ToorCon

[Deviant Ollam]

so maybe this year i'll finally get my ass out to ToorCon. time and time again folk ask me to join them there and i always feel burned out from DefCon. this year, however, i seem to have a lot of energy left. (Heh, we'll see if i still feel that way after traveling to Malaysia and Norway to speak in September)

however, how many people here think they will be going? also, does anyone have any updated info... the web site doesn't have loads of facts and figures. it seems like their CFP is somehow open through this coming month? is that possible? maybe i'll submit one of my physical security presentations. heh, it's almost like i've spoken there already when you consider that the Lockpicking talk last year pretty much completely consisted of my images, my animations, and all the same notes, facts, and points that i've been using in my presentations since 2003.

just watching the video that i found on the site this morning, i have to say i was pretty irked to hear the speaker during the bump key section (32 minutes in) when he was showing the animation with billiard balls... "and this is totally color-coordinated, i really have my shit together with this talk"... yeah, you're a real leeto burrito with your multimedia skills, considering it was i who photoshopped and animated those images while sitting in an airport terminal on a layover in chicago. but thanks for taking credit for them... i'm glad it made you look good on stage while you tripped over technical terms and pronunciation of product names through the whole talk. grrr. ok, this turned into a mini-rant and i wasn't expecting that at all. sorry.

back on topic...

i would like to try to make it to ToorCon but don't seem to be finding any details online... anyone know the reg costs, the hotel where most folk stay while out there, etc?

[noid]

Re: ToorCon

I think I will be able to return to Toorcon this year, as research is now part of my job.

[Abby_Normal]

Re: ToorCon

Tre and I will be there since we live in SD and all.

I've always enjoyed small cons, I find I actually learn more at them.

[erehwon]

Re: ToorCon

http://www.toorcon.org/intro.php

ToorCon, now in its 9th year running, is San Diego's hacker conference bringing together the top security experts to present their new tricks of the trade and have fun in the sunny and beautiful city of San Diego. This year ToorCon will be taking place again at the Convention Center on October 19th-21st, 2007.

Mind you I'd love to know where the show hotel is, if there are any codes for reduced prices on hotels and airfare, and any other tidbits of information as most of my trips to San Diego take place in North County, and rarely downtown.

Inquiring minds want to know...

[theprez98]

Re: ToorCon

it seems like their CFP is somehow open through this coming month? is that possible?

Looks that way. Also interesting:

we will be accepting all of our talks this year as 20 min talks and depending on scheduling, some of the talks may be asked to be extended to 50 min.

And also

Special consideration will be given to papers addressing the following topics:

* Reverse Engineering
* Protocol Analysis
* Cryptography
* Hardware Hacks
* Anything related to the number 9

Interesting. I think I could come up with a pretty interesting presentation about a particular number.

Also hotels within range of the SDCC here

[ck3k]

Re: ToorCon

I am also planning on making this my first year at toorcon, however I have yet to see any detail about the venue or if we need to buy tickets ahead of time.

[selenakyle]

Re: ToorCon

I might be going. Depends on the results of the CFP -- doesn't close for another few weeks, though.

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: ToorCon

can any of the ToorCon veterans speak up here? there must be certain hotels that folks favor. what about admission, does anyone know the details on that point? jeez... the web site's so cryptic and lacking in facts, i think i know more about PumpCon than this event.

[octalpus]

Re: ToorCon

The usual negotiated rate hotel is the Horton Grand. Unfortunately, it's not quite as Grand as they'd want you to think. It's also not nearly as close as the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, which is right next door to the convention centre. Unlike many other cons, there is not a huge centre of activity surrounding the "official" hotel. You have the events at the convention centre, a party or two at nearby clubs or hotels (generally a hotel much nicer than the Horton Grand), and dinner/frolicking around the Gaslamp Quarter.

IMNSHO, grab a room at the Marriott if you're worried about not getting a room. Otherwise, just site tight til more info is added. It isn't until mid-October this year and this isn't anywhere near the scale of Defcon. You'll find that the cost is reasonably low (although this touristy area of SD is quite expensive for rooms, food, etc) and doesn't sell out at the same pace as other cons.

[kallahar]

Re: ToorCon

Toorcon is great. This one year.... well, ask me at con :) The con is usually at the SD convention center, the after party is usually across the street, and there's not really an official "con hotel" since the convention is not in a hotel.

Many of the same speakers at DefCon also give their speeches at Toorcon and Layer1, so I usually try to catch the talks that I miss at defcon at these smaller cons. It's much easier to get to know people at the smaller cons simply because there is less people around.

We get in from LA on friday after work (getting in around 7:30pm), then head home on the last train sunday night. I've heard that the sunday night parties are pretty good though.

Kallahar

[LosT]

Re: ToorCon

I sent a bunch of my guys last year (even though I couldn't make it)-

A talk about numbers eh? Interesting...

LosT

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: ToorCon

Well then... i'll announce here (or should it go in ride and room sharing? probably here, since we're not talking DefCon logistics) that i plan to make a serious attempt to get to ToorCon and to do it on the cheap. if anyone is interested in splitting a room a number of ways (say, four or five other people -- maybe more if the Marriott has suites) shoot me a PM. if i know you well enough to trust you around my stuff, i'm all for it. don't be offended if i decline your offer, tho... doesn't mean i think you're uncool, just means that i have a lot of expensive lockpick shit i may be bringing.

[theprez98]

Re: ToorCon

It would be so nice to get back to San Diego...

[Gadsden]

Re: ToorCon

I went last year and had a great time.. I hope to go again this year. It all depends on how things goes with work, folks visiting, etc.

[DJ Jackalope]

Re: ToorCon

I've been twice. Both times I had a blast.

Today I asked for the days off for work, but the mentality at my job is "you're going to another one of those hacker conferences? those people need to get out of their parents basements and get a life..." I didn't know about this attitude until I asked for the days off and gave my reason, now I know to never mention that I go to security conferences at my ISP again. *sigh*

Right now its mostly dependent on money and seeing if my bosses get over that. I don't understand how you can work at an ISP and have that attitude...who protects the network? I only work about 22 hrs a week and don't have much cacheflowe.

Downside of Toorcon? Hotels cost a fucking fortune.