DefCon Ninja Badges Let Hackers Do Battle 77
eecue writes "The folks at DefCon, the world's largest hacker convention [previously on Slashdot], have been making awesome badges for years. Last year along with the convention badge, a group of hackers known as the Ninjas created an electronic badge for their exclusive party. This year the Ninjas have taken the whole electronic badge thing to the next level with an interactive, wireless, encrypted ninja battle video game badge. I convinced the Ninjas to give Wired.com an exclusive sneak peek, and let me tell you, this thing is awesome."
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Seriously, a conference badge?
If you clicky on the story, you'll see that this is fucking hard-core nerd rampage material. You'd be hard-pressed to find anything more nerdy than this, you ignorant fuck. Know of any other conference badges that let you wirelessly play Ninja attack games with others who have the same badge? No? Then shut your fucking pie hole, and go back to Kansas and teach about Intelligent Dipshit to all the retards.
Somebody give these guys a job (Score:2, Funny)
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in such case they need a girlfriend/wife. Or life.
I'm so sick of this shit. GTFO slashdot if you don't appreciate this. You obviously don't understand the value of a side project.
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You obviously don't understand the value of a side project.
To some degree I'm with the parent, or, to put it another way, "Who has time for this stuff?!"
I'm 43, married, with a 27 month old toddler, and another kid due in a month. A typical day for me goes like this: Get up at 6am, feed dog, have shower, make breakfast for fam-damly. Wake up pregnant wife, feed family breakfast, walk dog. At bus stop by 745, at desk at software co by 830. Leave work a little after 5, home by 5:30ish. Play with
Re:Somebody give these guys a job (Score:4, Insightful)
So, just because *you* don't have time for this in your life, anyone else must be criticized/condemned because they do? Buddy, you're the one who either decided to have a wife and kids, or you let the little woman browbeat you into your present situation. Your attitude and that of anyone who agrees with you just sounds like sour grapes.
I'm 43 too; I get up at 5AM, out the door at 5:30, at work by 7, out the door at 3PM, home by 4:30, pretty much the same sort of evening chores, so you're neither the first person nor the last to have a busy schedule.
On a kinder note, let me assure you that your current schedule will get easier. I have 4 girls, so I've been there. It gets easier.
In the meantime, try not to be too jealous of those who have chosen to live their life in a manner that doesn't match yours.
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try not to be too jealous of those who have chosen to live their life in a manner that doesn't match yours.
I'm not jealous - I'm perfectly happy with my life choices. I'm just (poorly) trying to explain to most of /. that those people with kids don't understand how people have the time to invent nifty badges, and those people with the time to invent nifty badges don't understand why everyone else can't do the same thing...
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You don't have time because you're busy living out the exact same life as millions upon millions of other people.
Alright, I've laid out my schedule. What would you do differently? How should I rework my day... Lay it on me.
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Work on fixing up old house, [...] go swimming, [...] grill steaks.
"Who has time for this stuff?!"
They create f**king amazing badges in their spare time; no time to fix up old houses, go swimming or grill steaks.
Besides, programming is pretty much purely brain-work with a little bit of typing. I dare bet I'm alone in that I do my best programming while driving my car, doing sports or taking a shower.
Also, if you go to bed "10ish", it's no wonder you have little spare time. Try adding 1 or 2 hours to your waking life and see how much you can accomplish.
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Also, if you go to bed "10ish", it's no wonder you have little spare time. Try adding 1 or 2 hours to your waking life and see how much you can accomplish
Huh? Every sleep scientist on the planet will tell you most humans need 8-10 hours sack time a night. I get up at six, so it's lights-out by 10:15. You suggesting I should sleep-deprive myself? To what end? An early grave?
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Can you give me some link to that research? To the best of my knowledge about 5-7 hours is the norm for a typical adult. Not all people need the same amout, but 8-10 is well more than most adults need.
I'm not suggesting you sleep-deprive yourself, I'm suggesting you don't sleep more than you need to. For children and teenagers there are reasons for longer sleep, for an adult it's just a waste of time.
Personally I usually sleep for about 5 hours. Doesn't matter how late or early I go to bed, I always wake we
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please provide some backup for your claim of what "every sleep scientist on the planet" will tell me
A good source for this stuff is the National Sleep Foundation - Lots of good science. To cut to the chase -
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need [sleepfoundation.org]
See "How much sleep do you really need" table 2/3s of the way down.
Quote: Though research cannot pinpoint an exact amount of sleep need by people at different ages, the table identifies the "rule-of-thum
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Jealous much? Ninjas are all well employed (sans one who won't be named) and very social individuals. Where your hobbies including trolling, this happens to be a hobby of the crew that hacked this out.
Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? (Score:3, Funny)
I think if you use the word "awesome" twice or more in a slashdot summary you have to forfeit your adulthood.
Re:Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? (Score:4, Insightful)
just a bit overrated?
Bills, less vacation time, consequences for failure... I'd say adulthood bytes!
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Yes but there are bars for that.
