Robotics

April 28, 2013 by Deron Johnson · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Computer, Events, Robotics

On Wednesday, 15 May 2013, the Newbury Park Robotics Club returns to discuss their recent participation in the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Robotics Competition.

Abstract

FIRST is the largest national robotics competitions of it’s kind at the high school level. Students are given a short 6 weeks to design, build, program, and test a 140lb robot to play a game in cooperation with 3 other robots on a team against another team of 3 robots. The game, the rules and the robot specifications are different every year. This year, the game was Ultimate Ascent, which is played by on a flat, 27 x 54 foot field. Each team competes to score as many discs into their goals as they can during a match.

Students get to:
Work alongside mentors who volunteer their time and talents to guide each team.
Build and compete with a robot of their own design.
Learn and use sophisticated software and hardware.
Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments.
Earn a chance to compete in the World Championship.
Qualify for over $16 million in college scholarships.

The team will give us a short presentation in the lecture hall, followed (weather permitting) by an extended demonstration and Q&A outside. This is an excellent opportunity to get kids interested in science and engineering.

Meeting Info

Registration: Please register to attend.
https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/18455
Since this is a joint Computer/EMBS/Robotics meeting, we will be offering an optional sit-down buffet-style dinner at 6 PM for $10 ($5 for students).

Dinner (optional, $10): 6:00 PM
Presentation only (free): 7:00 PM

Location: Richter Auditorium, Ahmanson Science Center, California Lutheran University

Parking: Do not park in the faculty/staff lots. Free parking is available in the visitor lot at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard. Alternatively, CLU Public Safety has provided us with parking passes for on street parking.

Additional maps: http://www.ieee-bv-cs.org/meetings/

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Embedded Hacking – the World of Tiny Things

March 17, 2013 by Deron Johnson · 1 Comment
Filed under: Computer, Embedded Systems, Events, Security

On Wednesday, 10 April 2013, Stuart McClure of Cylance, Inc. will discuss the world of embedded systems and how the bad guys will take advantage of this world in the future.

About the Speaker

Stuart McClure, is the CEO/President of Cylance, Inc., an elite global security services and products company solving the world’s most difficult security problems for the most critical companies around the globe. Prior to Cylance, Stuart was EVP, Worldwide CTO and General Manager of the Management Business Unit for McAfee/Intel where he was responsible for a nearly $3B consumer and corporate security products business. During his tenure at McAfee Stuart was responsible for the office of the CTO as well as an elite team of security researchers called TRACE that discovered new vulnerabilities and emerging threats focused on embedded and critical infrastructure devices. Before McAfee, Stuart helped run security at the $34B healthcare company in the U.S., Kaiser Permanente. In 1999, Stuart was also the original founder of Foundstone, Inc., a global consulting and products company, which was acquired by McAfee in 2004.

Widely recognized for his extensive and in-depth knowledge of security, Stuart is one of the industry’s leading authorities in information security today. His first book, “Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets and Solutions” has been translated into over 30 languages, is ranked the #4 computer book ever sold, and is the definitive best-selling computer security book in history. A well-published and acclaimed security visionary, Stuart McClure has over 25 years of profound technical, operational, financial and executive experience. He holds a Bachelor’s from the University of Colorado-Boulder and holds numerous certifications including CNE and CCSE.

Meeting Info

Registration: Meetings are free and open to the public.
Please register via the IEEE meeting system: https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/17633

Pizza and networking: 6:30 PM
Presentation, Q&A: 7:00 PM

Location: Richter Auditorium, Ahmanson Science Center, California Lutheran University

Additional maps: http://www.ieee-bv-cs.org/meetings/

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Genomic Data Management in Persephone

February 27, 2013 by Deron Johnson · 1 Comment
Filed under: Computer, Data Management, Events

On Wednesday, 13 March 2013, Stanislav Freidin of Ceres will discuss Genomic Data Management in Persephone.

Abstract

Persephone (named after the Greek goddess of spring and seeds) is a thick-client application for visualizing a variety of biological data in a single unified view. Its main goal is to visualize massive datasets in an appealing way, thus allowing the biologist to quickly transition from a birds-eye view of entire genomes down to the level of individual genes and base pairs — and then back again. While there are other tools that can visualize this data, none (to our knowledge) do it quickly and fluidly, and none are able to synthesize a wide variety of data. We will talk about several challenges, both technical and aesthetic, we had to overcome in order to make this possible.

