Sha2017 - Entering the Hacker Zone

I was invited to be a part of a Hacker Camp called SHA2017 which happens only every 4 years in Holland. I was invited to be a part of the Belgium Embassy / Hardware Hacking area by Mitch Altman.  I met Mitch in his trip to Beijing setting up the iCenter hacker space at Tsinghua University and we got a fashion tech ardruino class going. 

Mitch invited me to come and teach about etextiles and do workshops with the #LEDRibbon. He said that I should branch out into the maker scène. Indeed, it was the best experience ever and I met a community of people really open and highly intelligent! I could talk to anyone about technology.

The thing I also really enjoyed is how very experienced engineers also took the time in their day to come to my workshop to pimp their tshirt, and also see what I was doing and offer more advice, help, and teach me. I got real knowledge and I got solid foundation in some key areas such as PCB design.

I can't say the camping part was successful, as I got hypothermia on the first day and suffered from a terrible cold for the full 5 days, but the knowledge and exchange with people was with the suffering.

 Everywhere I went people I met enjoyed my perspective on security, fashion, and technology. We brainstormed about how to create encrypted jewelry, secure communications, and my most recent topic: hacking cars.

on the flash talks my friend encouraged me to get up on stage and give a speech about fashion tech. 

You can watch my flas talk here but bear in mind it was on a camping and I was really sick! FAs Forward the video to -13:45 sec Watch here.

 

Underweight Models Banned from Madrid's Runways

Casting agents for Madrid's Fashion Week are forced to chose models that are of healthy weight as determined by Body-Mass Index (BMI) calculations preformed by on-site medics.  We may see similar restrictions in Milan as well.  Advocate groups for people with eating-disorders have expressed support for this.

Excerpt from CNN article:
The Madrid show is using the body mass index or BMI -- based on weight and height -- to measure models. It has turned away 30 percent of women who took part in the previous event. Medics will be on hand at the Sept. 18-22 show to check models.
"The restrictions could be quite a shock to the fashion world at the beginning, but I'm sure it's important as far as health is concerned," said Leonor Perez Pita, director of Madrid's show, also known as the Pasarela Cibeles.

Link

Lifeblogging: c0nn0r

In this Lifeblog post I do a bit of on-the-fly brainstorming/dreaming (I think they are the same thing) about a new type of electronic makeup - personal/portable spotlights - paint your face with light!

Also I wonder out loud about my choice to wear earrings (simple and small stainless steel bars).  Yesterday I was told by a superior that they were inappropriate - esentially he said they were "OK for the dancefloor".  huh?  I feel that his actions were boarderline harrassment, it really made me feel bad.  Anyways... there are tones of people at the Media Lab who wear earrings!