Firmware, Netburner and Semiconductors - Chris's Capitalism Colloquy
Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the high capital costs of hardware manufacturing compared to software, noting that tools like Kickstarter are necessary to fund upfront production expenses. They analyze the trend of system-on-chip integration, highlighting Dialog Semiconductor's Bluetooth SoC and TI's CC2500 series as enablers for rapid hardware iteration and IoT growth. The hosts also address the significant barriers to entry for chip design, contrasting the accessible nature of board-level electronics with the expensive, specialized nature of semiconductor fabrication.