Silicon Valley is rediscovering silicon. Although electronics pioneers such as Hewlett-Packard and Fairchild Semiconductor gave the region of Northern California around San Jose its nickname, their influence has waned since the 1990s thanks to the rise of the internet and start-ups such as Facebook and Google.
Now, partly due to the renewed influence of Apple and its famously integrated hardware and software, gadgets are making a comeback. Google is manufacturing Glass, its ambitious attempt to create a new kind of wearable computer, not in China but in Santa Clara, just minutes from its Mountain View headquarters.
At the same time, a host of Californian consumer-electronics start-ups are springing up and they could soon bring more manufacturing back to the US. Silicon Valley already boasts more mature, venture-backed gadget makers, such as Nest, creator of a “smart” thermostat, and Jawbone, which makes stylish wireless headsets, speakers and health trackers.