SANTA CLARA, CA – Smart TVs are moving from a novelty to mainstream, with shipments expected to grow 15% worldwide in 2012, says NPD DisplaySearch. With the shift, regional preferences and TV consumption habits are changing.

TABY, SWEDEN - Micronic Mydata today announced president and chief executive Peter Uddfors will leave the company once a replacement can be found.

ORLANDO -- Vern Solberg last night received SMTA's Founder's Award, the highest individual honor the trade group presents.

ORLANDO -- SMTA and IPC will colocate their respective fall trade shows next year.

BRUSSELS – Circuits.io makes it possible to build circuit boards online.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Following economic setbacks in 2009, the world market for electronics manufacturing services continued to recover in 2011 and 2012, and is projected to grow this year 9.4% globally and 8.9% in North America, says IPC.

CRANSTON, RI – AIM announces its partnership with the Conflict-Free Tin Initiative, whose goal is to create regulated tin supply chains from the South-Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ATLANTA -- PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB is undertaking a survey of how printed circuit board designers, design engineers and other layout specialists use and think about various CAD tools.

WASHINGTON, DC -- US companies doing business in China are both more profitable than ever and more pessimistic than ever about their prospects in the world's most populous nation.

BELTSVILLE, MD – DfR Solutions is opening a new facility here to meet increasing demand for electronics reliability services and software.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The worldwide PC market contracted sharply in the third quarter, with shipments declining 8.6% year-over-year, says the International Data Corp. The results are below IDC's August forecast of a 3.8% year-over-year market contraction.

KREFELD, GERMANY -- Hitachi High-Technologies Europe this month will host a one-day seminar on electronics manufacturing.