Amelia's Weekly Fish Fry

Software Cat and Mouse

So you’ve built yourself some lovely software. You've shined and polished the corners, field tested it, and even gotten the approval of the VCs on high. But what if, the whole time, there was a tiny hole in your code? And because of that tiny hole, the bad guys were able to waltz right in and are now using your software all willy-nilly-like without paying. Well folks, this is happening a lot more than we know. Or, maybe we do know about it but we just don’t want to talk about it. This week we’re pulling back the curtain on software piracy, IP thievery, and unlicensed software usage with Ted Miracco from SmartFlow Compliance Solutions. Ted and I discuss where the biggest piracy threats are coming from these days and how companies big and small can protect themselves from those sneaky, scurvy-ridden cyber pirates.

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Links for September 30, 2016

More information about SmartFlow Compliance Solutions

New Episode of Chalk Talk: Targeting SDR Design to Hardware

The Core of Innovation

The journey is not an easy one. Most engineers can't even see the finish line, let alone complete the race. The future of our industry hangs in balance and this is a competition that must be won - one way or another. In this week's fish fry, we investigate the perilous path to new material discovery with Chris Kramer of Intermolecular. Chris and I discuss the materials discovery process, the subtle interaction between process tools and new materials, and the challenges and opportunities new materials can bring. Also this week, we take a closer look at a new type of 3D printed material developed at the Hasso-Plattner-Institute in Potsdam, Germany that can make simple machines out of 3D printed plastic.

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Links for September 23, 2016

More information about Intermolecular

More information about Metamaterials (Video)

Metamaterial Mechanisms (Whitepaper)

The Only Dot You Will Ever Need

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a Kickstarter campaign! In this week's episode of Fish Fry, we start things off with UC Berkley startup Iota Labs who gives us an up-close introduction to their new physical push notification system called Dot. Also this week, Mike Long from LCR embedded systems joins Fish Fry to discuss the newest advances, challenges, and advantages of using using fiber-optics in embedded designs. To finish things up (and in celebration of Star Trek’s recent 50th Anniversary), we inspect the new Star Trek TNG Bluetooth® ComBadge available for pre-order from ThinkGeek.

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Links for September 16, 2016

More information about Iota Labs

Video: Dot - The Physical Push Notification

Kickstarter -  Dot : The Physical Push Notification

More information about LCR Embedded Systems

Pre-order from ThinkGeek: Star Trek TNG Bluetooth® ComBadge

Robots A Go-Go!

Robotics is the name of the game in this week’s episode of Fish Fry. Allan Martinson (COO - Starship Technologies) introduces us to a new robotic delivery system coming to a city near you! Allan and I discuss the details of Starship’s autonomous 6-wheeled robotic vehicles, how embedded vision sets their autonomous vehicles apart from the rest of the robotic pack, and where he sees robotics headed in the next decade. Also this week, we check out a hydraulically-powered robot called PDAD (Power Driven Articulated Dummy) created for NASA in the early 1960s to test spacesuits. Looking for a curiosity for the office, or a date to your (not-so) favorite cousin’s wedding in a couple months? This robot and all of its (kinda creepy) glory can be yours in an upcoming auction in Cambridge, Mass.  

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Links for September 9, 2016

More information about Starship Technologies

More information about NASA's 1965 Space Suit Test Robot

The Sky is the Limit

In this week’s Fish Fry, we look to the skies for the next big thing in verification technology - formal verification. Dave Kelf from OneSpin joins us to discuss the past, present, and future of formal verification, what formal does that simulation does not, and details of OneSpin’s “Game of Drones” contest. Then, in keeping with our airborne theme, we take a closer look at a new drone called “Deep Purple” developed by the US Army's Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center - designed specifically to sniff out biological and chemical agents in the air.

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Links for September 2, 2016

More information about OneSpin Solutions

ECBC Tests Chemical, Biological Sensor Integration in Utah Desert

New Episode of Chalk Talk: Six Hidden Costs of Wireless SoC Design

SPICE SPICE Baby!

