The arrested teenager, who was allegedly involved in the attacks on websites of MasterCard and other companies that obstructed Wikileaks‘ activities, was known to visit the hackerspace and was a regular in its online chatroom. This is what motivated members of Revelation Space to bring attention to the subject of ‘ethical hacking’.

Disrupting websites with a ‘Distributed Denial of Service’ attack (DDoS) or by any other means does not align with the ethics of the hacker community. Koen Martens, founder of Revelation Space, responds to the actions of Anonymous, ‘I liken a Denial of Service attack to slapping someone in the face when you run out of arguments to prove someone wrong.’

A hacker is a creative and curious individual, someone who wants to find out how things work and perhaps tries to find flaws in their design. An ethical hacker will act responsibly with the knowledge gained and will not abuse this knowledge. An ethical hacker is aware of the consequences of his or her actions, or the sharing of the gained knowledge, and will always strive to operate within the boundaries of law.

As such, the attacks on sites such as MasterCard have nothing to do with hacking. Anyone can download, install and start a computer program in order to become part of a coordinated online crime. There is no creativity involved: DDoS attackers generally use existing tools without realising how these work.

Although legal action is part of a proper response to the action of this minor ‘script kiddie’, it must be acknowledged, that everyone has made mistakes in their youth they are not proud of. The young man and his accomplices should not be excluded from the community. They should be shown a better way to reach a goal. One of the hackerspace’s members admits, that as a teenager he also did not always consider the consequences of his actions, and explains, ‘What really helped me was the interaction with real hackers, people with a sense of ethics. We can do much more for this young man in the context of hacker ethics, than the people who raise him.’

The event will be held on Saturday, December 18th, from 12.30 till 06.00 PM CET, at the Revelation Space hackerspace, Binckhorstlaan 172, Den Haag, The Netherlands. The meeting is organised in cooperation with the Hxx Foundation, the Utrecht hackerspace Randomdata, and the Dutch chapter of the international hacker collective 2600.

Contributing to the meeting will be, amongst others: IT lawyers Arnoud Engelfriet (ICTRecht) and Walter van Holst (Mitopics, EDRi board member), internet journalist Brenno de Winter (NU.nl, Webwereld.nl, The Security Update podcast), veteran hacker Hans van de Looy (Madison Gurkha), and Jurre van Bergen (ethical hacker with a special interest in government sites).

Everyone is invited to this session. Members of the press are explicitly invited to attend. Please note that the main language will be Dutch.

Yeah, it’s that time of the year again – Vienna has been turning from the sinister city covered in grey light and fog to the blooming summer oasis it’s designed to be, and people overflow with glee (or so do we, at least)! Time to be looking forward to PlumberCon 10, probably one of the snugliest and neighborliest hacker conferences ever heard of.

So what exactly should you be looking forward to, you might ask?
In fact, it’s hard to tell. In one paragraph of lifeless and almost anti-emotional text, that is. What could be mentioned, for instance, is that there’s not only gonna be a ton of interesting talks by speakers from all around the globe (which I’m really really excited about btw), but also multiple hands-on workshops and trainings. Presenters you’ll meet at PlumberCon 10 include neighbors like Mitch Altman, Jimmie P. Rodgers, Jeff Gough, Barry van Kampen, Kugg, Allessio Pennasilico, or Mike Kemp. Topics range from Information Warfare to fun with microcontrollers.
Basically, one could call it a schnuffeliges meeting of a very large family… I happen to call it a hacker con (but that’s just me )

Now, as of the bare basics I haven’t mentioned yet:
PlumberCon 10 will be held at WerkzeugH in Vienna, Austria from Friday, July 09th – Sunday, July 11th in the year of the hacker 2010. You can still register for the 3rd round of early bird tickets at the registration site until the end of the month, and I’d advise every hackerspace member to use the promo code ‘neighborliness flows’ to get a reduction on the ticket price – that, already as it is, will not lead us to profit but only cover a part of our expenses ^.^
Don’t forget to sign up for trainings beforehand wherever you find this requirement mentioned.

In any way, if you’re in town, make sure not to miss the epoque kick-off party on Friday night, where Phonoelit aka Mumpi and joernchen will provide us with their superior tunez that shall guide us safely through the night!

Make a good hack,
/astera

Back in 2008 at The Last HOPE, we said that Hackerspaces were possible everywhere and your excuses are invalid.  We had an awesome Hackerspace Village and Hardware Hacking Area, and provided inspiration to hundreds of folks who would go on to build their own Hackerspaces all over the world.

