For those hackers (most of you) that keep an eye on the old-school security hacking DEFCON 16 just ended yesterday in Las Vegas. So below is our quick wrap-up of DEFCON 16, the highlights and lowlights of a week of security conference madness.

Medeco keys get recreated just from pictures. Whoops? At least it's not a bic pen?

Wired got a tour of DEFCON 16 NOC keeping tabs on that has got to be one of the most awesome network management tasks ever.

There is a great story on geek night life by a little newspaper company in NYC. Congrats to IgniteNYC , NYC Resistor, and the whole NYC geek scene on the great coverage!

If you hadn't noticed, Philly's scene is rocking too. We had a great iSepta/ripit launch party (photos) and there is an awesome event this Thursday from us at The Hacktory. And of course we also have Junto, an upcoming BarCamp Philly and we just had a sweet Fail Camp. And that off the top of my head, without doing a web search!

Next time (and I'm not the first one to say this) we just need get our two sister-cities to do huge awesome events together!

That is this Saturday (tomorrow) from 1PM to 8PM at The Hacktory!

Then on Sunday is the Make:Philly BBQ. Come and grill some stuff, launch some Water Rockets, and get soaking wet.

I hate to admit, we've been so busy with planning Geeks and Toys we forgot to announce it, but it's happening (as it does every month).

Next Thursday (August 7th) at 8:00 PM (not sharp at all) The Hacktory and National Mechanics present a night of Unique Drinkery. A bar night for the DIY/Artists/hacker/maker crowd. We'll have an LED Throwie Wall, UFO Bowling, prizes to win and tons of awesome stuff to gawk at. We even have interactive Chiptunes by Alex Mauer, and interactive visuals via NO CARRIER and a special live appearance of ANIMAL STYLE.

See the Events Page for more info! RSVP if you dare!!!

greetings from The Last Hope. We are rocking the hackerspace village here, doing on the spot screen printing of our two designs. We've go through about 50 shirts, which means 50 people walking around with The Hacktory logo on their shirt/laptop-bag/sticker/whatever. Yesterday we drew a great crowd with NO CARRIER and ANIMAL STYLE setup at our booth before their show last night. We had some great stuff running off hacked Nintendos, and people were loving it.

I spoke this morning on Community Fabrication, and I'll be on a panel later today about hacker spaces. Of the 6 ot 7 hackerspaces listed in the villlage, us and NYCResistor are the only ones that are manned and active. In short, we are rocking, and wish (more of) you were here.

or WE'D UNDERSTAND THE UNIVERSE BETTER IF WE HAD 3.14159 FINGERS.

Austrian art-hackers MONOCHROM is in NYC for The Last HOPE this weekend, and when they are done there going to come invade Philly with their media hoaxing, billboard liberators, cocktail mixing robots and sexy androids.

The highlight of their visit is going to be a show @ PIFAS (1712 N 2nd St.) on Tuesday July 22 starting at 7:30pm. Illegal Public Art in 5 Minutes or Less or WE'D UNDERSTAND THE UNIVERSE BETTER IF WE HAD 3.14159 FINGERS. Admission to the show is by donation ($5-10 suggested). Be there or be 3.14159. (The suqares will all be at the Arduino Dnager Shield class.

July 22 - 7:30pm @ PIFAS - 1712 N 2nd St.
[ 2nd + Cecil B Moore - Berks stop on the EL ]
($5-10 donation suggested)