Sparkle Labs

Looking forward to the next Hackers on Planet Earth. Featured speakers were announced.

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HOPE is less than two months away and we've been busy putting together an
incredible program of high technology, social awareness, privacy protection,
and more!

Tickets are available at https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope_16
for in-person

and https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope_16-virtual-attendee
for virtual.

Appearing this year:

- Emma Best - investigative reporter and whistleblower, known for
Distributed Denial of Secrets (https://ddosecrets.com/)

- Joseph Cox - investigative journalist and co-founder of 404 Media
(https://www.404media.co/)

- Seth Godin - author, entrepreneur, teacher - the author of more than
20 international bestsellers gives us an inside view of the systems that
drive our culture.

- John Kiriakou - former CIA officer and U.S. intelligence whistleblower -
the first U.S. official to confirm CIA torture of detainees. Punished for
being a whistleblower, he served nearly two years in a federal prison.

- Sahil Lavingia - former DOGE engineer, fired after talking to journalists.
"I got dropped into the VA with an HP laptop. What are we supposed to do?
What is the road map? I felt like I was being pranked."

- Harper Reed - Barack Obama's campaign CTO, instrumental in helping Obama
secure a second term in office. He frequently speaks on a wide range of
topics where technology overlaps with society.

- Danacea Vo - cybersecurity professional and social justice hacker from
Vietnam, who develops digital strategies designed to empower marginalized
communities, nonprofits, and human rights defenders worldwide.

- Spawn Camp - an all inclusive, hands on cybersecurity hacking "day camp"
for kids interested in a unique learning experience and classes teaching
relevant tech subjects. Hosted by BiaSciLab.

There are many more talks and activities yet to be posted. We have gotten
more speakers and participants than ever. Your support will make it
possible for us to do even more. We hope to see you there or online!

HOPE_16 will take place at St. John's University in Queens, New York City
from August 15-17, 2025. A whole lot more info on everything from the
program to transportation to housing can be found at the HOPE website:
https://www.hope.net .

The HOPE Staff

We and I are working on a new project. It is similar to a 'little free library' but instead of a shelf of books, it creates a solar-powered local Wi-Fi network.
Nearby people can connect with their phones to see local information, download zines, or view a virtual art gallery.
Plans for making your own solar library will be available soon.

https://sparklelabs.com/journal/little-free-solar-library-first-post/

https://sparklelabs.com/shop/discover-electronics/

First day of is in the bag.

UV Papertronics will be ready for the new year.

We were featured in the Huff Post.

Why STEM Toys Should Be on Your List for the Holidays It’s that time of year when grown-ups everywhere contemplate the best gifts for the children in their lives. While it may be tempting to go for the lates...