Some of us are going to the:
Electromagnetic Field Camp - Bletchley, 29th - 31st August
"Imagine a camping festival with a power grid and high-speed internet access; a temporary village of geeks, crafters, and technology enthusiasts that's lit up by night, and buzzing with activity during the day. Over a thousand curious people will descend on our friendly open space to learn, share, and talk about what they love.Over a long weekend, you can expect to see a huge variety of talks across three stages, a slew of workshops, as well as music, games, and installations dotted around the site.
At previous events we've heard talks about everything from genetic modification to electronics, blacksmithing to high-energy physics, reverse engineering to lock picking, computer security to crocheting, and quadcopters to brewing.
We're inviting attendees to set up their own villages -- camps within the camp -- where like-minded people can camp together and put on their own activities. Our hard-working team of volunteers will supply you with power and internet to your tent.
Our internet connection -- last time it was 380 megabits, this time we're aiming for much more -- will be beamed in from a datacenter nearby, and distributed to your tent by (hopefully) the most reliable conference WiFi network you'll ever use, housed in a series of specially repurposed high-tech portaloos.
You'll also be able to take advantage of our well-stocked bar selling great beer, cider, and soft drinks at distinctly non-festival prices. Sadly we can't get hold of the motorway bridge that housed the bar at our last site.
When you arrive, you'll be issued with an attendee badge unlike any you've seen before. Our badge is a full-blown Arduino-powered computer with an LCD screen and wireless connectivity. During EMF, you'll be able to view the schedule of talks on your badge. After the event, instead of sitting in a drawer, it's fully reprogrammable to do whatever you want. If you don't know how, you can learn at the event!
What makes Electromagnetic Field unique is that everything is created by attendees like you. The entire event -- stewarding, water, electricity, internet, stages, toilets, and the bar -- is organised by a dedicated team of volunteers, and everyone who turns up does their part to make the event an amazing place to be for a weekend. We're a non-profit organisation, so every penny you spend on your ticket goes towards making the event happen.
Expect to run into spork-making workshops, bottle rocket launches, high altitude balloon releases, ad-hoc music installations and so much more.
We hope we've given you a taste of what EMF is all about, but you have to be there to experience it all. Tickets are on sale now -- if you miss out on it this year, our next festival won't be until 2016.
If you want to get involved, you can propose a talk, workshop, or installation, or join our team of volunteers to help build an amazing festival."
tWitter: @emfcamp