Hardware Podcasts

39: I Blame Space

Embedded.fm · 19 Feb 2014 · 1h 00m

What this episode covers

Jen Costillo, Director of Engineering at Bia Sport, discusses the challenges of shipping a GPS sports watch designed for women, including the decision to separate the GPS and GSM modem into a detachable 'Ghost Stick' to keep the watch slim. She details the hardware struggles of an underfunded startup, such as corrosion from saltwater exposure and the lack of discrete pull-up resistors on the PCB, which complicated firmware debugging. Costillo also explains the difference between casual activity trackers and serious sports wearables, emphasizing the need for ruggedness and safety features like SOS alerts.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Bia Sport, Strava, RadioShack
Products
Ghost Stick, Garmin, Fitbit
Chips
ANT

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