CCC hour 2072

This conference is really amazing. Not for the talks (I'm sure they're great, but I've not been to a single one), but for everything else. The "hallway track" is the conference. The talks are there if you're bored (which you'd have to be pretty jaded to be), or if you're exhausted but want to pretend you're doing stuff.

I've met many interesting people from many places. So far I'm the only Kiwi I've met here. 

I've worked out more on how to take photos whilst respecting the rules (see previous post), so I include some more here.

Forgive me if I repeat myself as its pretty exhausting. I've spoken to people who made autonomous robots that self navigate both indoors and outdoors using a laser sweep on the front to detect and avoid obstacles. A guy who makes art out of what amounts to toilet rolls, grease paper, a TV and a camera. I've spoken to physicists about time travel and drunken a slushie drink that's basically caffeine, alcohol and tea.

I honestly can't remember everyone I've spoken to, but everyone has been awesome (well, let's ignore yesterday's rant).

A functional (at least movement wise) GLaDOS. She doesn't yet try and test people with the promise of cake, but I'm assured that is next on the agenda.

Pretty lights

A cocktail mixing robot - this thing makes cocktails - and they aren't bad. It's not quite Tom Cruise in Kokomo, but it's not a bad start.

Yes, the phone works. Yes, it's bigger on the inside.

Pixels. No really.

The Lounge last night. It's intense, and awesome.

Wow, I keep getting "interrupted" by interesting people sitting down next to me. Clearly I need to get up and keep exploring.

Also this place is like hogworts. It keeps changing. I swear there are new escalators today.

Kiwicon, Fin

So there is an important rule at Kiwicon. It's not by any means a unique rule but it's one that is used at Kiwicon as well: What goes on at Kiwicon, stays at Kiwicon.

That said, as I lie here in my hostel bed, attempting to recover from an almighty hangover, I can share some of my experiences.

Every year Metlstorm heads what is a rising bar of awesome, set by the previous Kiwicon - and this year was no exception. First it was lasers, then Pyro, then.. well that would be spoilers. The opening ceremony both days were an extravaganza generally found at concerts rather than technical symposiums on the current state of cyber security.

Fricking Lasers.

The second day opening, not to be outdone by the first day, featured a choreographed dance where Katie Moussouris (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmoussouris), whose credentials are literally too long to write, descended from the roof on a ring and revealed that her talents include an amazing singing voice.

As usual there were some amazing talks at Kiwicon. Honestly the bling, entertainment and comedy is only exceeded by its quality of content. As arduous as the 26 hours of flying back to NZ were, it really was worth it. 

I once again honed by handcuf picking skills, this time exceeding my previous personal best - getting myself out of backwards double locked behind my back (the cuffs had the secondary pin pushed through requiring moving the pin one way and then picking it the regular way ("double locked") whilst my arms and cuffs were behind my back, and the cuffs keyholes were facing up my arm ("backwards"). For some there, including some total beginners, it's not hard, but for me it was a personal best.

I also went on to thumb cuffs, then thumb cuffs facing the wrong way (hard to explain why that isn't easy) and finally thumb cuffs behind the back (so that took awhile).

Anyway, enough about my lack of picking skills -

If you've never been to a Kiwicon, and you're in anyway working or just interested in the technical security field, you really are doing yourself a disservice by not attending. Alas, you have to wait for next year now.