Printed Circuit Design & Fab Online Magazine - Current Issue

Current Issue

Greg Papandrew

When it comes to buying boards, is it more efficient to go direct or through a broker?

Read more: Shortening the Supply Chain

Alun Morgan AI investment shows no signs of slowing, prompting concern about what happens when it eventually does.

Victor Huang has described ChatGPT’s arrival as AI’s “iPhone moment,” when the technology’s potential to change the way we live became clear to all. Indeed, the publication of large language models (LLMs) is arguably the most powerful innovation we have seen so far, enabling widespread user engagement spanning personal and professional purposes. Resulting from this, acceptance has snowballed and more and more of us have come to trust and rely on AI assistants. In turn, mainstream use has driven further improvements, as successive updates have delivered more humanlike interactions and additional capabilities.

Read more: The AI Boom is Driving Technological Change at Every Level, Reshaping Supply Chains and Business...

Alun Morgan The switch to renewables is about energy security and climate change.

While climate change is obviously the big-picture issue in the global drive to decarbonize, energy security is an important aspect that is shaping governments’ policies worldwide. From either perspective – strategic or environmental – Europe and the US are far behind China in the race to adopt renewables. China reported installing 198GW of solar capacity between January and May. Effectively, that’s the equivalent of adding 100 panels every second!

Read more: China’s Solar Capacity Surges as Grid Challenges Push New Energy Strategies

Alun Morgan Growth in the consumer sector is a reason for us to celebrate and a signal for us to change.

The consumer sector is arguably the most powerful aspect of today’s immense electronics industry, influencing our quality of life and our perception of it. The standards of functionality, appearance and quality are far above the norms of just a few years ago, and many of us own far more of these luxuriant items than previous generations could have dreamed.

The consumer electronics market is worth $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion today and could hit $3 trillion by 2030. That represents 30-50% of the total global electronics market, which is about $4 trillion right now. This is a success worth celebrating, as it indicates rising standards of living worldwide as economies develop and prosperity increases. We all benefit from this.

Read more: Rethinking Consumer Electronics: From Short Lifespans to Sustainable Design