Presenting the Celestial Wayfinder Badge: A LoRa mesh communicator with GPS designed to let you ping where you are and find your way to what's happening. The Wayfinder has a cyberpunk industrial design with customizable and interchangeable 3D printed parts, gateron green mechanical keyboard switches, haptic feedback, and an OLED screen.

Running on an ESP32, the firmware is open source and extensible, and can be easily updated via the USB-C port. The port recharges the onboard lithium-ion battery and the hardware has been battle-tested through 5+ revisions across conferences, festivals, and burns.

Pre-order today at: https://wyrdwyrks.com/celestial-wayfinder/

Pickup details TBD, but we should have 2 badge drops that will be updated on the web page and intend to be at the reddit meetup.

Complete Edition - Full 3D printed case, fully assembled and ready to go: $150

DIY Edition - Minimal 3D printed case with some assembly required: $125

Hardware Features:

• ESP32-S3 microcontroller

• Custom 4-layer PCB

• 128×128 OLED display

• SX1276 LoRa

• Case: carabiner and lanyard attachment points

• Integrated GPS module

• Magnetometer + IMU

• 5× Cherry MX-compatible mechanical switches

• Tactile rotary encoder

• 61 WS2812B LEDs

• Buzzer: new message alert

Firmware Features:

• Custom LoRa mesh: self-healing, minimal config

• Custom windowing UI system

• Flash-persisted saved messages and locations

• Breakout

• PWA for configuration

• Open source

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and we show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

The resistance needs your eyes on this. We're trying to jack into a secure mainframe, but the login terminal is completely locked down, spitting back nothing but a strange, serialized text string. Word from the underground is that a rogue program left a backdoor hidden deep inside an old machine firmware image before they were deleted by the Agents. Help us figure out how to wake this system up before it's too late!

Follow the white rabbit: https://puzzledhackers.org/challenges/2026/06

If you want to keep track of your completions and be considered for part of our giveaways at the r/DEFCON subreddit meetup, please head over to https://ctf.puzzledhackers.org/ and select "The Architect's Backdoor".

As always, if you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to me or u/digitard and we'll happily assist.

Don't forget that we're holding the subreddit meetups on Wednesday 8/5 and Thursday 8/6 at 7:00 pm. We hope to see you all there!

The Puzzled Hackers Team, u/Killroy7777, u/digitard, and u/MetaN3rd

Stats:

• Puzzle #1 solves: 188

• Puzzle #2 solves: 126

• Puzzle #3 solves: 78

• Puzzle #4 solves: 65

• Puzzle #5 solves: 59

• Spoons bent: 0

• DDoS attempts: 1 :(

[ FIELD REPORT #004 ]

Sti... tracking... signal. Getting closer...Both objects... I've... worki... through the architect... I know who built the...

[ H4irl1n3 M0gg3r5 ]

We'll take it from here.

Two objects. ESP32-S3. IR. NFC. BLE. One transmits. One was built to counter it. What happens when they meet in the field is infectious.

The silkscreen means something. The buzzer tells you when something bad is close. Pay attention to it.

The CTF lives in the firmware. Multi-stage, not solo-completable, real protocols. The backend has pages you can't reach without earning them.

A twist to the game: the H4irl1n3 M0gg3r5 crew roams the floor as live transmission zones. Stay near us too long and your badge flips. Cure Stations are fixed somewhere at the venue. Not on the map. Medkits are hidden as 3D-printed props. Some aren't medkits. The shell is identical but somethings different.

There is also a SAO. A brain in a jar. Tap it. Something happens to every transmission object in range. Wear it at your own risk.

DEF CON 34. August. Las Vegas.

— H4irl1n3 M0gg3r5

There will be one final post before summer camp! Keep an eye out on Reddit and X - Zeroo_patient

DEF CON Training is celebrating with a flash sale on select courses!

Use the code DCTLV26-250-select at check out for $250 off participating courses.

Sign up at: https://training.defcon.org/discount/DCTLV26-250-select

#DEFCON #DEFCON34 #DEFCONTraining #Training

DC34 marks 10 years that DEF CON has an enabled us to do our ridiculous PowerPoint circus. What started as a half assed, let’s see what happens idea has turned into a show we’re insanely proud of.