It’s now 2010.  Hackerspaces are everywhere and our rallying cry from 2008 has been heard all over the world.  Spaces that kicked off the movement like NYCResistor and HacDC have matured and moved into larger quarters and spawned very successful startups from Open Source ideas.  Spaces like Hive76 and AlphaOne Labs have proven that big cities need more than one Hackerspace.  Now that we’re well on our way to “Hackerspaces Everywhere!”, we think it’s time to change the cry to “Hackerspaces Forever!”

“Hackerspaces Forever!” is the theme of The Hackerspace Village at The NEXT Hope and the panel discussion taking place at the next hope.  In addition to a Hardware Hacking Area that’s in a prime position in the Mezzanine level, we have an awesome group of speakers lined up to tell you how their Hackerspaces are working on growing, expanding and being around for a very long time:

Mitch Altman (Noisebridge, San Francisco, USA)
Mitch likes to trick people into doing what they love to do

Sean Bonner (Crashspace, Los Angeles, USA / HackspaceSG, Singapore)
We’re not really sure what Sean Bonner does, but it’s awesome.

Johannes Grenzfurthner (hackbus.at, Vienna, Austria)
Writer, artist, director, DIY researcher

Markus “fin” Hametner (Metalab, Vienna, Austria)
Less serious than Nick Farr

Alexander Heid (HackMiami, Miami, FL, USA)
President, HackMiami and Co-Chair of South Florida OWASP

Nathan “JimShoe” Warner (Makers Local 256, Huntsville, AL, USA)
Former Chairman, Charter Member of Makers Local 256

Matt Joyce (NYC Resistor, Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Once Banned from HOPE, twice spoken at HOPE

Carlyn Maw (Crashspace, Los Angeles, CA, USA)
Crashpace Cat Herder and canonical source of awesomeness

Far McKon (Hive 76, Philadelphia, PA, USA)
Co-Founder of Hive76, Instigator of weird and interesting projects, and a ginger

psytek (Alpha One Labs, Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Inventor and engineer currently building a Flying Saucer at Alpha One Labs.

The “Hackerspaces Forever!” panel will be moderated by Nick Farr.

We hope to see you at The Next HOPE!

2nd, 3rd, 4th (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) October 2009, Palazzolo Acreide, at the misterious center “Lisbeth Salander” in the Palazzolo Acreide countryside

It’s Poetry! It’s Art, IT’S DELIRIUM!
IT’S ALL AND NOTHING, YIN AND YANG,
GOPHER and ARCHIE!

http://dyne.org/tcpc
http://poetry.freaknet.org/static/tcpc9

Now at the 9th edition, the “Troppo Caffe’ Poco Cervello” (too much coffee, too little brain) it’s a cultural and scientific happening that lasts three days where people from all over the world (and beyond) are meeting in Palazzolo Acreide and via the internet to share experiences, research, culture, poetry, art and science with the intention to create new and beautiful things to donate to the community.

This edition will have people from all Sicily and also foreign guests committed in advanced programming sessions, dissertations for beginners, scientific experiments, sumptuous lunches, enormous dinners and sleepless nights dedicated to the passion for computer science.

Poems will be read, poems will be written, everything and nothing will be discussed, weeds will be weeded, new weeds will be planted, debates will happen, decisions will be taken, all and nothing will be done!

Everyone can join, the important thing is to leave the brain at home and bring a lot of coffee!

For further details check the link above!

A lot of people including me were disappointed that we were not able to make it on what is know known as a auspicous trip. Now with a turn of events and where fortune favors the bold, it seems that HoaP is now reborn!

As a phoenix from the ashes, Nick Farr and a few individuals have pulled some strings, made calls, kicked down doors, and overall kicked ass in pulling together HoaP 2 or as I like to call it.

“Hackers On A Plane: Deuce – Euro/Merican Boogaloo”

So here’s the skinny.

There will be three HoaP trips this year. THREE!!!!

1.5 @ ToorCamp (Seattle, WA)

Be at the first American Hacker Camp!

HoaP 1.5 to ToorCamp: June 30 – July 7, 2009: €1,057.00/person

Be part of the first crew of Europeans to experience the first ToorCamp! Join a crew leaving from Frankfurt on June 30 and returning on July 7, 2009.  For €1,057.00 you get:

• Round trip airfare from Frankfurt, Germany to Seattle, Washington
• Relaxation & recuperation day in Seattle on July 1
• Transportation from Seattle to the campsite on July 2
• Paid full admission to ToorCamp
• Tents and sleeping bags provided all days of ToorCamp
• Seattle tour including area hackerspaces and DIY workshops July 6-7

What’s included in this trip?

All airfare, lodging and ground transportation from the airport to the camp is provided.   This includes lodging in Seattle the evenings of July 30, July 1 and July 6.

