental Cyber Security The U.K.'s Digital Security by Design initiative showcased CHERI, a memory-safe hardware technology, in London. Experts praised its cybersecurity potential but noted adoption challenges. With 160+ companies involved, standardizing memory safety remains a key priority. EE Times