December 5, 2025

Worldwide Smartphone Market to Grow 1.5% in 2025 Smartphone shipments will rise 1.5% to 1.25 billion units in 2025 as Apple drives stronger-than-expected demand, especially in China. Apple is set for a record year, though 2026 shipments will dip due to component shortages and product-cycle shifts. IDC

Sponsor 5 Keys to Component Lead Tinning Success Re-conditioning of electronic components mitigates gold embrittlement, eliminates tin whiskers enhancing quality and sustainability prior to soldering. BEST Inc.

Microsoft will raise prices of commercial Office subscriptions in July Microsoft will raise commercial and government Office subscription prices on July 1, with small-business plans up $1–$2 and enterprise suites rising 8–13%. The company cites 1,100 new features across Microsoft 365, Security, Copilot, and SharePoint; Copilot remains a $30 add-on. CNBC

Unlocking the Potential of Nanoscale Conformal Coatings Revolutionary Plasma Coating as Conformal Coating - discover it now! PlasmaPlus® enables ultra-thin, solvent-free functional coatings under atmospheric pressure - without post-treatment. Ideal for corrosion protection, insulation and adhesion improvement. Technical Paper

Gartner Forecasts 116 Million Electric Vehicles Will Be on the Road in 2026 Electric vehicles on the road will surge to 116 million in 2026, Gartner predicts, despite tariffs and shrinking incentives. China will hold 61% of the EV fleet, while rising demand for plug-in hybrids and strong BEV adoption continue to propel global growth. Gartner

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.

Are We Testing AI's Intelligence the Wrong Way? Melanie Mitchell urges NeurIPS researchers to view AI systems as "alien intelligences," using developmental and comparative psychology. She says studying babies and animals can refine tests of reasoning, abstraction, and machine cognition. IEEE Spectrum

Technical Papers ■ 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 ■ Maintenance: The Basics of Cleaning Series Part 4 ■ The Economics of Electronic Component Salvage and Reuse MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Sayaka Table-Top PCB Router, SAM-CT23S with online camera Advanced image processing software offers easy programming and CAD base offline programming. Automatic alignment compensation. Seika

Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief Apple announces the retirements of top executives Kate Adams and Lisa Jackson and taps Meta's Jennifer Newstead as its new general counsel, marking leadership turnover as the company faces antitrust pressure and shifts in policy, environment, and equity. CNBC

Musk says new Tesla software allows texting and driving, which is illegal in most states Elon Musk claims Tesla's latest Full Self-Driving update lets owners text while driving, despite widespread state bans. Regulators continue probing FSD's safety as critics warn the system remains driver-assist technology linked to crashes and allegations of misleading marketing. TechCrunch

Sponsor High power atmospheric plasma system Our 1000 Atmospheric Plasma System is available with PC or PLC control for lab or high speed production use with the same high powered systems. Remove contaminants and increase bond strength! Plasma Etch

Sam Altman Wants OpenAI To Go To Space, And He's Not Talking About Mars Sam Altman is eyeing space-based ventures to launch solar-powered AI data centers, ramping up his rivalry with Elon Musk. Negotiations with rocket startup Stoke Space progressed but paused as market sentiment softened and OpenAI focused on core ChatGPT improvements. BGR

Geometry Challenges in Multidie Thermal Management Researchers tackle thermal challenges in 3D chip stacks, where uneven power and limited heat flow create hotspots. Using test chips, advanced simulations, and geometry-aware placement, they optimize cooling strategies to ensure reliable performance across multidie semiconductors. EE Times

Sponsor EPA Verified Stencil Cleaning Systems Low power density ultrasonic cleaners combined with 440-R-SMT detergent provide safe and effective cleaning of stencils, pallets, oven radiators, misprints and SMD adhesives. Smart Sonic

Meta faces Europe antitrust investigation over WhatsApp AI policy Meta faces an EU antitrust probe into whether its new WhatsApp policy restricts third-party AI providers, potentially stifling competition. Regulators aim to curb big-tech dominance amid rising fines, while Meta rejects the claims and defends its API limitations. CNBC

AI devices are just "solutions looking for a problem," says Logitech CEO Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber dismisses today's AI gadgets as overhyped solutions to nonexistent problems, pointing to failures like the Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1. Despite backing AI in software, she argues consumer AI hardware still lacks meaningful purpose or value. TechSpot

Sponsor Optically Clear, Nanosilica Filled Epoxy Master Bond EP114 is a NASA low outgassing rated, heat cured epoxy that can be effectively utilized for underfill, coating, impregnating and porosity sealing applications. Master Bond

Additive Manufacturing-Enabled Wireless Flexible Hybrid Electronics This paper reports an ensemble of strategies for the successful miniaturization of EEG in a fully-flexible, wearable and wireless platform. Circuit Insight - Analysis Lab

In an era of rising prices, computers have gotten cheaper. (And why that may end) Apple's new MacBook Pro highlights how computing keeps getting cheaper: decades of transistor miniaturization under Moore’s law have cut costs, letting laptops, TVs, and smartphones become far more powerful while selling at a fraction of their former prices. NPR

High-Density Adaptive Redistribution Technology for Embedded High I/O Components Improving the performance of semiconductor chips and advancing packaging features are critical. One solution is the use of miniaturized packages with advanced embedded components. Circuit Insight - Production Floor

Sponsor SEHO makes production lines smarter Improve your work flow and reduce manufacturing costs with creative ideas and innovative solutions for automation, board handling and material management. SEHO Systems GmbH

Why The Best Business Ideas Come From the Voices You're Ignoring Entrepreneurs often overlook anomalies because expertise narrows their perspective. The story shows how outsiders sparked breakthroughs by spotting what experts missed, proving innovation thrives when diverse, unconventional thinkers are invited into the problem-solving process. Entrepreneur

IDC Announces Collaboration with AWS to Power Business Insights in Amazon Quick Research IDC partners with AWS to embed its analyst-validated tech intelligence and billions of data points into Amazon Quick Research, enabling business users to generate faster, verifiable insights within their AWS workflow and advancing IDC's AI-driven strategy. IDC

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