Startups

DC’s Hack and Tell thrives on your random creations

Laser blasters, brain hacks, bike speakers. Find an audience for your latest passion project at this monthly meetup.

DIY bicycle speakers at D.C. Hack and Tell, November 2015. (Photo by Tajha Chappellet-Lanier)
At D.C. Hack and Tell’s 26th meetup — “The Curious Camaraderie of Code” — there was talk of how to “hack” your brain so that you get extra dopamine when exercising.

The crowd gathered at WeWork in Chinatown learned the secret to such an endeavor: Provide yourself with extra rewards. For some this might be the excitement of watching the new episode of that great TV show, for others (like the presenter) it might be the thrill of collecting data on your own exercise habits.
There was the presentation of a hack created to visualize the data on meetup group attendance — a popular subject in the company of the evening as well as interesting data to see, especially given D.C.’s ever-growing multitude of tech-related gatherings.
There was a demonstration of how to build a laser blaster (with LEDs, for the time being) for a last-minute robot Halloween costume. There was a data viz on suicide attacks worldwide, there were impressive (if not altogether safe) DIY bicycle speakers, and much more.
So what do all these hacks and passion projects have in common?
As one presenter on Monday night declared at the end of his presentation: “This is something I wanted to do but had no reason to do and I felt very irresponsible taking the time to do it.”
This is the essence of Hack and Tell — a forum for showing off that thing you created for no particular reason.
Got a project that fits the bill? The December D.C. Hack and Tell meetup — “Hyperion Christmas Carols” — has been scheduled for Dec. 8. Learn more, and find out how to sign up, here:
http://www.meetup.com/DC-Hack-and-Tell/events/220231803/

Companies: WeWork

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

The person charged in the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting had a ton of tech connections

From rejection to innovation: How I built a tool to beat AI hiring algorithms at their own game

Where are the country’s most vibrant tech and startup communities?

DC’s top technologists come together to launch a free local startup conference

Technically Media