When will the U.S. economy recover? According to Klaus-Dieter Rinnen, the managing vice president at Gartner, it will happen “when we least expect it.” In 2003, the economy will improve, though back-end-loaded. In electronic assembly equipment, we should expect a gradually improving phased recovery. Look for corporate spending to return in 2003.

Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.&#8212Gold is used extensively in the electronics industry as a relatively stable conductor of electricity for products such as computers, mobile phones and smart cards, with one great drawback&#8212it’s one of the most expensive metals on the market.