Hardware Podcasts

Solar Cells, SparkFun, TSMC - The Detroit Debunking

The Amp Hour · 5 Jan 2011 · 1h 02m · Episode 24

What this episode covers

Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss SparkFun's new 'pick and place grab bag' program, which sells rejected components from automated assembly lines for $10, noting the trade-off between cost and the time required to sort and test them. They analyze TSMC's announcement of a $500M solar cell manufacturing plant in Mississippi, debating whether low US labor costs and local incentives create a viable inflection point for reshoring manufacturing compared to China. The hosts also critique IEEE's membership fee structure for unemployed engineers, the reliability issues of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), and the growing problem of electronic waste recycling overseas.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
SparkFun, TSMC, IEEE
Products
CFL
Chips
NE555, TMS0281, 6502, TMS320, PIC16C84
Also
Story of Stuff

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