F. Scott Fitzgerald once said “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
So it bodes well that I find myself entirely convinced that both Atoms are the New Bits, andBits are the New Atoms.
“Atoms are the New Bits” = My thesis on how the Maker Movement is applying the Web’s innovation model to the physical world, making specialized hardware the new hotspot of disruptive innovation (http://bit.ly/sPdLhE)
“Bits are the New Atoms” = Marc Andreessen’s “Software Eats the World” thesis on how specialized hardware devices are being turned into just another iPhone app, making software the new hotspot of disruptive innovation. (http://on.wsj.com/pC7IrX)
Both seem indisputable true. Perhaps it is just the hyperbolic and absolutist framing (guilty as charged!) that places them in diametric opposition. In truth, the first refers to applying the innovation model of software to hardware, while the second refers to the actual replacement of hardware by software.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New Python Releases, an ESP32+MicroPython IDE and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
According to Quantum Physics they can both be right at the same time. Depending on how you look at it.