I Visited Niland, The Salton Sea, and Slab City.

Niland CA - Beach Sunset

I traveled to The Salton Sea to meet some of the alternative communities and see the incredible artwork coming from the area.  Also it’s a great place to get in some drone flights.

Niland CA - flooded streets Niland CA - Art Niland CA - Beach Niland CA - Beach Art Niland CA - Beach Art Niland CA - Beach Art Niland CA - Beach Art - Phone Booth of Love Niland CA - Beach Art - Bus Stop Niland CA - ArtworkNiland CA - Artwork and be3n credit: https://instagram.com/Christi.lugtu
Outside of the town of Niland sits the remains of a Camp Dunlap (commissioned in 1942).  All that remain are the concrete slabs that give Slab City its name.  Since the 1980s people have been camping there for free.  Now a few permanent encampments and even a few event venues exist.  There is no water or electricity or any other government services.  There is an eBike rental place, an internet cafe, a Hostel, a Library, and the East Jesus art exhibition.

Continue reading “I Visited Niland, The Salton Sea, and Slab City.”

@defcon just retweeted me!

In a tweet by @todayininfosec we were all reminded of this day in 1999 when @Dildog and the cDc crew presented Back Orifice 2000 (BO2K) to a delighted crowd at Defcon 7.  It was quite a show complete with music, projectors, lights, lasers, and even a Speak-n-Spell.  It was a lot of fun, and i was elated to be there. i replied early with my memories, but then i remembered that i had found some photos while cleaning. . .so i posted them. These were film prints from an instamatic (as was the style at the time), so they didn’t come out great!  they do offer a tiny keyhole through which we may peer into the past.  i am glad it is bringing joy.  Then @defcon (the official conference account) retweeted. *blush*

Defcon Retweets Me

 

Defcam 2.0 Preparation and more from Defcon 27!

DC27 Defcam2 - link UP

So I did not “complete” my hat until very late Friday when i finally got it to announce its link status on its new set of 14 segment displays.  It performed admirably all weekend.  Thanks to Paul for safely transporting it to and from Vegas. I must also thank Stephen for his late night help on Wednesday. (tacos are not enough)  Without his amazing soldering, i’d still be trying to figure out what i had done wrong.  Here are some pictures from that night and the con to follow. . .

DC27 Defcam - Return to operationDC27 Defcam2 - PreparationDC27 Defcam2 - new headerDC27 Defcam2 - PrototypingDC27 Defcam2 - CompleteDC27 Flight - Solar CollectorsDC27 - Nixie Badge
DC27 Villages - Rogues Village - Shuffle TheoryDC27 Talks - Detecting Mac MalwareDC27 Villages - Hacking a BoatDC27 - Badge Rick
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Status update:

I’m back in Vegas for Defcon and it’s going swimmingly. so much so that i might get some actual swimming in.

Patrick Wardle Speaking at Defcon 27Thanks to the late night help of Professor Franklin i have improved and redeployed the Defcam!be3n at defcon 27 with defcam streaming hat?

Visiting iFixit and finally fixing my laptop!

be3n at the iFixit set

I got the full tour, the place is amazing and far tidier then any workshop I have been in. They have pieces for nearly everything and almost everything in pieces. I got to try out their tools. I even touched their flame thrower!

iFixit’s Boring Conpany flame thrower

It turns out this little bugger was the cause of all my problems or at least my technical ones. Once I got this guy replaced, my 2011 MacBook Pro was back kicking ass. Thanks Daniel you are awesome!

MacBook Pro 13-Inch SATA cable

I brought this gift to show my appreciation, I hope you like it. It is TechStep diagnostic tool from Apple for testing and diagnosing vintage Macs. I don’t even remember what i traded it for nearly 20 years ago, but i never once used it. I hope you enjoy it and maybe even do something cool with it. I cannot wait to come back.

Apple TechStep Diagnostic Tool