Hx2 will be an oasis of quiet activity amidst the bustling campsite. A place where the hacking mind can relax, contemplate and deepen the grasp on whatever it is hacking on. Or discuss it on the radio. The Benelux village will host a wide array of activities, from good old fashioned Mario Bros., pacman and Sonic to state of the art microelectronics, from bbq to lounge. The veteran camp-visitor will recognize elements from HAR2009, eth0 and other such gatherings.
Hx2, situated around a central square with a BBQ place in the middle, will be a place of learning. Mitch Altman together with Wim Vandeputte, Jimmy Rodgers and others will be out on their mission to get everyone to hack some electronics together. With 50 stations ready for eager pupils, this promises to be a daunting tasks for our American guests. Adjacent to this hardware hacking tent will be the mobile fablab: the fablabtruck. Here you can use a lasercutter or cnc mill to sculpt something to contain your electronic creations. Or perhaps make your own t-shirts. Or use the 3d-printer to prototype your next revolutionary three-way rotational axle diverter.
If, after that, you need some relaxation, be sure to spend some time in the famous eth0 lounge: with a whole lot of beanbags and lounge couches you can let your mind wander while listening to some soft background soundscapes. From there, you have a lot of choices. You could, for example, take a look in the retro-gaming tent, where you can enjoy a game on the more modern nintendo consoles, the classic commodore c64 and amiga 500 or an older atari 2600 (and more, much much more).
Also within stones-throw distance from the lounge you will find an interactive video-installation, where the kinect is employed to emerge oneself into a virtual environment. Yet, somewhere in another direction, you will find Binary Voice teaming up with Signal (hackerspace radio). Spread out over two tents, the event radio station is broadcasting 24/7 during the event. You might want to stop and listen, walk in and participate or maybe even create your own show. And watch out for our roaming reporter! Is he bringing peanut butter sandwiches or pointed questions???
All in all, a lot to choose from. And that is without even mentioning yet what the various participating hackerspaces will contribute to the overall BeNeLux village. Brought to you by the Hxx foundation (’the HAR2009 people’), eth0 (from eth0), the Belgium hackerspaces and Syn2cat. We are looking forward to an interesting time, a meeting of kindred spirits, interesting conversations and last but not least: awesome parties. There will even be a lasershow over the weekend!