August 7, 2006 11:06 AM PDT
For a novel twist on the staid idea of a conference badge, Defcon organizers turned to Joe Grand (alias "Kingpin"). Grand designed a badge that was a circuit board with built-in LEDs and a holder for a battery. It was manufactured by E-Teknet, pictured in this photograph, and was intended to be difficult to forge.
Grand's creation used two light-emitting diodes, a switch and a Microchip PIC10F202 microprocessor. Of course, because thousands were distributed at a hacker convention, some attendees tried to hack their badges. One idea: Replace the badge's blue LEDs with infrared LEDs that could then be used to control televisions in Las Vegas bars and restaurants.
Photo by Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com
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