The new iNEMI-MIT consortium on silicon photonics demonstrates that optical computing is serious business. Fiber optics have had a long, uphill battle in our industry, with millions invested and dot-com busts, but now FO appears in launchpad mode in the near future. The newly formed Photonic Systems Manufacturing Consortium (PSMC) is funded through The National InstituteRead More

Apple is known for its well-choreographed product introductions, so there was much anticipation as it launched its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last month. John MacWilliams wonders: Is the iPhone 6 worth the hype? Apple is known for its well-choreographed product introductions, so there was much anticipation as it launched its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last month. The crowds were still there, butRead More

Since the introduction of the iPad less than five years ago, how, when, and where we compute has changed dramatically. Now, as the handheld technology continues to evolve, tablets, nablets, and phablets will once again change the computing landscape. Over the past 5 years or so, tablets have been all the rage in the personal systemsRead More

John MacWilliams wonders if, with the evolutions and revolutions we’ve seen over the last few years in consumer electronics, has innovation peaked? The consumer electronics industry (CE) has gone from also-ran to shining star – and back to a more subdued posture unless some exciting things happen by this fall. The transition goes like this:Read More

Semiconductors drive the electronics industry, and the connection between semiconductors and connectors spans more than three decades. The semiconductor industry has grown from roughly $10B in 1980 to $300B in 2013. Along the way it transitioned from analog to digital, ECL and Bipolar to CMOS, and has featured sizes from 100s of nm to as lowRead More

Bishop & Associates’ John MacWilliams has a lot to say about recent decisions regarding the Internet. Let us know your thoughts on his point of view regarding the United States giving up Internet control. [Warning! The following is provocative, tongue-in-cheek, and crying out for comments!] Last year Connector Supplier ran two articles on the debateRead More

The future is foggy for computer peripherals as cloud computing and all-in-one devices take over. Computer peripheral equipment comprises the many devices connected to or working with PCs or other computers. With the current decline in PC sales, one would expect the future of the computer peripherals market to be in decline. This is true,Read More

John MacWilliams makes his predictions for China’s electronics market in the near future. China will continue to export from massive factories and add capacity to meet burgeoning domestic demand for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, OEMs are beginning to insource products once again. Products and components built in North America and Europe include higher-value products suchRead More

Once considered futuristic concepts, the consumer electronics in transition at CES 2014 will soon be ready for widespread adoption. The past decade has been stellar for consumer electronics (CE). In many ways CE overshadowed business applications and became a key factor in driving unit volumes to new heights. Key developments that drove this demand include:Read More

CES 2014 Forecasts Trends in Connectors for Next-Gen Electronics This year’s CES gave us a sneak preview of the major drivers and trends that will impact the way we design connectors and the products those connectors will enable. Ultramobile Device Technology Ultramobile devices were everywhere at CES, and most featured fewer discrete connectors and moreRead More

January 21, 2014 Lenovo Yoga 8 Product Review Lenovo has surpassed HP as #1 in the PC business. It has deep ties to IBM, the former leader in PCs, who sold that division to Lenovo in 2005. In the offing is a sale of IBM’s $5 billion PC server business, also to Lenovo. Lenovo retainsRead More

China’s Role in Electronic Product Manufacturing Mainland China has become the manufacturing center for the world, including high-volume manufacturing (HVM) of electronic products. The speed at which China became a leader in manufacturing is amazing, fueled in part by the wave of contract manufacturing that has swept the globe over the past decade. Oh, howRead More