Ep064: The COBOL Cabal, the Demoscene Bytes, and the BTLE Cure

Hackaday Podcast · 24 Apr 2020 · 1h 04m

What this episode covers

Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the Apple/Google Bluetooth LE contact tracing API, analyzing its privacy-preserving design, adoption challenges, and potential for abuse. They review several hardware hacks, including Oliver Matson's broken inductor bike chain sensor, Marcus Young's ESPHome home automation setup, and a rapid prototyping system for iron-on e-textiles. The episode concludes with a deep dive into the 'COBOL crisis,' exploring the language's enduring role in critical infrastructure and the difficulties of maintaining legacy systems.

Mentioned

Companies
Apple, Google, Robert Koch Institute, Chaos Computer Club, John Deere, Purdue Medical Innovation Networking and Design
Products
Data Hand, LAL Board
Chips
ESP8266, ESP32
Tools
ESPHome
Also
COBOL

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 05m

    62: Costs a Penny to Go to the Bathroom (Repeat)

    Josh Bleecher Snyder, Director of Software Engineering at PayPal and co-founder of Card.io, discusses the development of PayPal Beacon, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) hardware device for contactless payments. He details the engineering challenges of building a secure, privacy-preserving BLE peripheral, the decision to use the Go programming language for its concurrency and tooling, and the complexities of cross-platform mobile development. Snyder also reflects on his experience founding Card.io, its acquisition by PayPal, and the transition from startup to enterprise engineering.

  • Embedded.fm · 57m

    117: In as Much as Which

    Hosts Elecia White and Christopher White discuss listener emails covering Bluetooth 4.2 security, the definition of masked ROM, and the use of the volatile keyword in C. They review Elecia's work on precision mice feeders and bike lights, and detail their disassembly of BB-8 robots for competitive analysis of their BLE and inertial sensors. The episode concludes with commentary on Amazon's work culture and drone regulations.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 05m

    62: Costs a Penny to Go to the Bathroom

    Josh Bleecher Snyder, Director of Software Engineering at PayPal, discusses the development of PayPal Beacon, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) hardware device for merchant check-ins, and his prior work at Card.io on mobile computer vision. He details the engineering challenges of using BLE for always-on presence, the security architecture involving cryptographic signatures between the beacon, merchant phone, and PayPal servers, and the decision to use the Go programming language for its concurrency and developer experience. Snyder also covers the transition from founding Card.io to working at a large enterprise, highlighting the cultural shift and the use of tools like Docker and Theano for machine learning.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 03m

    Simulating doors falling off

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss a wide range of hardware topics, starting with Chris's preparation for Embedded World using FreeCAD and KeyCAD. They delve into Bluetooth Low Energy history and standards, then analyze the industry shift toward plug-in hybrids, citing Toyota's strategy. The conversation covers new silicon from Espressif, the TinyTapeOut project by Bitlooney, and Pete Bevilacqua's PowerMole Kickstarter, before concluding with a look at BeagleBoard.org's new Raspberry Pi-compatible board and a discussion on popular hobbyist components.

  • Coredump Sessions · 1h 08m

    #001: The future of Bluetooth connectivity with Blecon Founder, Simon Ford

    Simon Ford, founder of Blecon, joins Memfault’s Chris Coleman and François Baldassari to discuss the evolution of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) from its Nokia origins to its current role in cloud-connected devices. The group analyzes key technical shifts like LE Audio, PAwR, and coded PHY, while debating the practical trade-offs of BLE for IoT, asset tracking, and audio compared to Wi-Fi, cellular, and UWB. They also cover the challenges of BLE interoperability, debugging connection issues in the wild, and the limited real-world adoption of Bluetooth Mesh.

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