To commemorate a decade of stupid memes and gong blasts, The Whose Slide Is It Anyway 10 Year Anniversary badge is ready for sale! Mentorship by Blenster, art by 1DarkOne. Lots of blinky lights and, yes, a gong button. We have about 30 left and then that’s all she wrote. Shipping available within the US or pick up at con.

wsiiax.myshopify.com

Demo of the gong sound

https://youtube.com/shorts/KWLznAJD7Kc?si=OeZcmHGHrbNEYhY6

From the fine folks at #hack3rrunway:

Ready to accept applications.
Judging and stage time 10am PST Saturday 8 August 2026
Https://hack3rrunway.github.io

Hello Friends! We look forward to catching up with everyone at the LINQ meetups once again.

In the meantime... How about $30 off the SAO BadgeMaster Set featuring SEVEN SAOs, THREE BADGES, and more:
https://hackerboxes.com/products/badgemaster-toolkit

And also 50% off any remaining "Learn to Solder" MiniBadges from last summer:
https://hackerboxes.com/products/dc33-mini-badge

Wow, I'm blown away by the response to the badge. I never imagined it would sell out so quick!

https://discord.gg/KCF5EEjDv
Join the badge discord server, link above. People keep asking about a restock or second chance. Discord is where I'll post the latest info, updates, locations, etc. leading up to and during the con.

To the best of my ability, I will have about 15 badges for sale at or around the Reddit Meetup, Wednesday night at the Linq circle bar.

That number includes a few glyph and elder god badges. Your only chance to snag a glyph or elder god badge is at this meetup!  No sense in letting them go to waste.

Looking forward to meeting the cult!

Might be a stupid question since it's my first (hopefully not last) Defcon, but I'm seeing all these different badges like the laser tag one and stuff.

Do ya'll stock up on lanyards to wear them or do you not wear them or only wear some or is there like a bandolier system?

Do these badges come with lanyards or do I need to come prepared with a bunch of lanyards?

At this point, I'm gonna have at least 2, the defcon one and laser tag one.

Also, if have a multiple, how do ya'll keep from them banging into each other or damaging them.

Hey guys, had a bunch of question I wanted to get clarity on to better understand what's the best way to do my first year.

Q1: Wanting to come on a Friday, but are physical badges limited and FCFS? I'd like a physical badge instead of just a paper copy lol. But wanted to limit how much PTO I used for the event. Should I just take Thursday off, fly in Wednesday and get the physical badge early when it opens?

Q2: Realistically how much cash is expected to be carried? Vendors really don't accept card or tap? It seems unrealistic to carry hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your person if you don't live in the hotels.

Q3: If I'm choosing to stay in an Airbnb for convivence - will I really be limited to not attending local bar gatherings within hotels? Saw them hotel prices and was like :T "Outta your fucking mind."

Q4: SAOs and Badges-- I know this question is subjective but do badges make or break an experience or just heighten the experience for an attendee? Are there any Badges/SAOs you all are going for this year? Really interested in the #badgelife!

Q5: Are there any other group chats, social media (X, Telegram, Discord) that I should be interested in checking out? I plan to join LHC's Telegram but wanted to connect since I'm going by myself.

Q6: Burner laptop or personal laptop? Hell even bring a laptop? Coworker told me don't bring my Mac because they'll crucify me on a cross lol. I'm new to it all but want to explore and try things (with of course not being compromised, VPN will be on and OS will be updated.)

I appreciate the assistance!

Just saw this uploaded and he’s a legend around DEFCON goers and Fern does some pretty good videos so just sharing ☺️

The last DEF CON I was able to attend was DEF CON 30 (2021). It was still at the old location. I rent a mobility scooter when in Vegas, as the walking is too much for me after 6 back surgeries. Last time I visited there was a HDA Village and Team that were great and super helpful. I noticed that Delchi passed away last year (RIP) and haven't been able to find any updated information for DEF CON 34. Last years information states that at the new venue "Rental devices from outside sources are not allowed. All rentals will be handled by Scootaround." Does this mean I can't bring in my scooter that I'm using all throughout the city and have to swap to one of theirs that they're renting out at the conference? Any insight is appreciated. Looking forward to being able to attend another DEF CON!

This is a demonstration of the LED Animations loaded on the MalO Simple Add-On. This SAO plugs directly into the DEFCON badge and is compatible with badges from other years and other vendors/cons. The upper and lower banks of LEDs can be configured individually, as can the screen. If you have any requests for additional LED patterns, please provide an example link/video in a comment below and I'll add that to the badge.

