EE Times Current · 21 Aug 2020 · 38m
EE Times editors Brian Santo and Junko Yoshida discuss the increasing complexity and user-unfriendliness of modern consumer electronics, citing issues with smart home devices, streaming services, and the lack of guaranteed software support. They are joined by Tirias Research analyst Kevin Krewell to review the Hot Chips conference, highlighting Intel's holistic 'Mars Law' approach to chip design, Google's full-stack machine learning optimization, and innovations from companies like Lightmatter and Cerebras. The conversation covers the shift from simple plug-and-play hardware to fragmented, software-dependent ecosystems that often fail to deliver on their promises.
early-stage companies
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Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss recent industry layoffs at MakerBot, Microchip, and Intel, highlighting the risks of hardware career stability. They critique the fragility of cloud-dependent IoT products, citing Nest's discontinuation of the Revolve, and advocate for local processing and tools like Pi Shift. The conversation also covers Dave's prototype struggles with firmware constraints and Chris's exploration of machine learning via Wekinator.
Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the challenges of home lab infrastructure, including Dave's struggles with Windows 11 installation and Chris's exploration of Home Assistant and Proxmox. They analyze the recent leadership changes at Intel, specifically the resignation of CEO Pat Gelsinger and the appointment of dual CEOs, while debating the future dominance of Nvidia in AI hardware. The conversation also covers the release of FreeCAD 1.0, the utility of manufacturer-integrated CAD tools like eMachineShop, and the abuse of copyright strikes against repair YouTubers like Lewis Rossman.
Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the complexity of modern software dependencies compared to hardware, illustrated by Jones's struggles building a PC with an AMD Ryzen 5900X and an old motherboard requiring a firmware update loaned by AMD. They analyze Altium's rejection of a takeover bid from Autodesk and the potential for Dassault Systèmes (SolidWorks) to acquire Altium, while also covering Bosch's new $1.2 billion chip fab in Germany and the rise of machine learning for sensor data analysis via SensiML.
Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the 'awkward journey of progress' in semiconductor technology, focusing on early-stage products like the Humane AI Pin and Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses that push hardware limits. They analyze how these devices highlight current constraints in miniaturization, battery life, and compute power, while encouraging necessary experimentation. The conversation extends to the automotive sector, examining how Chinese EV makers and Tesla are driving innovation in software-defined vehicles and custom silicon like Tesla's Dojo, despite significant challenges in advanced packaging and automotive qualification.
Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics and Dave Jones of EEV Blog discuss the recent Superconference, highlighting the innovative badge mods and the influence of media like Mythbusters on STEM education. They detail Dave's struggles setting up a live streaming bench, specifically dealing with HDMI capture issues and monitor scaling problems, before analyzing the consolidation in the semiconductor industry, including the On Semiconductor acquisition of Fairchild and the decline of legacy brands like Dialog and Intersil. The conversation concludes with a critique of the Prometheus PCB milling machine Kickstarter for its redundant custom CAD tool and a discussion on the future of embedded programming languages like Go and Rust.
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