BattleHack Q1: A look at the Code that Enables the Winning Hacks

It’s hard to believe that in the first quarter we’ve already checked-off 3 cities in our 14-city global BattleHack series. We’ve been truly impressed by the winning hacks:

  • In Melbourne we crowned team NIGHTRIDER, who created a wearable hack for cyclists, the winners

  • In LA team DropLock took home the axe with their desktop app that monitors network information on a stolen laptop

  • Most recently in Singapore, team Jarvis blew us away with their hack that aids the supply of medicines for the elderly.

While the winning teams always impress us, as developers, we really just want to know more about the code. Well, here you have it:

Melbourne

While .NET was the most commonly used, in the end, Team NIGHTRIDER won with iOS native code. In addition, their hack connects with Google maps through wifi and uses the PayPal SDK for iOS to accept payments. And, as a hardware hack, the team used a Spark Core, 2 Adafruit FLORA's, 2 accelerometers , 2 lipo batteries, 3 meters of wire and 2 meters of LED strip lights. So, in only 24-hours, the code and hardware were turned into a wearable jacket for cyclists. Check it out here.

Los Angeles

Team DropLock took a bit of a different approach and built a desktop application using PHP and JavaScript that monitors network information on stolen laptops, takes pictures when one is being used, and automatically shuts down the machine. Through the use of open source technology, they modify the machine’s plist to run a bash script for taking photos. And since the hackers need to accept a payment in order to win, DropLock turned to Braintree to integrate the v.zero SDK. To regain access, a specified amount needs to be paid back to the original user through Braintree integration or donated to a charity, facilitated by JustGiving.

Singapore

Team Jarvis built a smart medicine jar for Android, equipped with a weight sensor able to detect the volume of pills contained within a vessel, integrating Braintree’s v.zero SDK to enable PayPal for payments. The backend was built using NodeJS and MongoDB to receive and store measurements sent by the Arduino-powered smart jar. When the volume of pills drops below a predefined threshold, it sends a push notification to the native Android app that provides users with the option of purchasing medication directly from nearby pharmacies. Its backend database, powered by JustGiving’s API, gathers information on specific ailments, according to the medicine purchased, and offers a list of associated charities the caregivers can donate to.

We’ve already kicked off Q2 with BattleHacks in Raleigh and London, and are headed to Athens, Tokyo, Berlin and Chicago this quarter. Join us and find out if you are the ultimate hacker for good.

***
John Lunn John Lunn is the Senior Global Director of Developer and Startup Relations, ensuring that developers and startups around the globe have access to the features, functionality and mentorship they need. More posts by this author

You Might Also Like