BANGKOK -- Fabrinet reported its first-ever quarterly loss, as the Bangkok area floods closed two of the company's largest plants for several weeks last fall.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The worldwide mobile phone market grew 6.1% year-over-year in the fourth quarter as the feature phone market declined faster than anticipated, dragging market growth down to its lowest point in over two years.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The worldwide smartphone market grew 54.7% year over year in the fourth quarter as Apple unleashed its iPhone 4S on an eager marketplace.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Global electronics manufacturing services revenue will be flat in 2012, the result of lingering economic concerns in Europe and the US, IHS iSuppli says.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – The latest moisture-sensitive device standard now covers handling, packing and shipping of non-IC electronic components.

J-STD-033C, Handling, Packing, Shipping and Use of Moisture/Reflow and/or Process Sensitive Components, provides guidance for certain electronic components that to date had not been covered. Those include parts classified per J-STD-075, Classification of Non-IC Electronic Components for Assembly Processes.

The C revision also contains a correction made to the desiccant calculation and an allowance for less use of desiccant for MSL2 parts, if desired. J-STD-033C also includes diagrams of recommended, not recommended and acceptable MBB air evacuation.

The new standard was developed by IPC and JEDEC. It provides surface mount device manufacturers and users with standardized methods for handling, packing, shipping and use of moisture/reflow-sensitive SMDs. These methods help avoid damage from moisture absorption and exposure to solder reflow temperatures that can result in yield and reliability degradation.

BUCKS, UK – The Smart Group will host a four-part webinar series on multilayer printed circuit board manufacturing.

The series, Guide to Modern Multilayer Manufacture, will provide a step-by-step guide to the circuit board manufacture and controls and inspection requirements to obtain trouble-free assembly, the UK-based trade group said in a press release.

Webinars include:

Mar. 6, PCB Manufacture Part 1: laminate types, resist application, imaging/striping, etching and AOI, and oxide treatment.

Apr. 3, PCB Manufacture Part 2: layup, lamination procedures, drilling including laser, die smearing and metallization.

June 11, PCB Manufacture Part 3: resist application, imaging/etching, copper plating, solder mask and solder finishes.

July 5, PCB Manufacture Part 4: legend, routing, electrical testing, inspection and QC, and PCB storage.

Four PCB engineers will offer advice during each webinar. For more information, visit www.smartgroup.org.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — An electronics industry rebound is starting to take hold here and companies are publicly discussing hiring plans for 2012.

WASHINGTON, DC -- Worldwide semiconductor sales reached a record $299.5 billion in for 2011, up 0.4% year-on-year, according to the final numbers from SIA.

BOISE, ID -- Steve Appleton, 51, chief executive of Micron Technologies, died in a small plane crash here this morning.

JASPER, IN -- Kimball International reported fiscal second-quarter net sales in its electronic manufacturing services segment plunged 18% from a year ago due to the end of a major program with a medical customer.

ANAHEIM, CA -- Multi-Fineline Electronix today reported fiscal first-quarter net income was $13.5 million, down from $15.1 million a year ago. For the period ended, Dec. 31, the flexible printed circuit fabricator and EMS provider reported net sales of $239.3 million, topping the high end of company guidance but down from $241.2 million the prior year.

ANGLETON, TX – Contract electronics manufacturer Benchmark Electronics posted sales of $559 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, down 10.8% year-over-year.