Noah Leon made a film: Love Notes to Newton . It features the people who love and the people who built the Apple Newton . We spoke with him about the Newton and about filmmaking. Noah runs Moosefuel Media . He wanted to mention Frank Orlando of OrlandoMedia , the art designer for the film and promotional material. Profits from Love Notes to Newton go to Be The Match , a registry of bone marrow donors. You can sign up for the Newton mailing list at NewtonTalk.net . The book about the Newton devel...
Sep 28, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 262
Helen Leigh ( @helenleigh ) is an author, education writer and maker. She spoke with us about making learning fun (and subversive). Her latest book is The Crafty Kid's Guide to DIY Electronics , out in November 2018. The instrument gloves were the mi.mu ( full version ) and the mini.mu DIY kit (coming soon to Pimoroni and Adafruit ). The mini.mu uses the BBC Micro:bit . Helen worked on earlier books including Mission Explore from the Geography Collective. These are out of print but still obtaina...
Sep 21, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 261
Christopher ( @stoneymonster ) and Elecia ( @logicalelegance ) talks about vacations for learning and hobbies then answered listener questions. Chris’ toys include the Prusa I3 Mk3 and the UAD Arrow . Elecia likes Camille Fournier’s book, The Manager’s Path . She also got to plug her own book, Making Embedded Systems: Design Patterns for Great Software . Pacific spiny lumpsucker ( Eumicrotremus orbis ) at the Seymour Science Center...
Sep 14, 2018•56 min•Ep. 260
Brandon Wilson ( @brandonlwilson ) shared his stories about hacking TI calculators (and other things). TICalc.org has the latest on getting started yourself including Z80 assemblers, or start on Brandon’s website: brandonw.net Bradon will be speaking at Hardwear.io , a security conference for the hardware and security community. The conference consists of training (11th - 12th Sept 2018) and conference (13th - 14th Sept 2018). It is in The Hague, Netherlands. His talk is The Race to Secure Texas...
Sep 07, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 259
We spoke with Axel Poschmann of DarkMatter LLC ( @GuardedbyGenius ) about embedded security. For a great in-depth introduction, Axel suggested Christof Paar’s Introduction to Cryptography class , available on YouTube. We also talked about ENISA’s Hardware Threat Landscape and Good Practices Guide . Axel will be speaking at Hardwear.io , a security conference for the hardware and security community. The conference consists of training (11th - 12th Sept 2018) and conference (13th - 14th Sept 2018)...
Aug 30, 2018•59 min•Ep. 258
Derek Fronek spoke with us about FIRST robotics. His TechHOUNDS ( @TechHOUNDS868 ) team is based in Carmel, Indiana. They won the state competition and placed 5th in the high school FRC championship. Derek mentioned the roboRIO controller board , TalonSRX speed controller , and the Spark motor controller . Many of these offer deep discounts to FIRST robotics participants. Check out FirstInspires.org to find a team near you. The game comes out in January but many teams start forming in September....
Aug 24, 2018•58 min•Ep. 257
Chris ( @stoneymonster ) and Elecia ( @logicalelegance ) celebrate the 256th episode with a confusing lack of cupcakes. IAmTheCalvary.org has an excellent Hippocratic Oath for Connected Medical Devices Make Magazine has some tips to tighten security on DIY IoT Projects . Rockstar Language Specification (and FizzBuzz example) The C++ episode discussed was #247 with Jason Turner . Topics and Times: 00:00 Zero 00:27 Intro and cupcakes 03:09 Patreon and Slack 04:24 Transcripts, chapter markers? 07:4...
Aug 16, 2018•57 min•Ep. 256
Ariel Waldman ( @arielwaldman ) spoke with us about how science, art, and all of the other disciplines can build a better world. Ariel does many amazing things, it is hard to list them all. Homepage: arielwaldman.com YouTube: arielwaldman Science Hack Day: sciencehackday.org and Twitter @ScienceHackDay Space Hack directory of ways to get involved: spacehack.org Patreon page: arielwaldman Book: What's It Like in Space?: Stories from Astronauts Who've Been There NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts c...
Aug 09, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 255
Gabriel Jacobo ( @gabrieljacobo ) spoke with us about embedded graphics, contributing to the Linux SDL, using MQTT, and working far from his employers. Gabriel’s blog and resume are available on his site mdqinc.com . His github repo is under gabomdq . SDL is Simple DirectMedia Layer ( wiki ). It is not so simple. For MQTT-based home automation, he uses the Raspberry Pi Home Assistant build and many Node MCUs (ESP8266s running Lua, Micropython, or Arduino Framework)....
Aug 03, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 254
Micah Elizabeth Scott ( @scanlime ) came to talk about Fadecandy , a really neat way to control smart LEDs ( NeoPixel , AdaFruit's term for the WS2812). The conversation ranged from beautiful LED control algorithms and open source embedded projects to triangle tessellations , art, and identity. AdaFruit has a great intro to Fadecandy . Fadecandy is open source hardware and software, see the repository . Micah's blog is a combo of art and technology. Burning Man's Ardent Mobile Cloud (also a love...
