EP 371: Space Computers, Spy Phones, and So Long CHU

Hackaday Podcast · 29 May 2026 · 1h 19m · Episode 371

What this episode covers

Hosts Tom Nardi and Al Williams discuss the shutdown of the CHU time broadcast station, the potential of using cheap smartphones as Linux servers, and a cycle-accurate 386 clone on FPGA. They also cover a microcontroller-based VPN gateway, the history of WWII spy radios like the S-phone and Joan-Eleanor, and the unexpected vulnerability of modern smartphone cameras to magnets.

Mentioned

Companies
Zolar Lab, IBM, Samsung, OSS
Products
MotoG Power 2024, Mitra 125, SpaceLab, AP 101S, Decay Doc, James Webb Space Telescope, S-phone, Joan-Eleanor
Chips
ESP32
Also
CHU, WWVB, Termux, Nan DeMario, Ken Sheriff, Chandra Observatory, Al Gross

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 27m

    A Security Update with Michael Ossmann

    Michael Ossmann of Great Scott Gadgets joins Dave Jones and Chris Gammell to discuss recent hardware security trends, including the Jeep/Chrysler car hack and the vulnerabilities of smart TVs. The group details the distribution of the HackRF Radio Badge at the Chaos Communications Camp and Chris Gammell's plans for a future HackRF 2 embedded platform. They also cover the FCC's proposed rulemaking on software-controlled radios and introduce the NXP LPC4300 microcontroller.

  • 050 - Four Years In

    Hosts Alvaro and Jen reflect on four years of the Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast, discussing the evolution of the field from FPGA bitstream extraction to modern crypto-mining and ransomware economics. They highlight specific reverse engineering projects, including Asahi Linux’s port of Linux to Apple’s M1 processor and a DEFCON presentation on hacking smart meters to map power outages during the Texas snowstorm. The episode also covers Alvaro’s impromptu teardown of a Q Health COVID-19 test, detailing the microfluidics and chemical exposure risks involved.

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 1h 06m

    012 - Cheese vs. SDR

    Jared Boone, founder of Sharebrained Technology, discusses the HackRF software-defined radio and the Portapack, a portable handheld device he developed to make SDR accessible without a laptop. Alvaro, who runs a cheese project called Ostur, joins the conversation to discuss embedded development using STM32 and Nordic nRF52 platforms, while also sharing his passion for cheesemaking. The group explores the history of interactive TV, Blu-ray authoring, and the technical details of various radio technologies, including Iridium satellite interception and TPMS signal analysis.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 18m

    The Automation Amish

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the failure of TI's 80 GHz radar eval kit, the shutdown of Intel's IoT dev boards (Galileo, Edison), and the insolvency of Jerry Morris's company Cast AR. They also cover the teardown of the Batteriser chip, the history of the 555 timer, and the enduring popularity of the SparkFun 130-in-1 electronics kit.

  • 047 - The Sun, The Moon, The Stars

    Jen Castillo and Alvaro Prieto discuss recent reverse engineering projects, including Colin O'Flynn's teardown of the Apple AirTag, which revealed an nRF52 microcontroller and a vulnerability allowing firmware dumping via the Pocket Glitcher. They also cover a method to transmit arbitrary data through Apple's Find My network, a 70% reduction in GTA Online loading times by patching a slow JSON parser, and reverse engineering of Reolink IP cameras and eInk price tags. The hosts highlight past guests' work on the LPC55S69 microcontroller and the Asahi Linux project for the Apple M1 processor, noting a trend toward better security practices in hardware design.

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.