Personalizing Devices with Open Source Hardware

By tapping into the creative and collaborative environment of online
communities and harnessing the vast universe of user-generated
content on the web, consumers are now fully empowered to create and
configure products to fit their personal needs, from apparel (e.g.
Threadless) to automobiles (e.g. Mini Cooper). Now as open source
hardware begins to take off, it poses a disruptive force to the
consumer electronics industry, in such that any individual with
basic technical skills can add to a growing universe of specialized
and niche devices.

In this discussion, Jeremy Toeman of Bug Labs will provide an
overview of the emerging open source hardware movement, and how it
will impact the $10bn consumer electronics industry. By combining
real-world examples of the open source business model and promoting
the success of other industries promoting customizability, Jeremy
will also discuss how the "long tail" of hardware devices can
finally be actualized by providing the user with the means and
support to develop the device they really want.