Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas made World Cup history during halftime of a round-of-16 match. Amazon will stop accepting new users for Mechanical Turk on July 30 – a case of artificial intelligence overtaking Amazon's original "artificial artificial intelligence."

Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas made its FIFA World Cup debut during halftime of a round-of-16 match in New Jersey, performing soccer celebrations and delivering the match ball to the referee.

PDC&F has opened its 2026 PCB Designer Salary Survey, inviting PCB designers, design engineers and layout specialists to share information on salaries, job responsibilities, experience, education and more. Responses will be accepted through July 31.

Amazon is closing Mechanical Turk to new users on July 30 as AI increasingly automates the human intelligence tasks the platform pioneered, with "artificial artificial intelligence" now being displaced by the real thing.

Dr. Nishith Kumar Reddy Gorla discusses system-level reliability testing on the latest Reliability Matters podcast.

Researchers at Kiel University have developed a "talkative battery" that transmits data from inside the cell through its existing power terminals, eliminating the need for dedicated sensor wiring.

Google and researchers at the University of California San Diego are developing a cloud computing platform built from retired smartphones, with plans to deploy a 2,000-Pixel phone data center in late 2026.

Master Bond releases UV16Med-FD adhesive.

PCEA announced a dedicated electronics assembly program for PCB West 2026, featuring 10 technical sessions on solder paste, placement, reflow, stencil design and cleaning.

Registration is open for PCB West 2026, which will feature more than 120 hours of PCB design and assembly training this September in Santa Clara.

Looking for networking opportunities? Join the PCEA Discord server, bringing together engineers and designers from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities.

The US Department of Defense has issued implementation guidance as its ban on direct contracts with Chinese military-linked companies takes effect, urging contractors to identify affected suppliers now before broader restrictions on indirect supply chain relationships begin in June 2027.

The UK is courting Taiwanese technology suppliers with five proposed AI Growth Zones, offering streamlined access to land, power and infrastructure to attract investment in semiconductor packaging.

A North Carolina fiber-optics manufacturer has filed a $10M lawsuit against electronics manufacturing services provider Jabil, alleging a contract dispute.

Incap Germany has secured more than $13M in defense orders from KNDS for the Leopard tank program.

The global robotaxi market will reach $1 trillion by 2040, says Morgan Stanley in a new forecast.

Foxconn plans to anchor a new US-backed technology hub in the Philippines.

India has eliminated import duties on a range of electronics manufacturing equipment and components in an effort to lower production costs and strengthen domestic electronics manufacturing through 2029.

AI startup Simular, founded by former Google DeepMind researchers, says South Korea's strength in semiconductors and hardware could position it to benefit from the rise of AI agents capable of operating computers autonomously.

Test Research (TRI) appointed Forwessun exclusive UK distributor.

Keiron Printing Technologies promoted Laura Bouman to head of people and culture.

Joonik named Nicolás Arcila Potosí senior hardware design engineer.

Heller Industries named Mike DePauw senior key account manager.

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PCB Update is a digital newsletter for PCB design, fabrication and assembly professionals, brought to you by Printed Circuit Engineering Association™. E-mail industry press releases or links to the editors of CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY or PCD&F: pr@pcea.net.