About the Speaker

Stanislav Freidin (or “Stas” for short) is a Senior Software Engineer working on Persephone. After graduating Berkeley, he worked at several startups until he came to Ceres, where he became a member of the original Persephone team. After a brief stint at Google and CarsDirect, he came back to Ceres to continue Persephone development.

About the Company

Founded as a genomics technology firm, and operational since 1997, Ceres has been applying the techniques used in the Human Genome Project to crops. Our high-throughput systems have proven to be extremely effective at identifying not just genes, but also their function and potential use.

Today, we are a fully integrated seed company applying our knowledge to dedicated energy crops. This is resulting in higher yields of biomass and fermentable sugars, more fuel per acre, fewer agricultural inputs, and a cleaner environment for us all.

Meeting Info

Registration: Meetings are free and open to the public. Please register via the IEEE meeting system.
https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/17243

Pizza and networking: 6:30 PM
Presentation, Q&A: 7:00 PM

Location: Richter Auditorium, Ahmanson Science Center, California Lutheran University

Additional maps: http://www.ieee-bv-cs.org/meetings/

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Current Trends in Intellectual Property Protection

October 3, 2012 by Deron Johnson · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Computer, Events, Intellectual Property

On Wednesday, 10 October 2012, Ted Rittmaster of Foley & Lardner LLP will discuss current trends in intellectual property protection.

Abstract

Ted Rittmaster will discuss current trends in intellectual property protection of electronics and software innovations, practical steps for protecting and using intellectual property assets, and what every engineer should know about intellectual property. For students in the group, Ted also plans to discuss IP law career options.

About the Speaker

Ted Rittmaster is a Partner with a nationally renowned law firm (Foley & Lardner LLP), and is the Chair of that firm’s Los Angeles Office Intellectual Property Law department. Ted began his career as a Patent Examiner in the electronics communication group of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). After the USPTO, Ted has worked in private practice law firms for more than 22 years.

Ted’s practice focuses on patents and other forms of intellectual property (IP) relating to electronics and software. Ted’s clients include companies involved in computer network communications, wireless communication devices and consumer electronics. Ted’s work involves assisting clients with filing and prosecuting new patent applications, IP licensing and enforcement/litigation, and assisting clients in developing in-house programs for developing and protecting IP, avoiding litigation and monetizing IP portfolios.

Meeting Info

Registration: Meetings are free and open to the public. Please register via the IEEE meeting system.
https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/14633

Pizza and networking: 6:30 PM
Presentation, Q&A: 7:00 PM

Location: Richter Auditorium, Ahmanson Science Center, California Lutheran University

Additional maps: http://www.ieee-bv-cs.org/meetings/

Tags: Intellectual Property

E Pluribus, Unum: The Evolution of the Personal Computer’s Architecture

September 22, 2011 by Karl Geiger · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Architecture, Computer, Events, Hardware

The evolution of the architecture of the personal computer began with a centralized processing capability surrounded by an array of specialized intelligent agents. The data processed by each subsystem contributed to a greater whole, and the CPU made sense of the aggregated hardware. Over time, more work migrated into the central processor which lowered part counts but increased power consumption. This presentation takes a detailed look at the history of the personal computer, the development of real and de facto standards, and assesses the benefits and mistakes made along the way.

About the Speaker

Mr. Bill Gervasi has been involved in the definition of Double Data Rate SDRAM since its earliest inception. His background is in computer sciences and career highlights include 19 years at Intel where over the years he was systems hardware designer, software designer, and major accounts manager. Mr. Gervasi subsequently was with S3 where he was a graphics architecture specialist and at Transmeta as memory technology analyst. Most recently he has been with Netlist, SimpleTech, and US Modular driving unique memory module configurations. He has served on the JEDEC Board of Directors and chaired committees for DRAM parametrics and memory modules throughout the development of DDR1 through DDR4. Mr. Gervasi holds numerous patents in memory and packaging design, and has performed expert witness testimony in major intellectual property cases.