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82 The PCB Magazine • June 2015 ogy are being announced almost daily. While Google Glass was first introduced as a consumer product, the product is starting to gain acceptance in business and professional applications. Someone on the manufacturing floor can be working at a machine while viewing the latest specifications or work instructions. A doctor can be consulting with her patient while viewing medical records. An extension of wearable is implantable or embedded technology. There has already been a great deal of discussion on implantable mi- crochips that can carry the entire health his- tory and identity of the user-wearer. This is es- sentially technology that becomes part of the human body. Embedded chips have been used with animals in studying migration patterns. In this case, the limitations may be less technol- ogy and cost and more an issue of privacy and intrusion. Flexible circuits are an ideal fit for wearable technology. Wearable electronics need to be light, dense and bendable. While what is cur- rently considered standard flexible circuit tech- nology is more than adequate for many the wearable products, there are requirements that may be pushing the boundaries a bit. As elec- tronics get integrated into clothing, the need for stretchable circuitry comes into play. In the last decade, mobile technology has changed the social-cultural landscape, impact- ing billions of people around the world. Every- where you go you will see people using their smart phone; texting, engaging in social me- dia, shopping, searching or even making phone calls. Many experts are now predicting that wearable technology will have as great an im- pact on society as mobile phones. PCB Dave becker is vice president of sales and marketing at all Flex Flexible circuits and Heaters. All About Flex WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY AND FLExIBLE CIRCUITS continues realtimewith.com CliCk To View ViDeo inteRView The general migration from grid to prober for bare board testing continues, and even high-volume users now see the benefits of automation. Klaus Koziol, from atg luther & Maelzer, explains how package testing is driving prober development. Automation in Probe Testing Provides Throughput Benefits by Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2015