Jul 27, 2018•57 min•Ep. 41
Jen Costillo ( @rebelbotjen ) joins Elecia White to discuss the secret parts of C, keywords that only embedded software engineers seem to know about. Jen and Elecia talk about interviewing and why these keywords make good questions for finding folks who use the language to its full potential. On the show they mention a list of embedded interview questions with answers . (Note: Elecia's book has many excellent interview questions and what interviewers look for when they ask them.) Producer Christ...
Jul 20, 2018•58 min•Ep. 10
We spoke with Kathleen Tuite ( @kaflurbaleen ) about augmented reality, computer vision, games with a purpose, and meetups. Kathleen’s personal site (filled with many interesting projects we didn’t talk about) is SuperFireTruck.com . Kathleen works for GrokStyle , a company that lets you find furniture you like based on what you see. GrokStyle is used in the Augmented Reality try-it-at-home IKEA Place app . Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience b...
Jul 13, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 253
Katie Malone ( @multiarmbandit ) works in data science, has podcast about machine learning, and has a Phd in Physics. We mostly talked about machine learning, ways to kill people, mathematics, and impostor syndrome. Katie is the host of the Linear Digressions podcast ( @LinDigressions ). She recommended the Linear Digressions interview with Matt Might as something Embedded listeners might enjoy. Katie and Ben also recently did a show about git . Katie taught Udacity’s Intro to Machine Learning c...
Jul 05, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 252
This week, we spoke with Addie ( @atdiy ) and Whisker ( @whixr ), the Toymakers ( @Tymkrs ). Their latest CypherCon badges included a complete phone system. For more information, check out the user documentation at hackthebadge.com or the related Reddit post . There is a video of Joe Grand’s 2018 CypherCon talk if you’d like to watch him talk about his juvenile delinquency. In our last episode with Addie and Whisker ( #205 ), we talked about the CypherCon 2017 badges and their Tindie store . Tin...
Jun 29, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 251
Finally! An episode with version control! And D&D! Chris Svec ( @christophersvec ) joins us to discuss why version control is critical to professional software development and what the most important concepts are. T-Shirts are on sale for a limited time: US distributor and EU distributor . You can read more from Chris on the Embedded Blog . He writes the ESE101 column (new posts soon!). If you are new to version control or learning git, Atlassian has a great set of posts and tutorials from high ...
Jun 22, 2018•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 250
Claire Rowland ( @clurr ) joined to discuss creating good user experiences for the Internet of Things. Claire is the lead author of Designing Connected Products: UX for the Consumer Internet of Things . You can find more about her on clairerowland.com , from her talks (including Interusability: UX for Connected Products ), her book's website , and her guest appearance on the IoT Podcast ( episode 21 ). Her new report about user experience and the IoT will be on Iotuk.org.uk in June of 2018. Elec...
Jun 15, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 249
Chris ( @stoneymonster ) and Elecia ( @logicalelegance ) answer listener emails. We did a show with Dennis Jackson about transitioning from software to embedded: 211: 4 Weeks, 3 Days Chibios RTOS : MyNewt or Zephyr may be more worth your time. Software tool: Beyond Compare for excellent differencing, including folder level Other people answer STEAM vs STEM (in about the same way we did). C++ standards for safety: NASA , ESA , JSF-AV rules , and Jason Turner’s C++ best practices . Elecia played w...
Jun 08, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 248
Jason Turner ( @lefticus ) of the CPPCast ( @cppcast ) spoke with us about modern C++ in embedded systems. Jason’s articles can be found on EmptyCrate.com . You can also contact him there and find out more about his training sessions. Jason’s video channel is on C++ Weekly and includes an ARM emulator written in C++, running on Compiler Explorer . Jason often uses Compiler Explorer by Matt Godbolt ( Embedded #190: Trust Me, I’m Right ). Jason’s C++ Best Practices Guide on Github . Listen to CPPC...
Jun 01, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 247
Alvaro Prieto ( @alvaro prieto ) spoke with us about laser turrets, tearing down quadcopters, flux capacitors, the moon, and culture at work. Alvaro's blog Alvaro's github repositories including Proto-X quadcopter information , Silta bus monitoring , and Skype video message exporter for OSX . One of the inspirations for taking apart the Proto-X was watching Micah talk about her Coastermelt project. We talked to her about it on episode 101: Taking Apart the Toaster . One of his reasons for going ...
May 25, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 130
We spoke with Dr. Bennie Lewis ( @_benjoe02 ) about machine learning and robotics. Bennie is a Senior Research Scientist at Lockheed Martin, content creator, and Twitch streamer ( benjoe02 ) NVIDIA Jetson platform and Cuda for deep learning LEGO Mindstorms SAMS C++ in One Hour a Day by Siddhartha Rao...
