Meet Ninja Tel, Def Con’s van-powered pirate cell phone network

Def Con’s much-loved Ninja Badge game has become a staple of the world-famous hacker convention, taking place this weekend in Las Vegas. In the past, the hackable circuit board badges acted as invitations to Def Con’s annual VIP Ninja Party, allowing guests to socialize and earn points and virtual items by “attacking” others in close proximity. This year, the team of volunteers behind the game have taken it several steps further: they’ve built Ninja Tel, their own pirate cell phone network that runs out of a van parked inside the Rio’s convention center.