Ep 341: Qualcomm Owns Arduino, Steppers Still Dominate 3D Printing, and Google Controls Your Apps

Hackaday Podcast · 10 Oct 2025 · 1h 06m · Episode 341

What this episode covers

Elliot Williams and Jenny List discuss Qualcomm's acquisition of Arduino and the launch of the Arduino Uno Q, a dual-processor Linux/microcontroller board that risks repeating the failures of the Intel Edison and Arduino Yun due to software complexity. They analyze Google's new policy restricting Android sideloading to registered developers, noting the anti-competitive impact on open-source mobile ecosystems like F-Droid. The hosts also explore why stepper motors remain dominant in 3D printing due to cost, despite the potential benefits of brushless DC motors in high-end designs like the MakerBot Cupcake and modern CoreXY printers.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 50m

    Welding with an HDMI Cable

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the recent acquisition of Arduino by Gonski, analyzing the financials and predicting a shift toward subscription models, while detailing the new Arduino Uno Q board which combines STM32 and Linux components. They explore the transition of the Arduino ecosystem to Zephyr OS to replace the defunct embOS, highlighting the benefits of Zephyr's vendor-neutral governance and new App Lab features for edge AI. The conversation also covers Altium's controversial licensing changes, moving away from perpetual licenses to a workspace-based model, and contrasts this with the upcoming features of the open-source EDA tool KiCad. Finally, they touch on industry news, including private equity acquisitions of YouTube channels and the 'tiny web' movement.

  • The Spark Gap · 39m

    The Spark Gap - Episode 2

    Corey, a hobbyist in embedded electronics, explains his decision to purchase a Solidoodle 2 3D printer after initially considering the 3D Systems Cube, citing the Solidoodle's open-source roots and lower cost. Karl and Corey discuss the evolution of the RepRap community, highlighting MakerBot's controversial shift from open-source hardware to closed-source patents and its acquisition by Stratasys. They analyze the crowdfunding boom in 3D printing, noting Formlabs' successful Kickstarter and the patent disputes with 3D Systems, while debating the ethics of proprietary filament locks in printers like the XYZprinting da Vinci 1.0.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 03m

    Ardui...no Dave This Week?

    Jeff Keyzer of MightyOhm joins the show to discuss the newly released Arduino Uno, highlighting its shift from a proprietary FTDI USB-to-serial chip to an open-source AVR-based solution using the LUFA stack. He details specific manufacturing quality issues, such as tombstoned resistors, and notes that the Arduino team is responding by investing in automated visual inspection systems. Keyzer also previews an upcoming book co-authored with Mitch Altman, which aims to teach AVR programming through hands-on projects for beginners.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 06m

    An Interview with Jeff Keyzer and Jeremy Blum - Audacious Arduino Arguments

    Guests Jeff Keyzer and Jeremy Blum join Dave Jones and Chris Gammell to discuss the recent Google Android Development Kit (ADK) announcement and the new Microchip/Digilent ChipKit Arduino-compatible boards. The group debates the $400 price tag of the Google reference design, the fragmentation of the Arduino ecosystem with new 32-bit PIC options, and the technical implications of high-speed signals on shield headers. They also touch on the broader industry trend of engineering graduates entering finance and the physics of cosmic rays affecting computer memory.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 10m

    A Meeting Of The Davids

    Dave Jones and David Ledger of EEVblog discuss the development of the EEVblog multimeter app, detailing the technical challenges of implementing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on Android and the decision to use the Mono framework for cross-platform compatibility. They also cover the resolution of the trademark dispute between Arduino founders Massimo Banzi and Federico Musto, news of Qualcomm's acquisition of NXP, and Samsung surpassing Intel in chip sales volume. The conversation concludes with a debate on the feasibility of autonomous vehicles and a tribute to analog guru Bob Pease.

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