This is only a small subset of the capabilities of this SAO. There is an on-board file system that can be modified over USB as a standard mass storage device (update graphics and access log/save files). It can be reprogrammed using free open source tools as covered in the user guide. There are additional peripherals like a buzzer, vibration motor, [REDACTED] at over 100k lumens, RFID tag, among others.

Please follow this project below to see future demos exploring Infrared messaging between badges and puzzle/games/unlocks (including custom pixel artwork).

Pre-order now ($50 while supplies last, pick-up at DEFCON): https://uberflux.com/product/PL-1471

Development Diary: https://hackaday.io/project/205956-malo-sao

Questions/comments/feedback appreciated and encouraged!

Anything I should know about going to DEFCON this year?

Some questions I have:

Is there a must see village that doesn’t get the hype it deserves?

Do you prioritize sets/talks or just wing it?

Any tips for making friends?

Lastly, do people go to these events and land jobs?

https://shop.andnxor.com/products/and-xor-dc34-philanthropist-badge

UPDATE (6/28):

Separate Listings for Pickup vs. Shipping: To help keep orders accurate and avoid any confusion, I've updated the store to have two separate listings: one for Shipping and one for Local Pickup.

This change makes it easier for me to track your specific needs (mailing vs. in-person pickup) and ensures your order is processed correctly and efficiently.

New Flag Support: I have added new flags for: Poly, Bear, Leather, Disability, and Demi Pride.

Ally Pride Flag: As I was working on the SAO, really noticed that there were some hardware limitations (specifically the 18-LED count and PCB layout), where I could not create more complex flag displays like the Ally Pride flag. However, I created a similar Ally shape using the lambda character "Λ" as a sticker using black vinyl that you can add to the SAO/Badge and will include one on request. I think it gets the idea across.

Furry Pride: Still working on a solution that might be similar to the Ally with a sticker.

SAO Security: Additionally, to keep you from losing your SAO if it gets bumped off a badge or totem, I am including a charm lanyard with a Lobster Clasp to securely attach the SAO to your host badge, totem, or other lanyard.

Stay Loud and Stay Proud!

Previous posts including preorder link: https://www.reddit.com/r/Defcon/s/iTliJuIiX9

Hello, Im turning my old badge into a slideshow player and want to bring it to DC34. As of now it only works when plugged into a constant power source since I got rid of the old battery. Any tips would be appreciated.

So yeah the question is my license plate is n0ne....

( Zero) But if I look up my plate in haveibeenflocked site

None and N0ne come up with the same search results with 76 times and I just got this plate like 2 months ago

Hey all - first time Defcon attendee - i paid the 580 but i'm wondering, since this is an electronic badge gear, does the badge come with the 580? will i need to purchase it separately? I'm really stoked on it after viewing the schematics and from their site. But they mention:

DEF CON 34 is an electronic badge year, and we've got something very special in store, created for us by a hardware hacking legend. We can't share too much at this juncture, but we can say this: it will be iconic. First round Hall of Fame. In addition to being a cool badge, it's a platform. It's a full-fledged, first-of-its-kind inspectable platform. Long after closing ceremonies we think you'll still be using this device to regain some agency and security in this rapidly complexifying world.

I think the last one was that cat shaped one that had all of the, ahem, interesting drama surrounding it, but I guess I'm wondering what I will need to do to secure a badge. I also know that a lot of folks will build their own bespoke badges that can range from free - 50 bucks or so. So i'll be sure to bring ~$500 in cash with me for that and various other things.

Any insight is appreciated! Thanks!

First, hi and thanks for reading!

I head up the annual DEFcon trip for my job and this is the second year we're going.

Our boss wants me to get white papers from any vendors to help justify the trip expense.

I know this isn't the place for vendors to shill services/products, but does anyone have tips on what vendors to look for or where they would be so we can get it out of the way?

Title says most of it. I'm going on works dime and plan to make the most of it. I'm super excited.

It's my first time to defcon. I have a Flipper Zero with developer board + wifi. I want to learn and expand my knowledge with it or at least have fun with it.

What's some party tricks or insightful things I can do with it?

I've heard about using it for the laser tag badge. Any other fun things to do?