CHELMSFORD, MA – The IPC-2581 Consortium today announced a significant milestone in validating the accuracy and robustness of IPC-2581 data from generation through to consumption: availability of multiple inspection viewers for IPC-2581 files.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn has raised worker salaries in Southern China 16 to 25%, saying it wants to set a "good example" for Chinese manufacturers.

VELLINGE, SWEDEN -- PartnerTech reported fourth quarter net profits rose 16% year-over-year to SEK 10.2 million, ensuring the EMS company finished 2011 in the black.

VANCOUVER -- Empower Technologies has signed an agreement to acquire Northstar Electronics' contract assembly business for C$1 million and the assumption of up to C$2 million in liabilities.

WASHINGTON – Consumer watchdog group SumOfUs said it is doubling down on efforts to make the iPhone 5 Apple’s first “ethical iPhone” following remarks by the Fair Labor Association, the group Apple asked to investigate Foxconn factory standards.

Just days after announcing a partnership with Apple to discuss concerns regarding working conditions in the factories of the company’s Chinese suppliers, FLA president Auret van Heerden made statements regarding an organized walkthrough of Foxconn facilities, calling the factories “tranquil” and citing “alienation and boredom” for workers’ suicides, undermining claims of excessive overtime, workplace exposure to neurotoxins, and other dangerous working conditions.

 “It is inappropriate in the extreme for the FLA to be making any statements whatsoever this early in an allegedly independent investigation,” said Taren Stinkebrickner-Kauffman, executive director of SumOfUs. “So far all they've done is have a guided tour of the premises by Foxconn executives. What exactly were they expecting – that the company would voluntarily show them the dark underbelly of factory life on the first day?

“The FLA is funded and controlled by the same companies it is supposed to be monitoring,” Stinebrickner-Kauffman continued. “Moreover, most of the so-called ‘monitoring’ conducted by the FLA is actually outsourced to for-profit firms – and all of their incentives line up to provide a clean bill of health to factories.”

Over the past few weeks, 78,000 SumOfUs members have signed a petition calling on Apple to clean up labor abuses in their supply chain before the release of the next iPhone. In response to the remarks from the FLA, and in the lead-up to Apple’s annual general meeting in Cupertino, CA, next Thursday, SumOfUs said it would ramp up its campaign.

The organization announced today that it will do a “distributed” petition delivery, with hundreds of its members delivering the petition to managers at their own local iPhone stores around the world next week. This delivery ups the ante after SumOfUs.org and Change.org jointly delivered over 250,000 petition signatures last week to six Apple stores on four continents.

“Apple clearly took note of consumers’ concerns, but it responded with a whitewashing campaign instead of real solutions,” said Stinebrickner-Kauffman. “If hearing from customers at six stores isn’t enough, maybe hearing from them at a hundred will get the message across.”

FREDERICK, MD – EMS firm ACDi has acquired the assets of Fawn Electronics for an undisclosed sum.

OULU, FINLAND – PKC Group reported fourth-quarter net sales of EUR 242 million, up 163.2% year-over-year.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – Foxconn said it plans to build a touch-sensitive screen factory in Brazil, according to published reports.

Reports say the EMS firm plans to invest $2.5 billion in the project. The company did not disclose which city would host the plant, but says it will be in the Minas Gerais region.

A Brazilian consortium will reportedly hold a 60% stake, investing an undisclosed amount of money in the factory.

It is predicted Foxconn will invest a total of $12.5 billion in Brazil. The company currently has four factories there.

Foxconn will make products for Apple and other companies at the new factory, according to reports.

MILWAUKEE, WI – More than half of the engineers polled in a recent ASQ survey said the amount of studying needed to succeed and maintaining high grades in science and math were the primary challenges faced while pursuing an engineering degree.

Forty-three percent said the amount of time spent studying played the biggest role in their success as an engineer, a career with which they’re satisfied, according to the survey.

Twenty-seven percent said instruction from high school teachers and college professors played the biggest role in their success.

Forty-four percent of engineers said the amount of work and study needed to succeed was the primary challenge faced while pursuing an engineering degree, while 14% said maintaining high grades in related subjects, like math and science, was their main challenge. Other challenges provided by engineers include lack of mentorship; poor quality of teachers; selection of available engineering degrees at nearby university, and lack of prep courses in high school.

Despite the challenges faced by engineers in college, most engineers polled are satisfied with their career; only 3% said they are dissatisfied with their career choice.

Forty-nine percent are most satisfied with the challenging and interesting nature of the career, while 35% are most satisfied with their contributions to projects and products.

According to the survey results, 33% of the respondents chose to study engineering because they had a natural ability. Other reasons include the desire for a challenging career; the availability of jobs after graduation, and a lifelong interest.

The survey polled 509 ASQ member engineers.

In a different Harris Interactive survey conducted on behalf of ASQ recently, 67% of youth said they are concerned about the obstacles they would face while pursuing a science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, career. Twenty-five percent of those youth felt pursuing a STEM career involves too much work and studying compared to other career paths, and 25% are concerned their grades in math and science aren’t good enough.

Parents polled by Harris also are concerned their children’s grades aren’t adequate for a STEM career path and are concerned it takes too much time to earn a STEM-related degree.

AUSTIN, TX -- Embedded components—actives and passives—embedded in IC package substrates are generating renewed interest, a new report asserts.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Reports of counterfeit parts have soared dramatically in the last two years, presenting huge challenges for electronics manufacturing and especially the military and aerospace industry at a time when the US government is tightening regulations covering fake components, according to information and analysis provider IHS.

HONG KONG -- SMT Holdings has received a measure of relief as the beleaguered EMS company entered a "standstill" agreement with a majority of its lenders.