Prop for Security Conference badge?
redheadedrod
Posts: 78
I just happened across the discussion of using the Propeller as the basis for a security conference badge and of course the mention of the badge for Defcon 20. We have a local security Conference to me every year and I asked them if they wanted a Defcon type badge and they mentioned they have been looking to add something like this.
They would have tried to have something this year but they were relying on a local "maker club" to build the units for them but it fell through.
I mentioned to the president of out local conference about these and if there was any interest.
I got the impression from the Defcon 20 related stuff that parallax was behind these.
It is too late for this year since the show is in 2 days but I wanted to see what it would take.
I believe they expect in the neighborhood of 1000 people at the conference each year. I personally don't have the time or experience to build something cool but they are definitely looking to do something cool.
I will get more information from them this week but is this something Parallax would do? I am sure they would love to provide a booth or make some arrangements.
Rodney
They would have tried to have something this year but they were relying on a local "maker club" to build the units for them but it fell through.
I mentioned to the president of out local conference about these and if there was any interest.
I got the impression from the Defcon 20 related stuff that parallax was behind these.
It is too late for this year since the show is in 2 days but I wanted to see what it would take.
I believe they expect in the neighborhood of 1000 people at the conference each year. I personally don't have the time or experience to build something cool but they are definitely looking to do something cool.
I will get more information from them this week but is this something Parallax would do? I am sure they would love to provide a booth or make some arrangements.
Rodney
Comments
In all seriousness, this is a path that I am travelling down currently. We should talk.
Others here can make suggestions and kick around ideas, but you need to contact a Parallax executive.
BTW, I suspect that delivery in 2 days would be a miracle unless you have a substantially completed design with all the components available and the deep pockets to pay someone's overtime.
Ken may have an alternative Parallax product in inventory.
Hey Rodney! Yes, we have several security badge projects - DEFCON 20 and Redver Davies' project on these forums. Sometimes we design and build the badges, other times we provide chips at our cost or for free. We're generous with these conferences yet try to be sensible as well about having some kind of marketing or financial return. Most important to the success is that we have a firm commitment from the event organizers. When we get into these projects we're in them to win! This is because there are many competing needs for Parallax's resources, like Propeller 2.
Inside Parallax we even have special people for handling these requests. Most notably Jessica and Emily, who have both designed and attended more than one DEFCON event. As our Director of Strategic Operations I'd probably connect you to Jessica once you know what you want to do. I assume your next effort would be for next year's conference. While that seems like a long time away this bit of planning is important. After taking Parallax through a 16,000-unit DEFCON build in five weeks I decided I'd never ask that of our company again. Planning is important with these badges.
As for off-the-shelf products, we're pretty limited with that short notice.
That, (says someone who has two of those badges) is absolutely breathtaking.
I
Can't
Imagine.
You have an amazing company there Ken with amazing people.
http://forums.parallax.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=89915&d=1329972260
It's a little power hungry because of the LCD. An OLED solution is better.
.
How much range did you get out of it may I ask? Did you drive it via the prop or use the custom irda silicon that they provide (at an extra cost)
I am sure they would be willing to work out something too. I know the guy that is the president of the conference and he is pretty cool.I will write more tomorrow after I chat with him about what they want to do.
I think he is already starting to plan for next year so it would be a good thing.
This is their 3rd year and he told me they seem to be getting about 100 more attendees each year and have nearly 1000 attendees this year. They do them in September and he will be taking a break after the show before starting to plan for next years. It looks like he will be interested in looking into this more at the beginning of the year.
He did mention to me that cost is an issue because they are not making much on the show to be able to afford too fancy of badges but the reason why only some have completed arduino based badges was because the local maker group that was doing them couldn't populate them in time for the show.
I think Parallax pretty well understands that and wants to make the badges part of that process.
Unfortunately I never got a chance to test it - my schedule got really full just after that getting SimpleIDE ready for DEFCON.
My original idea was just to allow sharing some information at close range for people getting to know one another. It wasn't really intended for a devious hacker conference
Redheadedrod,
We're building a prop-based badge for Skydogcon this year. We're 6 weeks out and making good progress and Parallax have been extremely supportive and, frankly without knowing they had my back I likely would not have taken the project.
Oh, and loopy...
I wish someone had clued me into that earlier ;-) it would have been a lot easier. :-P
We put a LOT onto this badge. It's hard to have an MCU as easy to work and powerful as the propeller and not surround it with the world.
Sometimes I look at my design and wonder if I should take out shares in a company that manufactures decoupling capacitors. I may have gone heavy on the pixie-dust.