# Design Reviews Are Important - Habitual Hype Hebetude

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2014-08-13
- Length: 1h 09m
- Episode: 211
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-13-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/211-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude/

## Summary

Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics and Dave Jones of EEVblog discuss the recent DEF CON conference, highlighting Tesla's firmware hacking initiative and the broader security implications for IoT devices like the Nest thermostat. They critically analyze the U-Beam ultrasonic wireless charging Kickstarter project, arguing that its complexity and cost make it impractical compared to existing inductive charging solutions. The conversation shifts to engineering best practices, emphasizing the importance of rigorous design reviews and the risks of using low-cost components that may fail prematurely due to supply chain decisions.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-13-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude#t=0) Introduction: DEF CON Recap and Tesla Hacking
- [14:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-13-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude#t=885) U-Beam Ultrasonic Wireless Charging Critique
- [30:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-13-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude#t=1843) Design Reviews and Deliberate Early Failure
- [44:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-13-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude#t=2642) Toy Manufacturing vs. Military Tech and Auto-Routing
- [52:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-13-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude#t=3164) Gartner Hype Cycle and Podcast Growth

## Topics

- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Tesla (company)
- Nest (product)
- U-Beam (product)
- HackRF (product)
- MakerBot (company)
- Oculus (company)
- Texas Instruments (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

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- [290: Rule of Thumbs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-06-06-290-rule-of-thumbs) (Embedded.fm)
- [192: Button Connected To Nothing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-03-22-192-button-connected-to-nothing) (Embedded.fm)
- [53: Being a Grownup Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-05-28-53-being-a-grownup-engineer) (Embedded.fm)
- [T-26-012 : Founders From The Show Floor - CES 2026](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026) (TRADEOFFS)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-13-design-reviews-are-important-habitual-hype-hebetude. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.