Hardware Podcasts

Agilent, Analog, Cold Fusion - Funding Fusion Is Not Futile

The Amp Hour · 16 Feb 2011 · 1h 03m · Episode 30

What this episode covers

Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the strategic shift by Agilent to bring low-end oscilloscope production in-house, contrasting it with the outsourcing trends of major electronics firms. They debate the future of US science funding, citing Neil deGrasse Tyson's arguments for the long-term value of basic research, and explore the technical viability of cold fusion and Alcatel-Lucent's 'light radio' technology. The episode also covers Microchip's new pre-programmed USB-to-serial chips and the unique multi-core architecture of Parallax's Propeller microcontroller.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Agilent, Rigol, Texas Instruments, Alcatel-Lucent, Microchip, Parallax
Products
MCP2200, Propeller
Also
Jim Williams, Steve Leibson, Jeremy Blum, Neil deGrasse Tyson

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • EE Times Current · 24m

    I’m the CHIPS bill / Stuck on Capitol Hill…

    EE Times editor George Leopold joins Brian Santo to discuss the legislative status of the US CHIPS Act, noting the House's recent passage of a bill that expands on the Senate's version with significant funding for STEM and R&D. They analyze the political orchestration behind Intel's Ohio fab announcement and the ongoing debate between funding new fabrication plants ('fabs') versus research labs ('labs') to address semiconductor shortages. The conversation highlights the challenges of rebuilding domestic manufacturing capacity, including workforce retraining, visa restrictions for foreign talent, and the cultural differences in factory operations between the US and Asian competitors like TSMC.

    Policy, trade & tariffsSourcing & supply chain
    5 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 1h 03m

    Ep 267: Metal Casting, Plasma Cutting, and a Spicy 555

    Hosts Elliot Williams and Al Williams review recent Hackaday posts, highlighting Denny’s microwave metal casting setup using silicon carbide crucibles and 3D printed molds, and Mano Arastita’s LT Spice simulation of 555 timer internals. They also discuss David Given’s reverse engineering of a cheap oscilloscope using the CH32F003 microcontroller, Michael Vutrich’s non-planar 3D printing experiments, and Nathan Butts’ citizen science radio astronomy presentation. The episode concludes with commentary on NASA’s budget cuts to the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the rising utility of affordable logic analyzers like the FX2 and SiPEED logic combo 8.

    Materials & manufacturing processesAnalog & power electronics
    10 chapters

  • EE Times Current · 47m

    Decapitating Huawei & Recapitating America | Achievable Big Stuff: IBM’s 5 in 5 | How Steve Carlton Got His 300th Win

    Chris Miller, an economic historian at Tufts University, argues that the U.S. should focus government support for the semiconductor industry on basic research and ecosystem building rather than subsidizing domestic manufacturing, as seen in the Chips for America Act. Jeff Wesler, VP of IBM Research, discusses IBM's '5 in 5' initiative, which uses AI, high-performance computing, and quantum computing to accelerate the discovery of sustainable materials for challenges like CO2 capture, battery design, and nitrogen fixation. The episode also covers the historical context of U.S.-China trade tensions and a segment on the 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm.

    Policy, trade & tariffsAI & machine learning
    4 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 17m

    140: Physics Is the Same Everywhere

    Andrew 'Bunnie' Huang, creator of the Novena open source laptop and author of Hacking the Xbox, discusses his new book, The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen, which he funded via Crowd Supply. He explains the cultural and economic differences between prototyping in China versus the US, noting that Chinese factories use manual assembly with higher defect rates but lower upfront costs. Huang also reflects on the value of open hardware for privacy, the challenges of self-publishing physical books with unique features, and his desire to use his engineering skills to help society.

    Crowdfunding & preordersManufacturing partners & offshoring
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 42m

    181: Work on It for Ten Years

    Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics joins the hosts of Embedded.fm and The Amp Hour for a crossover holiday episode discussing expertise, prototyping tools, and industry trends. The conversation covers the limitations of MicroPython on custom hardware, the value of analog circuit design, and the importance of writing to clarify technical thinking. They also share personal updates on learning calculus, using VR for exercise, and the future of solar energy and automation.

    Careers & educationPrototyping & iteration
    9 chapters

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