All Heat, No Useful Work
Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the massive energy demands and infrastructure challenges of AI data centers, noting that 100% of input power becomes heat and requiring extensive cooling and diesel backup. They cover supply chain constraints, including a three-year backlog for transformers and a 40% surge in bareboard PCB prices driven by AI server demand. The conversation shifts to practical electronics work, where Chris details building a power-injecting Tag-Connect debug board and using Claude to implement SMP firmware updates over web serial, while Dave shares his frustration with a solar monitoring service's price hike and his son's struggles with Linux at school.