One of Portland’s biggest problems in terms of knowledge sharing is that whole “West Hills Tunnel Problem.” In a nutshell, that’s the issue where people from Portland don’t collaborate with folks in the suburbs as much as they could. And vice versa. That’s why I’m always happy to see new events that help bridge that divide. Like the new Nike Tech Talks series.
The next talk takes place the afternoon of March 18 out on the Nike campus. There will be two talks, “The Insecurity of Things”…
There is a latent distrust of the growing “Internet Of Things” market. The data collected by them is becoming more personal all while proliferation of internet connected devices is continuing without regard to privacy or security. Recent news stories has consumers concerned not only with privacy but also surveillance and data handling. There is no trusted third party “consumer advocacy” for privacy. To compound the problem, “IoT” and internet connected consumer devices are each made from custom hardware and software. This lack of homogeneity in design makes traditional software based security (like “anti virus”) virtually impossible. These devices and apps are literally “black boxes” that we entrust our privacy to.
… and “Hardware for All”
The proliferation of electronic modules, development tools, and do-it-yourself communities has led to a world where the creation of hardware projects is accessible to people of all skill levels. With dedication and a willingness to learn, explore, experiment, fail, and succeed, one can build just about anything that comes to mind. In an attempt to inspire new and existing electronics enthusiasts, Joe will detail a few of his hardware-based projects, including interactive artwork, a tool for hacking embedded systems, and giant, ridiculous contraptions made for television.
For more information or to RSVP, please see Nike Tech Talks.
