Agilent, Analog, Cold Fusion - Funding Fusion Is Not Futile

[display_podcast]

• WOTW
  • Kibi (a WOTW alum!) send in pictures of a past bench! And a past beefy power amplifier!
  • Jeremy Blum (@sciguy14) submitted pictures of his work workbench on his personal site! Great toaster SMT reflow!
  • Not submitted, but Steve Liebson did a video interview with Jim Williams and we get to see Jim's lab.

• Events
  • Analog aficionados meeting out in Silicon Valley. Sounds awesome!
• Rant
  • TI is SO thoughtful to let us upload videos for them to keep! Wow, thanks guys!
• Discussion Points
  • Dave did a review of the new Agilent Scope! Great teardown!
  • Agilent moving manufacturing for low end back into the US. Is this a new trend?
  • Karl's documentary still isn't done, but will be an interesting look into local electronics manufacturing in Australia.
  • Science funding is under threat in the US, but Obama is pushing for more funding in next year's budget.
  • Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains why science funding is important regardless.
  • New wireless system for cell phones called "LightRadio" could get rid of towers.
  • Dave turned down his wireless router, but does he have ElectroMagnetic sensitivity?
  • Cold fusion is back in the news. Dave thinks it's viable in <20 years, based on a documentary he saw recently.
  • Microchip is selling already programmed parts under different part numbers. Cool idea!
  • At the recent SavageCircuits chat, EOD asked our opinion of the Parallax Propeller.
• WTF
  • DigiKey sent Dave a catalog?? And from Switzerland no less!
  Ferudun Yurdabak emailed Dave with a photo is his old 555 timer chip, the exact same batch as Dave's one - amazing coincidence after 34 years!

For reference, the WTF soundclip comes from here: End Of The World