On the Weekly Briefing podcast: The metaverse doesn’t exist. But what technologies are being pursued now that will get us to the metaverse? A conversation with CapGemini Engineering CSO Jiani Zhang about virtual reality, tactile suits, digital twins, and the big hairy problem everybody is avoiding talking about: the metaverse’s data challenge.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: In 1967, three NASA astronauts were testing in preparation for the launch of Apollo 1. As they sat on the launch pad, a fire was sparked in their command module. None of them survived, despite some extraordinary efforts of those outside on the launch pad. Among them, there is one man still living, and he recently related, for the very first time, his experiences of that tragic day. Our guest this week is Matthew Beddingfield, grandson of James Gleaves, who helped try to save the Apollo 1 astronauts all those years ago.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: We talk with Renesas EVP Sailesh Chittipeddi about the distinct requirements of industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications, and about new technologies that are enabling end-users to push the edge of the IIoT further and further out. Also, the biggest beneficiaries of recent maneuvers by Intel and Nvidia are probably advocates of the RISC-V architecture – a conversation with Keven Krewell and Steve Leibson of Tirias Research. This episode sponsored by Renesas.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: Our guest this week is Matt Gutierrez of Synopsys. We’ve heard about how the Internet of things is pulling computing from centralized processing centers (notably data centers) into ever more physically remote locales — in other words, the IoT is pushing the network edge farther and farther out. But how is that actually accomplished? A big part of the answer is: with artificial intelligence. This episode sponsored by Synopsys.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: Last summer the US Senate passed the CHIPS Act. The House just passed its own bill. Now what? Well, there’s plenty more that has to be done, and doing it doesn’t look like it’s going to be easy. This week, where we are with the political effort to revive US domestic semiconductor capabilities. With EE Times editor George Leopold.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: Contract manufacturers are uniquely positioned to evaluate the condition of an entire supply chain, from parts manufacturers to end customers. This week our guest is Derek Kane, vice president of KMC Systems, which plays an important role in supporting the medical electronics industry.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: Military contractors have been bedeviled by counterfeit ICs for decades, but with supply chains in shambles and so many parts in short supply, the problem is becoming endemic. What is a “counterfeit” IC, how big is the problem, and how can companies guard against being bamboozled? With cybersecurity expert Domenic Forte of the University of Florida and Barb Jorgensen, editor of EPS News.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: CES always provides an abundance of new this, that, and whatever. This week: the latest innovations in gaming systems and advancements in automated everything. With Jim McGregor of Tirias Research.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: Automotive companies are now headliners at CES. They usually use the platform to talk about what’s coming soon, and this year it was no different. We hear from car companies and their suppliers on what to expect from our cars in the near future.

On the Weekly Briefing podcast: In this rebroadcast of a Weekly Briefing podcast from earlier in 2021, we revisit the quantum realm of consciousness with Federico Faggin, principal designer of the world’s first microprocessor.