Embedded

Joel Sherrill (@JoelSherrill) spoke with us about real time operating systems, free and open source software, interns, and space.

James @Laen Neal from OSHPark spoke with us about starting a business, helping open source hardware, and throwing wild parties. OSHPark got its start from DorkbotPDX. If you are in Portland, Oregon, check out the Monday Makers meetup. Open Source Hardware Association (OSHA) PCB Design School blog Bay Area Maker Faire 2015 is May 16-17, Bring a Hack dinner is usually Sunday. This time we really did talk about the Maker Pro book.

Sophi Kravitz, electrical engineer and Hackaday Mythical Creature, came on to leak the new Hackaday Prize details! On twitter, she's @SophiKravitz and often has the reins of @HackadayPrize. Sophi mentioned Matt Berggren's PCB workshop (oh! and a Solid talk too!). All three of us have been trying to make time for Contextual Electronics (now with fewer time constraints!). Hackaday Omnibus HardwareCon (startup conference in San Leandro, CA) Giant Flip-Dot Display at CES Soft Robotics Kit (and contest) The balloon project is going to FITC. You can hear the soothing sounds here. Sophi rejoins us after being on Episode 77: Goldfish, Fetch My Slippers. Also, we forgot to discuss it but Sophi was an author in the Maker Pro book, full of neat essays.

ThingM's Tod Kurt (@todbot) joined us to talk about the most important part of every embedded system: blinking lights. ThingM has been making I2C lights (BlinkM, MinM and MaxM) since 2006. The newer, more productized USB light is the Blink(1) (there is a coupon near the end of the show). Blink(1) had two successful kickstarters (second one). The BlinkMs have an ATTiny85 (which is also on the Adafruit Trinket). The Blink(1)s have a PIC processor that is small, cheap, and supports USB quite well (PIC16F1455-I/ML and dev kit). Other smart LEDs include WS28xx (aka NeoPixel) and APA102 (aka DotStar) Seeed Studio was discussed as a way to get boards built, assembled, even housed. Elecia mentioned Tindie's new CM review site. Tod is cofounder of Crash Space (@CrashSpaceLA), a Los Angeles based hackspace. They (including Tod) were on the short-lived Mythbusters-hosted Rube Goldberg devices show called Unchained Reaction. Tod has worked on some neat art projects, including the Crystal Monster and the Cash Machine. Tod's blog. Speaking of blogs, Chris and Elecia are going to start writing after (podcast) action reports for Element 14. More announcements (and actual links) soon. Don't forget the Chris Savage (Parallax) call for assistance!

Chris Savage (@SavageCircuits) talks about building a community and about stopping projects when life intrudes.

Same day PCBs?!? Danielle Applestone (@dapplestone) chatted with Chris and Elecia about desktop CNC milling using @OtherMachine's OtherMill. OtherMill links: features tools and materials (neat!) store (kits!) instructables (chocolate spaceships!) kickstarter page miniature mocha pot brass, err.. aluminum turbine (also: what Elecia heard) stories of people using OtherMill Synthetos TinyG controller (also see the Make write up about TinyG) BANT (budget, authority, need, timing): more info

Chip Gracey spoke with us about founding @ParallaxInc, chip design, and the Propeller with its many cores. Parallax Some notes on open sourcing the Propeller Propeller One Verilog forum Propeller products Elecia has a very old Propeller Starter kit but is tempted to get the PropStick USB. Many years ago, Chris got a Basic Stamp 2 module (like this one) to control a camera in his RC airplane

Erin McKean (@emckean) is a lexicographer, programmer, and start-up founder. We spoke to her about Wordnik (the online uber dictionary), Reverb (smarter recommendations), and her many books. Wordnik: Adopt-a-word Developer Erin's favorite list Reverb Erin has written many books, some about words, one about dresses (The Hundred Dresses), and one fiction novel about The Secret Lives of Dresses. She has also given two TED talks. Watson on Jeopardy Brian Garner talks about skunked words in his book Modern American Usage Five Intriguing Things via Tiny Letter Elecia's Wordy project if fully documented over on Hackaday Reaction Housing is hiring!

Scott Miller built a hula hoop with Bluetooth, an inertial measurement unit, a 32-bit processor, an 8-bit processor, and a slew of individually addressable LEDs. It makes wild patterns when you move. Scott's "normal" company, with all of its ham radio equipment, is Argent Data Systems. The hula hoops are Hyperion Hoops. You can buy a hoop. They are also on Facebook or you can watch the mesmerizing lightshow on YouTube (also here and here). Yes, the hula hoop does speak DMX512, doesn't everybody?

The founders of Bluestamp Engineering spoke with us about running a hands-on summer engineering program for high school students (while keeping their day jobs). Bluestamp website, Twitter (@BlueStampEng), YouTube channel full of student projects and Facebook page. Dave Young (@daveyoungEE) is also the principal engineer at Young Circuit Design. Robin Mansukhani is also CEO of Alzeca. Robin also gave a TED talk about learning by doing.