Ep. 40 - Influential Media

Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 5 Jun 2025 · 1h 21m

What this episode covers

Hosts Steven Hawes and Thea Flowers of Opulo discuss the books, documentaries, and creators that shaped their engineering and entrepreneurial journeys. They highlight Steven's early inspiration from Everett Bradford's flamethrower and Thea's foundational experience with a NoPix Linux live CD. The conversation covers influential media like the book 'Schiit Happened', Bunnie Huang's 'The Hardware Hacker', and the documentary 'Developing Hell: Launching Hades', drawing parallels between open source hardware development and video game early access models.

Mentioned

Companies
Opulo, Schiit Audio, Super Giant Games, MakerBot, Formlabs, RocketJump
Also
Everett Bradford, Bunnie Huang, Gordon Ramsay, NoClip

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 05m

    Open Circuits with Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay

    Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay, authors of the book Open Circuits and creators of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, discuss their work in open source hardware and retro computing. They detail the design and production of kits like the discrete 555 timer and the Monster 6502, explaining how these projects serve as educational tools for understanding internal chip architecture. The conversation also covers the meticulous process of cross-sectioning electronic components for their book, highlighting the safety hazards and artistic effort involved in revealing the inner workings of electronics.

  • Oxide and Friends · 1h 20m

    Books in the Box V

    Hosts Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal, founders of Oxide Computer Company, are joined by guests Oliver Herman, Tom Lyon, and Dan McDonald for 'Books in the Box V,' a segment dedicated to book recommendations and anti-recommendations. The group discusses technical and historical texts including 'Open Circuits,' 'Slingshot,' and 'Chip War,' while strongly advising against reading 'If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies' by citing Molly White's scathing review. The conversation also covers business histories like 'Fumbling the Future' and 'The Big Short,' alongside fiction such as 'The Mouse Driver Chronicles' and 'Snow Crash.'

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 05m

    Open Hardware and Self Publishing

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the Open Source Hardware Summit, highlighting the surprising number of hardware engineers in attendance and the role of Adafruit, Arduino, and Bug Labs. They debate the merits of open-source hardware versus Apple's closed ecosystem, with Jones arguing that single-vision products like the iPhone are superior to collaborative designs. The conversation shifts to practical advice on self-publishing projects via blogs and magazines for career advancement, followed by a technical analysis of low-power design failures in the Tascam DR07 recorder compared to the Zoom H1.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 14m

    82: I Was a Chewbacca Person

    Hosts Elecia White, Jen Castillo, and Christopher White discuss the movies, books, and TV shows that inspired them to pursue engineering careers. They analyze how *Real Genius* and *Star Wars* shaped their expectations of college and tinkering, while *Wargames* and *Sneakers* influenced their views on hacking and security. The conversation also covers the impact of *Choose Your Own Adventure* books on programming logic and *Ghostbusters* on startup culture.

  • Oxide and Friends · 1h 46m

    Musing with Changelog's Adam Stacoviak

    Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company host Adam Stacoviak of The Changelog, discussing the history and business value of their respective podcasts. They analyze HBO's Silicon Valley as a satirical mirror to hardware startup culture, referencing specific plot points like SWOT analyses and character dynamics to illustrate real-world engineering and management challenges. The conversation highlights how Oxide uses 'On the Metal' for recruiting and community building, while The Changelog leverages unique production elements like Breakmaster Cylinder's music to differentiate its brand.

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