Welcome, Jonathan Oxer!
- Thanks to our sponsor, Club Jameco. To see the kit featured this week and to learn more about their program, check out http://ClubJameco.com/TheAmpHour.
- Jon has held positions and started companies in both hardware and software.
- His current company, Internet Vision Technologies, has over 20 employees and software based.
- Jon helps to organize the Arduino Mini Conf, which occurs on the first day of the Australian Linux Conf
- Jon’s main venture (and most directly interesting to this show) is Freetronics, an electronics kit development and manufacturing operation.
- From his first company, he has learned to focus on the core for business, similar to what is discussed in The Lean Startup.
- Their most popular kit is the EtherTen, based upon the Arduino platform but with integrated Ethernet.
- When working on electronics, Jon prefers the TAPR license.
- They also work on Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, because it was something Jon dream up for his house.
- Jon’s blog about his house and his centralized home automation system is Super House TV.
- This is also the name of his YouTube channel where you can find a range of videos, including a response to our show!
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHN7o0Tzqcw&feature=plcp[/tube] - In order to get into his house, Jon installed an RFID chip…in his arm!
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXVIzIGoMuQ&feature=watch_response_rev[/tube] - DIY Biohacking is a new trend, some even putting magnets in their fingers
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Dv6dDtdcs[/tube] - Jon has written a few books, including Hacking Ubuntu and Practical Arduino.
- He is also a member of the Melbourne Hackerspace
- At one point, Jon hacked his car and decided to start a site called Geek My Ride for other car-hacking enthusiasts. This is also his most popular YouTube video:
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqZj4ArrlhA&feature=plcp[/tube] - And if he weren’t busy enough recently, Jon has been participating in the ArduSat project, working on their payload. This is an evolution of the CubeSat program.
You can find Jon online at his site (well, sites) or on Twitter under the handles @JonOxer, @SuperHouseTV and @Freetronics.
While listening to this show during the home automation segment – I had the same exact thought as Dave did – what if the home automation system is what caught fire (or was taken offline). Bottom line, we still need manual overrides. A lesson well learned here in NJ recently after Hurricane Sandy – how crippled we become when the “infrastructure” we depend on fails. The more advanced the system, the more vulnerable we become.
I had a Mazda RX-8 for many years, but never automated mine!
About the RFID chip implant in the arm.
Kevin Warwick did this before.
http://www.kevinwarwick.com/Cyborg1.htm
I saw a video many years ago where the doors to his (university)lab opens automaticly and he is welcomed by a electronic voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB_l7SY_ngI
So, next episode Kevin Warwick?
Yes, what Kevin Warwick did was interesting, but very limited as an experiment. I think he left the tag in for a total of 10 days before having it removed, so it was just a short-term test rather than something he lived with ongoing. Mine has been implanted for more than 6.5 years now.
If you don’t mind the sight of blood, there’s a pic in my blog taken right after the implantation: http://jon.oxer.com.au/blog/id/86
Dave you of all people shouldnt laugh at rfid stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amTB19V_sqg
You CAN scan passports remotely by just standing next to a person, you can also scan (and clone) his keycards/bus passes. Its almost as bad as SCADA when it comes to security.
That magnets in the fingertips would have its downsides. it would be a pain in the ass to remove metal shavings from your fingertips. My cat has a magnet on her collar to open the cat door. She comes in with rusty old nails, paperclips, fishhooks… you name it. If you leave a bowl with a spoon in it on the table she’ll jump up and try to lick it, and take off with the spoon when shes done.
This show ranks up there with the best you’ve done. It was very interesting and highly entertaining! Thanks guys!