Everyone is an Inventor

Bin Feng, the co-founder and CEO of Microduino, will talk about lowering the barrier of entry and inspiring creativity for STEAM education.

"I was monitoring a server room's temperature, but getting tired of going to the room every, single, time. I used Arduino to create a device that would do the job for me. However, it involved messy wiring, dangerous soldering, and complicated coding. And so an idea was born. I wanted to create something that anyone could use to imagine a product and immediately just build it. The very first set of Microduino modules was designed to lower the barriers to creativity for everyone. We're giving people the freedom to give shape to their ideas."

The company creates the world's smallest Arduino-compatible smart modules. These modules are flexible, stackable and powerful, and can be used to create a limitless amount of DIY projects for all ages.

To date, Bin has raised over $500,000 across four Microduino crowdfunding projects and built up Microduino's community from 0 to 1,000,000+ members and students. Bin is dedicated to making Microduino a significant international success by creating an educational platform that fits seamlessly into the global STEM/STEAM education discipline.

Bio:

Bin Feng is the Co-Founder and CEO of Microduino, an international company of makers and creators aimed at bringing easy-to- use electronics hardware to makers, designers, engineers, students and curious tinkerers of all ages and levels. Microduino presents the world's smallest series of Arduino-compatible smart modules that are small, flexible, stackable and powerful, and can be used to create a limitless amount of DIY projects.

With over 15 years' experience in technology and business, Bin has a passion for Microduino and is highly motivated to make the Microduino a huge success.

Bin holds Bachelor's degree in Electronics Materials from Fudan Univ. , and Master's degree in ECE from UCSD. His graduate research was in semiconductor device design, fabrication, and characterization.

Bin resides in Los Angeles, California.

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SGVHAK & Repair Cafe & JPL Open Source Rover @ DTLA Mini Maker Faire

SGVHAK, Repair Cafe, and the JPL Open Source Rover will have collocated booths at the DTLA Mini Maker Faire. We will be located on the lawn of Maguire Garden close to library entrance.

It is shaping to be a huge event with nearly a hundred makers--many of them from the San Gabriel Valley--who will be exhibiting, doing workshops, giving talks, and even performing. There will be exhibits inside the beautiful Central Library and outside in Maguire Garden.

https://dtla.makerfaire.com/

https://dtla.makerfaire.com/schedule/

Please RSVP on Eventbrite for free tickets, whether you're coming as an attendee or to help us at our booth. They had a group registration option, so I made an SGVHAK group.

https://dtlamakerfaire2018-register.eventbrite.com?team_token=2211552-2q28o

What to expect:

JPL Open Source Rover booth will feature

  • SGVHAK Rover
  • JPL Open Source Rover
  • Santa Susana HS rover
  • Roger Cheng's Sawppy.

Additionally, there will be talks on the JPL Open Source Rover and Sawppy from 2:30 to 3:30pm at the KLOS's Children's Theater (Children's Literature, 2nd floor) .

Also, JPL will have STEM activities and swag, and IPAC has a 4-minute Trappist-1 VR experience on the Oculus Rift. There will be a demonstration of the science behind the OCO-2 mission.

SGVHAK and Repair Cafe hands-on activities

  • hard drive disassembly with platters repurposed for art projects or Christmas ornaments
  • paper circuits with copper tape and LEDs

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Javascript Sucks and So Do You

Join us for a humorous conversation about JavaScript sins and how to write better code. If you enjoy these types of talks, please see Michael and Carlos afterwards about more meetups on good software design.

TOPIC

JavaScript, like all computer languages, has its flaws. It at times subtly encourages programmers to commit unabsolvable crimes against the computing world. It drags new programmers into the abyss of bad practice with the madness of Lisp and the folly of QuickBasic. Together we shall journey into the darkness surrounding JavaScript and shine our light into it.

Attendees should expect to learn a bit about the downside to JavaScript and some of the bad practices that arise. We will then improve our JavaScript code by establishing good patterns using modern JavaScript and an understanding of software design principles. If nothing else attendees shall be thoroughly entertained, and all will rag on JavaScript just a wee bit.

BIO

Michael Starch in an Engineer. He has used JavaScript professionally for many years, and has committed every sin in JavaScript's tomb of Evil. He has often searched for order amongst the chaotic statements of JavaScript, and brings his methods for your consideration. He is by no means an authority on JavaScript, but he will step up and speak with authority anyway. You shall be entertained.

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SGVTech Open House - Connect Week 2018

Please join us at our Open House and find out more about our individual groups, our regular meetings and upcoming projects. This is part of Connect Week Oct 20-28.

SPONSORS

Pizza is sponsored by Goldstar. Drinks and venue provided by Corporate Center Pasadena.

WHAT TO EXPECT

This is your chance to satisfy your curiosity about all our Meetups.

It's also a great opportunity to:

  • Learn more about the Southern California Linux Expo -- participate, volunteer, speak. Reminder that the Call for Papers ends Oct 31st!

  • Learn more about the SCALE A/V team and check out our custom computers. We are recruiting.

  • Get a demo of the recently upgraded SGVHAK rover.

  • Get free t-shirts from previous SCALEs

ABOUT SGVTech

We are an umbrella Meetup group that includes:

You can join us on Slack using this invitation: https://bit.ly/sgvtech_slack

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How to Bring a Project to Open Source

Join us for a stimulating discussion on what it means to be open source.

TOPIC

"My code is available online on github.com so it's open source".

Is that really true ?

This talk aims to cover what does it mean to be truly open source, including topics like:

  • Motivations to go open source
  • What, why, how and when to be open source
  • Building and sustaining a community

BIO

Sujen, an open source enthusiast, got involved with contributing to open source projects while pursuing his masters at USC and currently works at JPL.

He is a member of the Apache Software Organization and in the Project Management Committee (PMC) of Apache Nutch and Apache OODT projects.

Over the past couple of years he has been involved with contributing towards open source efforts within JPL and projects at DARPA.

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Using Linux While Blind

Meet us for dinner and a presentation, with dinner beginning at 7pm and presentations starting around 7:45 to 8pm.

Chime Hart will present on using Linux while blind:

I want to explain a 25-year journey of using computers while blind. In reality, a better way of understanding would be just navigating with only keyboard-and-speech for an hour or more.

I will go over the challenges and the many joys along the way - from discovering DOS, being dragged through windows, and finally 15 years as a Linux user.

I look forward to any questions along the way

-- Chime worked 35 years at GTE/Verizon, originally helping them with inconsistencies in dialing related with translations. He is an 'extreme news-junkie', and enjoys diverse types of music. Earlier he did some College Radio in New Jersey and Boston. Radio has always been in his blood, especially formatics and many jingles.

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