Hacker Dojo

1. 1pm to 3pm at the Hacker Dojo in Mountain View. Generally the third Saturday of every month.
2. This event is FREE to EVERYONE and open to the PUBLIC. Like most Hacker Dojo events, you do not actually have to be a Hacker Dojo member to attend for free.
3. We will discuss computer programming and other tech-industry related topics. We hope you learn something useful!
4. Previous discussion topics have included: AI, web development, programming languages, frameworks, code cleanliness, job search, work habits, algorithms, interviewing, hackathons, etc.
5. Nervous beginners that know absolutely nothing about programming are encouraged to attend! All skill levels are welcome to attend, ask questions, talk to people, and learn things. But it's also a place for experts to talk to other experts and learn new things.
6. This event is in-person only to keep things simple.
7. We can break out into small group discussions. I tend to prefer it when we have multiple discussions going on at once.
8. We strongly encourage you to invite and bring your own guests. (Assuming they are well-behaved!)
9. Don't forget to share this event page with people you know that would be interested in attending. We need help advertising this event.
10. Everyone who is attending the event must sign in at the Hacker Dojo front desk. It will print out a name tag and ask you to agree to their guest waiver.
11. CLASSROOM LOCATION: The event is in the Hacker Dojo Classroom. It is directly opposite the Hacker Dojo entrance from the parking lot. Past the bathrooms.
12. You don't necessarily have to register ahead of time to attend, just show up. But we appreciate it when people register ahead of time because it helps us predict headcount.
13. You don't have to be present for the whole event. You can arrive and show up at any point during the event time.
14. Introduce yourself to the group by sharing your name and what you want to learn about
15. Feel free to bring your resume and ask other attendees to critique your resume
16. CO HOSTS: If you are interested, please let me know.
17. Please be EXTREMELY RESPECTFUL to the other attendees and to the Hacker Dojo property. We will ask you to leave if you're being obnoxious.
18. You are encouraged to bring snacks but it is not required.
19. Programming Club has a Discord channel on the Hacker Dojo discord. Where you can share notes, share links, and keep in touch.
20. PARKING and ENTRANCE: The Hacker Dojo has lots of parking. The main parking lot is on the Southeast side of the building near the Entrance. There is a second parking lot on the Northwest side of the building. But you have to walk a little bit to the Entrance.
21. BUS STOP: There is also a bus stop nearby.
22. CARPOOL: Leave a comment below if you want to try to find someone to carpool with.
23. Masks and proof of Covid vaccination are NOT required. However, we ask that you stay away if you are feeling sick to avoid spreading illness!!
24. The Hacker Dojo is a registered 501c3 non-profit and needs your financial support to stay open. Please consider donating or becoming a member.
25. The Hacker Dojo greatly appreciates volunteers. If you get something out of the Hacker Dojo community, please try to give back to the community in some way. You could volunteer some time to help keep the place clean, you could spread the word about events, you could help co-host an event, etc.
26. We welcome all of your feedback and suggestions to improve the event. We want more feedback, both positive and negative.
27. Please check out the other events on the Hacker Dojo Meetup page.
28. The Silicon Valley Programming Club at the Hacker Dojo began in March 2023. It was inspired by things like the Homebrew Computer Club from the 1970s.

These rules are from Founding Host Kevin "Turbo" Verre and they will remain in effect!

Abstract:
This workshop introduces LoRa, a low-power, long-range wireless technology gaining traction in commercial and community networks. Participants will build and flash a LoRa device, then explore Meshtastic to join and create private mesh communities. We’ll set up the firmware build system to customize devices and deepen technical understanding. The session concludes with a red-team exercise that demonstrates how adversaries might exploit LoRa, followed by discussions on defenses and responsible use.
We will then explore a popular community networking application called Meshtastic. Using our devices, we will join the local community network and become familiar with how to locate other nodes and communicate with them. We will then learn how to create a closed community in which only we can participate.
Will then download the Meshtastic firmware build system on our laptops and learn how to build custom firmware.
Finally, we will explore how this technology can be used for red-teaming, considering that the bad guys are already looking for ways to exploit this new and fantastic technology. As part of this exercise, you will hack a remote system miles away using your LoRa node!
For the best experience, participants should bring their laptops and also have access to a LoRa device. If you would like to purchase a LoRa kit, they range in price from $30 (no battery) to $40 (with battery). We only have a few kits available for people to borrow.

Speaker:
Venky Raju is Field CTO at ColorTokens, advising CISOs and business leaders on resilient, Zero Trust strategies to stay ahead of AI-enabled cyber threats. With a career spanning embedded systems, cloud-native platforms, and global networks, he brings a unique lens to securing complex environments. Previously, Venky was a founding member of Samsung Knox, the groundbreaking Android security platform protecting billions of devices. He is a named inventor with multiple patents and holds CISSP and CCSP certifications. He is also passionate about giving back through hackerspaces and maker communities.

TBD