This new report identifies emerging electrical, mechanical and economic attributes of connectors anticipated by the electronic system design community as well as provide examples of new products connector suppliers have released or are developing in order to address these emerging needs. The report is focused on three industry segments that are experiencing the most rapid and dramatic changes, and represent some of the most fertile markets for innovation in connector technology (Computers, Telecom and Automotive). Statistics are presented showing historical and forecast connector shipments for the years 2005, 2006, 2007 …

HONG KONG, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — TC Interconnect Holdings Limited (SEHK Code: 0515) (”TC Interconnect”/ the “Group”), one of the top 10 Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturers in Hong Kong and China, today announces that the Group is having a partnership with LED lighting technology proprietary developer and operator, Orient Opto — Semiconductors Corp. (”Dongfang”), to engage with the design and manufacture of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting as well as operation and management of energy saving projects such as LED road lamp via business model of Energy Management Contract (EMC) …

When VCRs and digital clocks first started showing up in homes during the 1980s, they soon became the first visible symptom of a larger problem. People began to realize how many power surges they experienced in their homes. Their fancy new clock and VCR would be fine one minute, and then start flashing 12:00 after a surge. That would require you to re-set it, time after time, until most of us just got used to seeing that flashing 12:00.
Today, power surges are still the norm, but now with all the …

The North American printed circuit board book-to-bill ratio was 1.07 in August, as both shipments and new orders increased, according to trade association IPC.
Compared to the previous month, board shipments in August 2009 increased 4.5% and bookings went up 13.1% compared to July. However, board shipments in August decreased 26.5% from August 2008 and orders booked decreased 11.7% from August 2008. Year-to-date date, board shipments were down 27% and bookings were down 25.7%.
The increase in the book-to-bill ratio was a sign of recovery in the printed circuit board industry, according …

The US Environmental Protection Agency is recommending that owners of older buildings, including schools, test brittle, aging masonry and window caulking for high levels of chemicals believed to cause cancer.
The recommendation is targeted at thousands of buildings constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978, when polychlorinated biphenyls, widely known as PCBs, were banned. Several Massachusetts schools and colleges have recently found high levels of PCBs in caulking.
The federal agency said the danger to schoolchildren is unknown, but added that “we’re concerned about the potential risks associated with exposure to these …