Hackaday Podcast · 26 Apr 2024 · 1h 11m · Episode 268
Hosts Elliot Williams and Dan Maloney discuss a variety of hardware hacks, including Sharam Moktari's analysis of wireless charging inefficiencies, which show 60% energy loss compared to wired charging. They cover the reverse engineering of the QuanShang UVK5 ham radio by mental detector and colleagues, detailing the destructive PCB layering process. The episode also highlights Priscilla's discovery of a Windows networking bug caused by a smart TV, Grant's demonstration of RF burns from AM radio antennas, and Joran's pitch-detection mouse using an RP2040. Finally, they review Andrews Nielsen's universal EPROM programmer and discuss using barnacles to track MH370 debris.
makers and hobbyists
Other shows on the same ground, closest first.
Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the recent Antares rocket explosion, the Hackaday Prize space trip controversy, and the passing of Tom Maglioli from Car Talk. They also cover U-beam's wireless charging technology, Dr. Greg Shaver's ultrasound chip startup, and DIY projects including a Tony Stark Halloween costume and reflow oven modifications.
Shahriar Shahramian, who leads the ASIC research team at Bell Labs and runs The Signal Path, joins Dave Jones to discuss the psychology of misinformation and the engineering challenges of debunking it. They analyze specific examples of dodgy technology, including wireless power transfer scams like Xiaomi's device and energy saver capacitors, explaining why they are impractical despite working in niche cases. The conversation covers the technical realities of 5G, 6G sensing, and semiconductor manufacturing, including silicon germanium and gallium nitride, while emphasizing the need for critical thinking education to combat harmful myths.
Dave Jones of EEVBlog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the logistical nightmare of shipping 9,700 PCB rulers from a successful Possible campaign, including PayPal account freezes and optimizing postage. They analyze a reference PCB designed by Star Simpson and Sam from Octopart for component package comparison, debate the merits of local versus international hiring for digital work, and critique a University of Washington paper on RF backscatter communication. The episode concludes with news on the Ubuntu Edge crowdfunding failure, Samsung's design contest, and an FPGA-driven CRT vector monitor project by Todd Bailey.
Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss recent tech hype, including debunking viral claims about the 'Water Cube' dehumidifier and beta-voltaic 'nuclear diamond' batteries. They cover the merger of Evil Mad Scientist and Bantam Tools, a side-channel security vulnerability affecting ESP32 microcontrollers, and the acquisition of a used TVM pick-and-place machine. The conversation also touches on power grid issues, CAD software choices like Fusion 360 and Onshape, and the failure of solar roadways.
Dave Jones and Chris Gammell perform a teardown of the Rode Wireless Go 2 receiver, identifying a confusing mix of chips from Dialog Semiconductor, Nordic Semiconductor, and SmartCore. They discuss the implications of 3G network sunsets on devices like insurance trackers and solar monitors, and analyze the end-of-life announcement for the EDA tool EAGLE by Autodesk. The episode concludes with a look at a vintage Intergraph Corporation PCB, highlighting the density and routing techniques of older hardware.
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.