Ep 315: Conductive String Theory, Decloudified Music Players, and Wild Printing Tech

Hackaday Podcast · 4 Apr 2025 · 41m · Episode 315

What this episode covers

Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos review a week of hardware hacks, focusing on Tavis Gustavson’s Tron Bit project to reverse-engineer the cloud-dependent Tidy Bit display, and Noui’s security analysis of the defunct Jookie music player. They also cover Owen Bates’ conductive bioplastic string, Catherine Cannell’s Sprite Lights body art, and a deep dive into Zinc’s thermal printing technology. The episode highlights the contrast between open-source recoverability and the security risks of closed-source IoT devices.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 1h 03m

    065 - Multitalented Grinch

    Hosts Alvaro Brieto and Jen discuss their recent attendance at Open Sauce and the Crowd Supply teardown conference, highlighting the community aspect of hardware reverse engineering. They review several books on security and hacking history, including 'ARM Assembly and Reverse Engineering' and 'Murdoch's Pirates', while also sharing news about past guests like David from Cyber City Circuits teaching the First Lady to solder. The episode concludes with technical discussions on CAN bus vulnerabilities in Toyota vehicles, hotel IoT security, and Alvaro's new DJI Mic recording setup for upcoming coverage at CCCamp.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 08m

    100: Unintentional Radiator

    Hosts Amelia Cook and Christopher White reunite with guests Star Simpson and Jen Costillo to reflect on the evolution of the hardware hobbyist landscape over the two years since their first appearance. Star Simpson, who works at Orion, discusses her wearable device project and her open-source FPGA toolchain initiative called Balboa, while also recounting the challenges of crowdfunding the Octopart reference card. The group analyzes the shifting attitudes toward privacy and security in the Internet of Things, the rise of accessible prototyping tools like 3D printing and Crowd Supply, and the changing ecosystem of development boards including the Odroid and Arduino.

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 1h 28m

    058 - Technically Met the Specs

    Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay discuss their book 'Open Circuits,' detailing the process of cutting components in half with sandpaper and grinding wheels to reveal internal structures, while Jacob Creedon, Spencer Moss, Ken, and Will McGuiness share their perspectives on reverse engineering tools like IDA Pro and Ghidra, and the legal and social implications of technology. The group debates the future of AI, the validity of NFTs, and the importance of right-to-repair legislation, with Spencer Moss from Google and Ken from Somerset Recon highlighting the increasing complexity of hardware security. Mike Ryan from Ice 9 Consulting joins to discuss Bluetooth security, the obsolescence of passwords, and the dual-use nature of technology in the context of government regulation.

  • Embedded.fm · 31m

    Bonus: From Solid Con

    Elecia White interviews several hardware innovators at O'Reilly's Solid Conference, including Erin Mulcahy of littleBits, who demonstrates magnetic modular electronics and the new Arduino and cloud modules for prototyping. Jack Mudd of Onewheel explains the self-balancing electric skateboard's firmware tuning and successful Kickstarter, while Taylor Stein of AutoDesk highlights the free enthusiast license for Fusion 360 CAD software. The episode also covers Qualcomm's Laurie Yoler on IoT connectivity, Playtabase's Ahmed Daoud on the Remo gesture controller, Panoptes UAV's Terrence McKenna on collision avoidance sensors, and Coversant's Michael Holdmann on XMPP-based IoT service buses.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 07m

    The Magic of Calipers

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss Dave's recent struggles uploading code to GitHub and GitLab, leading to a broader conversation about version control tools like Tortoise SVN and the Zephyr RTOS. They explore the technical merits of E-ink displays for low-power IoT devices and the mechanics of digital calipers, before analyzing the new chip startup Atomic Semi founded by Sam Zeloof and Jim Keller. The episode concludes with a demonstration of AI's capabilities in generating code for hardware projects and a review of new features in KiCad 7.

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.