May 18, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 246
Stephen Kraig ( @Macro_Ninjaneer ) and Parker Dillmann ( @LnghrnEngineer ), of Macrofab ( @MacroFab ) joined us to chat about getting hardware and software to work together. Stephen and Parker are also hosts of the Macrofab podcast . We compared out-the-ordinary podcast guests. For MacroFab episode 112 it was their conversation with a patent lawyer. For Embedded episode 150 it was our conversation with a tax accountant. Schematics for the Apollo Guidance Computer (and their Kicad replica on gith...
May 10, 2018•2 hr 32 min•Ep. 245
Kristina Durivage ( @gelicia ) described her path getting into making and hardware hacking as a complement to her day job working in front-end software. Kristina’s portfolio.gelicia.com includes write-ups on her projects ( TweetSkirt , Kitchen Playset Game ) as well as links to her talks. Or you can skip to her github.com/gelicia repository. Kristina has a chapter in the 10 LED Projects for Geeks book coming out from NoStarch Press. Thank you to Patreon Embedded supporters for Kristina’s mic! El...
May 04, 2018•57 min•Ep. 244
We spoke with Michael Barr ( @embeddedbarr ) about the Barr Group embedded systems survey. You can download the 2018 survey at the Barr Group survey page . The Barr Group Embedded C Coding Standard is also free to download (with registration). You can buy a paper copy on Amazon . Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++ 1st Edition by Michael Barr, also available for free in HTML on the Barr Group site . The second edition is Programming Embedded Systems: With C and GNU Development Tools, 2nd E...
Apr 27, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 243
Christine Sunu ( @christinesunu ) spoke with us about the feelings we get from robots. For more information about emotive design, check out Christine’s website: christinesunu.com . From there you can find hackpretty.com , some of her talks (including the TED talk with the Fur Worm ), and links to her projects (such as Starfish Cat and a Cartoon Guide to the Internet of Things ). You can find more of her writing and videos on BuzzFeed and The Verge . You can also hire her product development comp...
Apr 20, 2018•57 min•Ep. 242
Andrei Chichak and Alvaro Prieto ( @alvaroprieto ) join us to talk about bits and how to manipulate them. Alvaro is host of the Unnamed Reverse Engineering podcast. His other Embedded appearances are 130 , 200 , and 215 . Andrei (“Andrei from the Great White North”) works at CBF Systems . His other Embedded appearances are 99 , 114 , 139 , and 200 . Andrei wrote about bit manipulation as part of Embedded Wednesdays on Embedded.fm: Logic in C, part II . Andrei recommends using ISO646.h to reduce ...
Apr 13, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 241
Jasmine Brackett ( @asiwatch ) spoke with us about @Tindie ’s electronics marketplace, this year’s Hackaday Prize , and tips for wearable electronics. If you want to buy on Tindie, check out their homepage tindie.com . If you want to sell, that is straightforward too: tindie.com/about/sell . There is an Embedded contest for the Tindie Blinky LED badge , a nifty little learn to solder kit. Contest ends April 20, 2018 (midnight UTC). You are to send a number to us using the contact link. Closest o...
Apr 06, 2018•59 min•Ep. 240
What do you do after space debris, hacking dinosaurs, and judging robots? If you are Dr. Lucy Rogers ( @DrLucyRogers ), you build an organization devoted to promoting the Making industry: Guild of Makers ( @GuildOfMakers ) Lucy’s personal site is lucyrogers.com . She wrote the book It’s ONLY Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English . Guild of Maker’s Twitter hack chats are weekly on Tuesdays at 8pm UTC. They use the tag #MakersHour . Lucy programs in Node-RED , a visual language....
Mar 29, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 239
Dan Saks answers many questions about C++ in embedded systems: where it works, where it doesn't, and a path to getting started. Dan Saks is the founder and president of Saks & Associates. He was a columnist for The C/C++ Users Journal, Embedded Systems Design and several other publications. He also served as secretary of the ANSI and ISO C++ standards committee in its early years. We touched on some of his articles: Poor reasons for rejecting C++ Preventing dynamic allocation C alling constructo...
Mar 22, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 137
Chris and Elecia answered some listener questions about dynamic memory and shared code. Then Elecia gave a presentation about ShotSpotter , the gunshot location system she worked on. Elecia enjoyed The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies by Jason Fagone. Ben is the editor of HackSpace , a new magazine about making (and hacking). It's produced by Raspberry Pi, but it's technologically agnostic. The first issue is free onli...
Mar 15, 2018•55 min•Ep. 238
Jan Jongboom ( @janjongboom ) of Mbed ( @ArmMbed ) joined us to talk about compilers, online hardware simulators, and inference on embedded devices. Find out more about Mbed on mbed.com . The board simulator is at labs.mbed.com (Mbed OS Simulator). The code for the simulator is on Jan’s Github . Mbed Labs also has the uTensor inference framework for using TensorFlow models on devices. You can see some of Jan’s talks and his blog on janjongboom.com . Jan will be running a workshop at SxSW called ...
Mar 09, 2018•48 min•Ep. 237
