Hardware hacking transforms from mysterious craft to accessible art form in this captivating conversation with Dennis Pelton, whose electronic creations blend security education with playful innovation. At the center of our discussion is Dennis's remarkable business card—a seemingly ordinary rectangle concealing a microchip with his encrypted resume, challenging potential employers to demonstrate their technical prowess before accessing his credentials. "You are exactly the type of person that I want to work with," reads the message that awaits successful hackers, "the type of person who has the drive and motivation to do all of this just for the sheer fun of it."

What began as pandemic self-education has evolved into a passion for creating electronic puzzles that serve as both teaching tools and community builders. Dennis walks us through his growing collection of custom conference badges, including his star-shaped Wild West Hackfest creation that broadcasts its own Wi-Fi network for practicing hacking techniques, and his upcoming "Egru Vash" badge for B-Sides Tampa featuring LED eyes that visually indicate deauthentication attacks. For DEF CON, he's preparing electronic "fox hunt" transmitters to hide throughout the venue and oversized ESP8266 development boards designed specifically for younger attendees.

The conversation reveals a maker whose motivation extends beyond technical achievement to community building and knowledge sharing. Dennis prices his creations affordably—frequently giving many away—because his true reward comes from watching others engage with hardware hacking concepts. His future projects include potential workshops at maker spaces, hardware hacking villages at conferences, and even a cheeky experiment involving hidden "rubber ducky" USB devices at DEF CON to test security awareness. Connect with Dennis on Twitter and Mastodon as C0LDBRU to follow his latest creations and perhaps snag one of his unique badges at an upcoming security conference.