Hardware Podcasts

‘Smart’ Water Bottles | The Hottest Hot Chip | A Sensors & Photonics Merger

EE Times Current · 23 Aug 2019 · 24m

What this episode covers

Nitin Dhar of EE Times discusses AMS's acquisition of Osram, a move designed to diversify revenue away from Apple and boost automotive sensor and photonics capabilities. Andrew Feldman, CEO of Cerebras, unveils the Wafer Scale Engine, a massive AI processor with over 400,000 cores that aims to replace thousands of NVIDIA GPUs with significantly lower power consumption. Meanwhile, Echo Chao of ESM China examines the 'smart water bottle' market, highlighting IoT features like Wi-Fi and displays that gamify hydration for children, though critics note the devices are often impractical and potentially unsafe due to plastic construction.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
AMS, Osram, Cerebras, NVIDIA, Goolulu, ESM China, IBM, HP, Burroughs

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 19m

    Amazon Moves In, Dave Says Run

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss Amazon's entry into the IoT cloud space with AWS, debating whether established hardware platforms like Electric Imp and SparkFun can compete with Amazon's scale and longevity. They analyze the semiconductor industry's consolidation, specifically the rumored merger between Analog Devices and Maxim Integrated, and the implications of TI discontinuing legacy parts like the LM386. The hosts also critique the SCARP laser razor Kickstarter campaign for its lack of a viable prototype and discuss the challenges of global travel for engineers.

    Connected products & IoTChips, FPGAs & semiconductors
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 09m

    Bonkers Birthday Badinage

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell celebrate the 100th episode of The Amp Hour, discussing the show's growth to 5,000 listeners and the launch of a new discussion server based on the Hacker News engine. They analyze the semiconductor industry, noting TSMC's $8-10 billion investment in a 450mm wafer fab and Intel's dismissal of ARM as a competitor. The episode also covers practical engineering topics, including the use of gallium nitride (GaN) FETs, the TI LM5113 driver, and the feasibility of sourcing cheap Chinese electronics components for product design.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsPCB design & layout
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 02m

    Consolidate All The Things - Zonked Zelotic Zaitech

    Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the consolidation of the electronics industry, citing the Intel-Altera and Avago-Broadcom acquisitions and the failed OnSemi/Microchip bid for Atmel. They analyze how these mergers drive scale and accounting benefits rather than just strategic synergy, and warn designers about the risks of chip discontinuations and custom pinouts. The conversation shifts to hardware trends, including the feasibility of ultra-low-cost $1 chips, the impracticality of WiFi power harvesting, and the battery life challenges of running full OS stacks on IoT devices.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsPricing, margins & unit economics
    8 chapters

  • The Circuit · 48m

    EP 137: OpenAI + AMD, Intel Tech Touch, QCOM buys Arduino

    Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss OpenAI's strategic partnership with AMD, analyzing the financial implications of OpenAI's $100 billion capex plan and its ambition to become a hyperscaler. They examine Intel's recent 'Tech Touch' event, highlighting the capabilities of its Fab 52, the 18A process node, and the architectural shifts in Panther Lake and Clearwater Forest chips. Finally, they evaluate Qualcomm's acquisition of Arduino as a move to consolidate its position in the industrial IoT ecosystem.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsPricing, margins & unit economics
    5 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 18m

    The Automation Amish

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the failure of TI's 80 GHz radar eval kit, the shutdown of Intel's IoT dev boards (Galileo, Edison), and the insolvency of Jerry Morris's company Cast AR. They also cover the teardown of the Batteriser chip, the history of the 555 timer, and the enduring popularity of the SparkFun 130-in-1 electronics kit.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsGrowth, exits & acquisitions
    10 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EE Times Current. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.