Your admission to ToorCamp and necessary camping equipment while at ToorCamp is included.  ToorCamp is an outdoor hacker event and we do not have a permanent structure for housing guests the evening of July 2-5.  All workshops, talks, and parties are included.

You have the option of heading directly to the camp and assisting with setup, or spending the days before and after the camp touring about the great Western city of Seattle!  You can go on a tour of area hackerspaces and tech workshops, take in any of Seattle’s wonderful museums, or spend the day relaxing by Puget Sound.

You will also be recognized for your attendance at ToorCamp by the organizers, including a special limited-edition keepsake gift to remember your trip!

OK, so what’s not included?

You are responsible for your meals and sightseeing expenses and incidentals while on the trip.

You are also responsible for your transportation to and from Frankfurt, Germany.  You must be at Frankfurt Airport on June 30 at 10 AM. Once all seats have been sold and names have been confirmed, you will receive your ticket directly from the airline and can make any alternate schedule arrangement directly with them.

Food vendors will be onsite during ToorCamp, and we can make many special dining and sightseeing arrangements for you while in Seattle.  If you are especially budget conscious, we can include a pre-arranged meal package for ToorCamp for an extra $80.00.

Only 10 seats are available for this trip.  Once sold out, they’re gone!

E-mail info@hackersonaplane dot info with any questions!

ToorCamp Tickets

Or if you prefer

This is an especially limited edition trip. You will need to be in New York City on August 4 at 10 AM and you will return to New York City on August 18 by 5 PM. Because we have a group fare, we require all names to be confirmed before tickets can be issued. Please e-mail info@hackersonaplane.info with any questions.

HoaP 1.6 @ Plumbercon (Vienna, Austria)

Vienna, PlumberCon and HAR?  Golden!

Get a big dose of Viennese beauty, be a PlumberCon insider, tour the best hackerspaces in Austria and Germany AND get the HAR experience! Join the Golden Ratio Crew for all the following:

• Round trip airfare from New York City to Vienna
• Accomodations with Metalab members in Vienna and in the lodge at the HAR campsite (yep!  no need to camp!)
• Paid full admission to PlumberCon and HAR
• Hackerspaces tour from Vienna through Germany to the Netherlands
• All HAR site HoaP 2.0 benefits!

Plumbercon/HAR Tickets

And last but not least

2.0 @ HAR (The Netherlands)

Join us as we depart from New York City and head off to experience Hacking at Random 2009. For the same price as two years ago you get:

• Round trip airfare from New York City to Dusseldorf, Germany
• Transportation from Dusseldorf to the HAR campsite
• Paid full admission to HARAccommodations in an on-campsite lodge at the HAR campsite
  • Nights of August 13-16 in a permanent structure
  • Hot showers
  • Sheets and towels included
• The opportunity to mingle with the best and brightest in the global hackerspace community

Note:  The evening of August 17 – 18 is on your own, i.e. not included in the price.  You can join a hackerspaces tour or head out to Amsterdam or do as you like!  Transportation back to Dusseldorf is not included.

You will need to be in New York City on August 12 at 10 AM and you will return to New York City on August 19 by 5 PM. Because we have a group fare, we require all names to be confirmed before tickets can be issued. Please e-mail info@hackersonaplane.info with any questions.

HAR Tickets

As many of you read this I know you can’t wait, and neither can I which is why I already snagged myself a HoaP 2 ticket.

See you in Vierhouten.

Cheers,

-E.

From syn2cat’s wiki post:

What is it about?

On the 15th of March we are going to solder an Serial Arduino Board and a few Velleman Kits to afterwards.
Hack them and make them behave in a different way than originally conceived. (Limited to 10 People! Deadline: 8th of March)

We will provide

There will be approximately 6 full soldering stations
with all the necessary gear (Multimeter, Wirecutter tools, etc…)

These sets will be available FOR SALE. So in case you like what you did
and want to become a REAL Pirate make a future proof investment.

Most of the Kits will be in 3 exemplars, if you are really keen on one, reserve it please.

• A Room (kindly provided by emQue)
• 6 30W Soldering Irons with an adequate Tip and stand (but please bring your own should you have one)
• 6 Third-hands
• 6 Multimeter (again, you have one bring it please)
• 6 Ubuntu Laptops with the Arduino IDE
• Power supplies (some regulated some not, Voltage varies)
• 500g (yeah) of 1mm and 0.7mm Solder
• De-soldering stuff
• Maybe an Oscilloscope (Who can bring one please?)

More details can be found on their wiki.

This event is also a wonderful way to meet the members of syn2cat and possibly even become a member yourself!

