A literal trainwreck

The Amp Hour · 7 Feb 2022 · 1h 06m · Episode 576

What this episode covers

Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss a viral video of a train derailment in Kansas City, using it to explore the hobbyist electronics involved in model railroading and large-scale control systems. They analyze Intel's announcement of a $20-100 billion semiconductor fabrication plant in Ohio, debating the necessity of government subsidies, the challenge of sourcing talent, and the geopolitical implications of domestic chip manufacturing. The hosts also critique the business models of failing IoT networks like Sigfox and Helium, arguing that asset tracking lacks a viable consumer use case compared to existing cellular solutions, while dismissing a crowdfunding campaign for a water-from-air device as redundant given existing infrastructure.

Mentioned

Companies
Intel, Sigfox, Helium, STMicroelectronics
Products
Cara Pure, Amazon Sidewalk, Apple AirTag
Chips
STM32

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