When we look at the world there seems like there should be some very black and white
barriers in component manufacturing. One of those very firm lines should be that the
work doesn’t actually kill the employees. This seems pretty basic outside of military
operations, which is why it’s frightening to read on Cult of Mac that:
“A new report by the Hong Kong based advocacy group SACOM (Students & Scholars Against
Corporate Misbehavior) says that an eleventh employee has died at Foxconn.
Unlike the last ten deaths, though, the latest reported death wasn’t a suicide.
Instead, 27 year old Foxconn employee Yan Li died on May 27th after a continuous 34
hour working shift. Allegedly, Yan —who worked night shifts at Foxconn from 200 —
literally worked himself to death.”
To read more of this article by John Brownlee, click here.
So, we have people jumping out of buildings and dying of exhaustion in an effort to
supply us with our iPhones. When they say “Cult of Mac,” they aren’t kidding. That
kind of demand dilates the pupils of business executives everywhere, and eventually
leads the public to the inevitable question of what’s next.
In the CNNMoney.com article “5 Billion-Dollar Tech Gambles” huge investments are
being made in five different tech areas:
- LightSquared’s 4G-LTE (Long-Term Evolution) Wireless Networks
- Solyndra’s cylindrical solar panels
- Watson’s computer that understands everyday human speech
- Tesla’s Model-S electric car
- Better Place’s electric car strategy
It is far too early to tell which one could be the silver bullet into the American (or
World’s) hearts, but suppose that one of these huge investments paid off?
It is possible to follow their progress, and the progress of other tech giants creating
new innovations. In our industry following these trends makes more than good sense, it
means survival.
at forecasting and preparing for possible shortages. We need to be great at this so
that our customers can be great at building the electronic devices that create their
success.
If we take the Cult of Mac article seriously, lives depend on ample planning. At Ic components
Trends, our experience and global connections make certain that when demand skyrockets,
you have a source of components able to supply those needs.