Cheers,
/E.

###

Note – This is the press release which we issued to a number of media outlets. You can watch the schedule of events become more refined by subscribing to our calendar or checking the events page. – jur1st

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Cowtown Computer Congress Opens Their Underground Lab

February 26th, 2009. Kansas City, MO – The Cowtown Computer Congress (CCCKC) is happy to announce the opening of their Underground Lab to the public with a full week of events Beginning on March 2nd, the grand opening showcase the rich and vibrant community of creative minds in the Kansas City area. CCCKC, the first organization of its kind in the midwest, will serve the community by providing technology classes, donating unique projects to local organizations and technology assistance to those in need.

The week will kick off on Monday, March 2nd with an open house for individuals and organizations who are interested in learning more about the organization and how they can take advantage the Underground Lab for meetings, classes and other activities.

The creative talents of CCCKC members will be showcased on Wednesday March, 4th. The member project showcase will be followed by a screening of Make:TV, a public television series which will be shown for the first time in the Kansas City area that night. If you’re curious about what CCCKC and the maker culture are all about, this is the night to come be inspired. Projects to be showcased range from alternative methods of energy generation to a labyrinth game which is controlled with the balance board from a Nintendo Wii Fit.

Thursday, March 5th is the regular member meeting where members come together to discuss group projects being developed for donation to local organizations and plan future community service projects like our monthly free computer repair opportunities.

Friday evening will feature a slate of speakers covering topics ranging from improving home security and information management to protecting data from theft while using public wireless internet.

On Saturday the public is invited to take part in a range of free workshops on basic electronics and soldering, e-textiles and Nintendo Wii hacking. All day members will be available to assist members of the public choose, install and configure computers using the free and open source Linux operating system.

About The Cowtown Computer Congress

The Cowtown Computer Congress (CCCKC) is a not for profit technology cooperative founded to advance technology of all kinds. They are a member supported organization providing technology classes, workshops and services to the public free of charge. CCCKC brings together some of the finest minds in midwest to collaborate on research and projects for other local groups. Through their affiliate program, CCCKC gives assistance to specialized technology user groups by providing them with a facility to hold meetings and work on projects of their own.

CCCKC’s Underground Lab is located 85 feet below the surface of the earth at 31st Street and Southwest Trafficway in Kansas City, Missouri.

http://www.cowtowncomputercongress.org

Further inquires should be made to:
press at cowtowncomputercongress.org or to
John Benson – President and Co-Founder
816-332-6389

###

/E.

So recently I had that same question asked but this time, Dave Hoffman of Davemakes.com had brought a video camera.

From Daves’ site
The time has finally come to unveil my secret project. HELLO is a new series of videos about interesting people. This first episode features Eric Michaud, President of Pumping Station: One, a hackerspace opening up in Chicago. I asked him all about what a hackerspace is, and why you should join one.

If you don’t have 15 minutes to spare, check out this quick 90 second preview of the interview.

This is the preview.

Preview of HELLO – Eric Michaud, President of Pumping Station: One from Dave Jacob Hoffman on Vimeo.

I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I do, by doing this blog and building hackerspaces.

Cheers,

/E

Here are some of the details.

******

“We are pleased to announce that the /tmp/lab  will be organizing a Spring Wireless OpenWRT Mesh Contest called “Wireless Battle Mesh” during 2 days (April 11-12th) with the goal of building 3 wireless mesh networks based on embedded hardware running OpenWRT and different concurrent mesh routing protocols.

The targeted architecture will be 3 networks of 25nodes + 1 wireless managment networks (10-20 nodes) to achieve realistic size of nodes number, data traffic, configuration problems. The architecture will be set-up indoor and outdoor around the building of the /tmp/lab.

OpenWRT will be the selected for the BoardSupportPackage running on the different hardware nodes and a core network configuration will be built on Linux servers with user-friendly features such as :
*VLANs
*Captive portal
*Authentication
*Admin portal

Concerning the mesh-protocols, selected targeted protocols are :

*OLSR : IP-based mesh routing platform (http://olsr.org and openWRT package available)

*BATMAN : Layer2-based mesh protocol (http://open-mesh.org) and available as a kernel module for Linux and packaged in OpenWRT

*BABEL : Layer-3 mesh protocol developed by University Paris 6, available for Linux and soon to be packaged for OpenWRT (http://www.pps.jussieu.fr/~jch/software/babel/)

Concerning the hardware node, we are looking for hardware sponsors that could enjoy this “real-case” contest by providing 50-100 nodes……….. More after the jump.

******

Looks to be quite a good time for packet heads and people with a lot of time with Yagi’s.

-E.