Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/455818
8 SMT Magazine • February 2015 That's not bad. Lower fuel prices mean lower energy and shipping costs and less pressure on wages as consumers keep more of what they earn. The bad news is that many believe one reason for the low prices is an attempt by OPEC to crush higher-cost producers in the U.S. and Canada. Even so, I'm hopeful that lower energy costs will ultimately help stimulate the global economy, increasing growth, overall. Once the global economy kicks into gear, demand will increase and oil prices will rise again, incentiv- izing domestic producers. I can't wait until we're all electric. Nuclear, hydro, wind and solar, and someday, fusion: that's the way forward. That's what frees us from so many of the problems associated with petroleum. This is not a political statement, it's just common sense. Domestically produced clean energy just makes sense. CeS I don't know if you've paid attention to what was going on at CES last month, but for me, it was the most interesting show I've ever seen. The products and the implications of those products were astounding! Something New at I-Connect007 Probably the biggest news from our team is our very soon to be launched new website. Using all the latest and greatest web technol- ogy, we've developed the site to make it really easy for our readers to find what they're look- ing for and we've integrated the latest advertis- ing tools to help sellers and buyers quickly find each other. This fast and user-friendly site, with over 80,000 news items, articles and columns, is the industry's most significant information resource. Let us know how you like it. 2015 also bodes well for the industry. With just about every leading indicator pointing north, it looks like we're in for a nice ride. Mar- kets that we've only dreamed about in the past are beginning to emerge. Moving past the hype, shows like CES and the North American Inter- national Auto Show have laid out the path for- ward with a plethora of new technologies and requirements for technology. Electronics are ev- erywhere! Another boon for the economy is the price of energy, in particular, oil. I read an article re- cently that said the low gas prices could save the U.S. economy up to $300 billion this year. by ray rasmussen publiSHer, i-COnneCT007 THe Way I See IT Column bits and Pieces