What do SPICE and a new material inspired by the skin of squid and jellyfish have in common? This week's episode of Fish Fry of course! First up,Zhihong Liu, Chairman and CEO of ProPlus Solutionsjoins us to discuss trends in the SPICE world, the challenges of displacing circuit-level FastSPICE simulators, and why he thinks table tennis is the best sport in the world. In the second half of our episode, we investigate a new type of material inspired by the reactionary skin of squid and jellyfish developed by a team of researchers at the University of Connecticut. This newly developed material may change how we interact with our cellphones, how we trade in our electronics, and how we send (secret) messages as well.

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Links for August 26, 2016

More information about ProPlus Solutions

Featured Article by Bryon Moyer: Spicing Up Spice - ProPlus Claims to Do Full SPICE Faster than Fast

This jellyfish-inspired material can conceal secret messages

Squid, jellyfish and wrinkled skin inspire materials for anti-glare screens and encryption

New Episode of Chalk Talk: Introducing Kinetis Motor Suite

It's All in the Sequence

Registers: It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it. In this week’s Fish Fry, we take a closer look at register behavior modification and sequence automation with Anupam Bakshi of Agnisys. Anupam and I also discuss design intent and the future of verification intent. Whether we like it or not, we all need a little help sometimes, right? In the second part of our EDA special, we welcome Bob Smith from the Electronic System Design Alliance. Bob and I discuss how the ESDA is helping facilitate IP fingerprinting and 3D system scaling, as well as bridging the gap between hardware and software in embedded system design.  

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Links for August 19, 2016

More information about Agnisys

More information about the Electronic System Design Alliance

New Episode of Chalk Talk: Addressing the Challenges of Serial Link Design and Analysis

Accuracy in Motion

We all want to trust that our wearable device is measuring our health and fitness accurately, but what does that truly mean? In this week’s Fish Fry, Dr. Steven LeBoeuf (President - Valencell) and I discuss the forces driving the wearable market today, what the future holds for wearable technology, and why he thinks inaccuracy and “death by discharge” are two of the biggest design challenges facing wearable technology designers today. Also this week, we check out how you can enter the MEMS & Sensors Technology Showcase at this year's MEMS Executive Congress and how Cadence Design Systems' new Virtuoso ADE Product Suite can address the different requirements and challenges for your team's analog design tools.

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Links for August 12, 2016

More information about Valencell

More information about the 2016 MEMS Executive Congress

Enter your design in the MEMS & Sensors Technology Showcase

New Episode of Chalk Talk: Introduction to the New Virtuoso ADE Product Suite

The Next Wave of Computerization

The air is a perfect 72 degrees. The water is calm for now, but breakers dot the horizon. The time for the next mondo wave isn't here now, but it will be soon. In this week's fish fry, we're surfing our way to the next big computational wave with a little help from David Dutton (CEO - Silvaco) and Lisa Minwell from eSilicon. David and I discuss why we will see a lot more design requirements coming out of middle nodes, why on-board power will be more important than ever before, and a little bit about why our design tools will be the key to our future success in IoT. In the second half of our episode, Lisa Minwell and I chat about the components of a successful IP company and where 2.5D (and 2.1D) designs will find their foothold in the future.   

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Links for August 5, 2016

More information about Silvaco

More information about eSilicon

The Need For Speed

It's pitch black. Green lights flash on the horizon. A steady hum pulsates through the alkaline air. Move carefully my friends, we’re in the center of the universe and it’s bound to get a little hot. This week’s Fish Fry is headed to the land where power reigns supreme and the lights are always on: data centers. Robert Blake (CEO - Achronix) joins Fish Fry to discuss the multi-layered relationship between field programmable gate array technology and data centers, what the new Achronix PCI accelerator card is all about, and a little bit about innovation in companies big and small. Then, keeping with our data center theme, we investigate how Google is using their DeepMind AI to keep their data centers cooler.

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Links for July 29, 2016

More information about Achronix

Feature Article by Kevin Morris: Achronix Accelerates Today’s Data Center - PCIe Board Brings Power-Efficient Networking Performance

Achronix Introduces the Highest FPGA Memory Bandwidth, PCIe Acceleration Board for Data Center Applications 

DeepMind AI Reduces Google Data Center Cooling Bill by 40%