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DefCon Ninja Badges Let Hackers Do Battle

Posted by timothy on from the that-is-some-nice-schwag dept.

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."

29 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think if you use the word "awesome" twice or more in a slashdot summary you have to forfeit your adulthood.

    1. Re:Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? by revlayle · · Score: 5, Funny

      adulthood is a bit overrated... FORFEIT AWAY!

    2. Re:Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? by icebraining · · Score: 2, Funny

      What if the submitter is talking about Awesome?

      --
      Dilbert RSS feed
    3. Re:Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      just a bit overrated?

      Bills, less vacation time, consequences for failure... I'd say adulthood bytes!

    4. Re:Just Tell Me One Thing... Is it Awesome? by ChefInnocent · · Score: 2, Funny

      But dude, it's like totally gnarly. It's bad to the b to the o to the n to the e. It rocks, kicks @ss, and is uber cool. This badge is so far out there man, it's trippindicular. The only way for an old pothead^H^H^H^H^H^H^HWired writer to express it was by doubling the awesomeness of these badges.

  2. Ninjas win by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Pirates have a long way to go if they want to match this sheer level of awesome.

    1. Re:Ninjas win by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 2, Informative

      And if you read even more carefully, you learn that these were MADE by a group called "The Ninjas". Not "the ninjas and the pirates".

  3. AWESOME! by kiljoy001 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Too bad, This would be something I would buy for office meetings :)

  4. oblig by demonbug · · Score: 4, Funny

    Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!

    1. Re:oblig by Selfbain · · Score: 2, Funny

      Without one you'll be defenseless against ninja attacks though.

      --
      Well, it has never been successfully tested.
    2. Re:oblig by HeckRuler · · Score: 2, Funny

      Or impervious.
      But the goons would give you the boot.

  5. oh the irony by Shanrak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anyone else enjoying the irony that Facebook, with tons of known holes where private information can be leaked, is sponsoring the Ninja group at DefCon.

    --
    This post may or may not contain cancer causing materials.
    1. Re:oh the irony by minogully · · Score: 2, Funny

      They're probably just trying to get on teh hackers' good sides so they won't get hacked.

    2. Re:oh the irony by DontLickJesus · · Score: 2, Funny

      Alright, ye hacker community. Get your hands on one of these things and hack the interface before the show. This is a requirement, I shouldn't have even had to post this. That is all.

      --
      Where genius and insanity become confused true wisdom is found
  6. Wired... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I convinved the Ninjas to give Wired.com an exclusive sneak peek, and let me tell you, this thing is awesome."

    Yeah, but if you write for Wired, you probably think being able to tie your shoes is awesome.

  7. Re:Somebody give these guys a job by rsw · · Score: 2, Insightful

    They both have jobs; they did this in their spare time.

  8. Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? by gravos · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Now that wireless hardware is so cheap I'm surprised we don't see more of these made commercially. Why are there so few of those little handheld electronic games that have wireless connectivity? They could sell like 4 of em together in one package.

    --
    This game will waste your life. Don't clicky!
    1. Re:Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? by MaWeiTao · · Score: 2, Interesting

      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 years ago. Sometimes I'm taken aback by the level of technology and sophistication found in a lot of toys. Ironically, quality isn't what it used to be in a lot of cases.

    2. Re:Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Informative

      Now that wireless hardware is so cheap I'm surprised we don't see more of these made commercially. Why are there so few of those little handheld electronic games that have wireless connectivity? They could sell like 4 of em together in one package.

      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...

    3. Re:Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? by SleazyRidr · · Score: 3, 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.

      --
      Is 1563649 a prime number?
    4. Re:Wireless is cheap, why so unpopular? by SleazyRidr · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Released in 2001

      I didn't realize it was that long ago. I'm too young to feel old.

      --
      Is 1563649 a prime number?
  9. Take this public!!! NINJA BATTLE by L3370 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Imagine you are in a restaurant minding your own business and enjoying a meal with your family. Your ninja alert beeps of as an enemy approaches the dinner table. An adversary (random stranger) has received the same alert...and at this point there is only one thing you both can do.

    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.

    1. Re:Take this public!!! NINJA BATTLE by icarusalways · · Score: 2, Funny

      Out from your guts you scream NINJAAAAA BATTTLLLLLLLLE!!!!

      Your scenario sounds like a modern day pokemon epidemic... with ninjas!

  10. It's the Ninja from Bruce Lee! by beej · · 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

  11. Re:Somebody give these guys a job by digmshiphter · · Score: 2, Insightful

    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.

  12. Re:childish toys. by junk · · 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.

  13. The real game... by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

  14. Re:Somebody give these guys a job by JackCroww · · 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.

    --
    "Ayn Rand is a bloody socialist compared to me." - Robert A. Heinlein
  15. Re:Somebody give these guys a job by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 2, Informative

    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

    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-thumb" amounts most experts have agreed upon.

    I personally fall within the majority on the bell curve - I need around 8 hours per night. Sounds like you're in the minority and do well with less.