DEF CON

DEF CON 18

The 2010 DEF CON edition whose lithographed-aluminum badge used a low-power Kent Displays cholesteric display, USB, role variants, and a polished hackable-jewelry form factor.

Las Vegas, Nevada · United States · 2010

DEF CON 18 Badge

A DEF CON 18 electronic badge built as polished hackable jewelry: lithographed aluminum, a low-power 128x32 Kent Displays cholesteric display, USB connectivity, role variants, and published badge-making materials.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

DEF CON 18 Badge historical

hardware interface

USB hack surface

DEF CON 18 coverage documented USB connectivity as part of the badge's intended hackable interface.

Compatibility: DEF CON 18 Badge

DEF CON 18 Badge historical

identity display

Low-power display role variants

The badge used a persistent low-power 128x32 display and role-colored variants for human, vendor, speaker, contest, goon, press, and uber-style identities.

Compatibility: DEF CON 18 Badge

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

DEF CON 18 Badge note

firmware detail gap · source-backed but incomplete · needs deeper archive recovery

Recovered public sources describe hardware, display, USB, role variants, and production context more clearly than original firmware internals.

The record intentionally avoids detailed firmware claims beyond USB-oriented hackability until stronger primary source is recovered.

DEF CON 18 Badge note

image provenance · Wikimedia Commons metadata · licensed original replacement applied

The DEF CON 18 image uses Samsonswiki's CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons photograph identified as DEF CON 18.

The entry now has a real rights-cleared documentary photo with source URL, license, attribution, and processing notes instead of a generated, placeholder, or uncleared image.

Resources

PCWorld DEF CON 18 badge gallery article · Press source for lithographed aluminum, Kent Displays 128x32 low-power display, USB, role variants, and hackable styling. DEF CON 18 Commons photo licensed photo · Wikimedia Commons source for Samsonswiki's CC BY-SA 4.0 original photograph identified as DEF CON 18. DEFCON 18 badge retrospective slides · Grand Idea Studio retrospective source for DEF CON 18 badge design and production context. DEFCON 18 badge test procedure test procedure · Grand Idea Studio production-test procedure source for manufacturing and functional-check context.

Sources

Grand Idea Studio: DEFCON 18 Badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Production-test source for functional and manufacturing-check context. Grand Idea Studio: The DEFCON 18 Badge: Fifth Time's the Charm Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary slide source for DEF CON 18 design and production context. PCWorld: The Defcon Badge: Sleek, Stylish and Hackable Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Secondary source for lithographed aluminum, Kent Displays 128x32 display, USB, role variants, and Joe Grand design context. Wikimedia Commons: Defcon.jpg Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Image source for the CC BY-SA 4.0 original photo by Samsonswiki, described on Commons as DEF CON 18.