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What if the submitter is talking about Awesome [naquadah.org]?
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Awesome!
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I am not convinved by this proposal.
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Ah but the questions begs: Do infants enjoy infancy, as much as adults enjoy adultery?
Re:childish toys. (Score:4, Insightful)
children? are you serious? ninja networks has been a part of defcon since inception. we've been attending, participating and throwing parties (yay, minibosses!) for years. the FB sponsorship just allows us to one up ourselves from last year. sit on it.
Ninjas win (Score:3, Insightful)
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If you RTFA you would have seen that the badges have a Ninja AND a Pirate ARGHHHH!
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Had Wired paid more attention they would have made it clear that the crew is Ninja Networks and the individuals are Ninjas.
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AWESOME! (Score:2, Insightful)
oblig (Score:5, Funny)
Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!
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But the goons would give you the boot.
oh the irony (Score:5, Insightful)
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Are they the same guys doing the huge drinking party the day or week after defcon? If so I met a few of them a few months back at a certain meeting place that will remain unnamed. In addition to funding that sort of thing, I believe they said FB is also funding their drinking party this year, which is going to be over 1k people and a fully open bar. I thought it pretty impressive even if it's not really my thing :)
Wired... (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, but if you write for Wired, you probably think being able to tie your shoes is awesome.
Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? (Score:5, Interesting)
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The components might be cheap, but I'm guessing it requires a lot of effort and development to actually make something that works. The companies making cheap electronic games aren't going to spend the money, if they even have the resources to devote to this. Most are just designing new shells for whatever crap Chinese companies have pumped out for the domestic market. The company with the money and interest are going at higher end markets.
That said, toy technology is at an impressive state compared to 20 ye
Re:Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? (Score:4, Informative)
They're too expensive.
If we take a BOM cost of maybe $15 for all those parts and assembly and such, you're looking at a toy that'll sell for $60+. Which is a super-expensive toy - parents balk at paying that much. The ideal toy price is around $20 - $10 is great, $30 is tops, and $50 is expensive.
Those little electronic handheld games that sell for $10 probably cost $1 in total cost to the manufacturer, and the retailer probably paid $5 for it (probably $6-7 after warehouse and shipping and such). $20 game may probably cost $3 to manufacture.
If the manufacturer was making low margins, that $15 badge would probably sell for $25 wholesale and maybe $50 MSRP.
If you think those margins are high, remember they include store overhead, defect overhead (many of these things are just thrown away if a customer returns it as defective, and the manufacturer and retailer look at those return rates to determine how much will be paid), plus shipping from manufacturer to retailer warehouse to retailer. Plus, when the retailer starts discounting as well...
Re:Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? (Score:4, Interesting)
They exist, they just weren't hugely popular. The ones I saw were an extension of the Tamagotchi idea. Build up your little guy, the make him fight with anyone who comes within 20 feet of you.
Probably also a bit of a critical mass thing too, if not enough people have one, then running into someone else with one is going to be pretty rare, so it won't be as much fun, so less people will buy one, so you'll never get enough people with one to make it worthwhile.
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i believe that game you speak of was Hasbro's Pox.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-O-X
http://www.streettech.com/archives_gadget/pox.html
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Released in 2001
I didn't realize it was that long ago. I'm too young to feel old.
Take this public!!! NINJA BATTLE (Score:5, Funny)
Jump up on the table. Stomp your bread roll and kick off the lobster bisque. Out from your guts you scream NINJAAAAA BATTTLLLLLLLLE!!!!
At the end one enjoys victory, the other tastes defeat. But both of you will share a chuckle.
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Out from your guts you scream NINJAAAAA BATTTLLLLLLLLE!!!!
Your scenario sounds like a modern day pokemon epidemic... with ninjas!
It's the Ninja from Bruce Lee! (Score:5, Informative)
It's from the game Bruce Lee for the C64. That I recognized it has to be worth at least one geek point. ;-)
http://www.c64-wiki.com/index.php/Bruce_Lee [c64-wiki.com]
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ah yes, the game with the geen "cow" (he sounds like one when he shouts, imo).
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Glad someone else noticed!
i loved that game. There's a PC port of it somewhere on the webbernets.
The real game... (Score:2, Interesting)
The real game will be hacking the badge and/or leaderboard system. It would be interesting to see a detailed write up on how they have implemented the system and what measures they have taken to stop people from cheating. Neat idea.
Ninjas don't use the front door (Score:2)
Goon Badge Ninja Badge? (Score:2)
Inquiring minds want to know. Is the Ninja party so exclusive that not even the Goons can get in?
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I held it together almost all the way through, but I did throw up a little when I read "chosen few."
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How times have changed. I guess the con is a little too big for everyone to get together with DT and the speakers in the hotel bar. I'm curious. When did the Ninja events start?
Am I the only one who... (Score:2)
..read that as "DefCon Ninja Badgers Let Hackers Do Battle"
Actually, that would be much cooler. They should replace the badges with ninja badgers.
Go ahead and flaunt it... (Score:2)
Created by Wozniak (Score:2)