InnoTech Austin 2026

I checked out a book of essays by Kurt Vonnegut from my local library. Speaking at college graduation ceremonies through the 1990s, Kurt Vonnegut said that you need about fifty people in your life, not “electronic ghosts” but real people. So, I had an additional reason to attend InnoTech Austin. I had not been to an InnoTech conference in too many years. (See “Previously” below.) Celebrating the start of its third decade, this year’s convention was for computer security professionals. I had a great time meeting people and their companies, and talking with them about their products and services. 

This year’s host was The HT Group, a recruiting,
staffing, and management consulting agency.
They had three tables. 

"In one focused day, Austin InnoTech creates an environment where education, innovation, peer-to-peer networking, and the latest technology and business solutions are all available specifically for IT & security professionals."

Entering the hall, the first people I met were Hannah Webster
and Will Arnett from Alias Digital Forensics.

Among the team sent by Genius Road of Dallas was
Associate Account Manager, Catherine Diaz.

To encourage circulation, there was a “Passport” game.
Completed itineraries were dropped into box from which
randomly selected winners were dawn.

Loren Woeber, VP at WiCyS: Women in Cyber Security
greeted many interested visitors.

Diane Kenyon and Jazmen Wright from 
Austin Women in Technology
 staffed a table at the Entrance. 

Red Hat was a major sponsor.
They handed out red leis that were popular. 

They say, "Apex sits at the center
of retail investing infrastructure,
supporting millions of accounts across hundreds of clients.
We see what investors buy, sell, and hold—in real time,
across four generational cohorts." Apex FinTech Solutions
cites $265 Billion in assets under custody,
over 40 million brokerage accounts plus another
119 million cost-based accounts. 

There was a lot of active listening.

Contrary to the assertion of Google's AI Overview, the 
conference was held at the PALMER EVENT CENTER at
Barton Springs Road and Riverside Drive.

PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS

InnoTech Austin 2015  

BSides Austin 2023 

Austin Astro Public Star Party

ArmadilloCon 47 Part 3 

(ISC)^2 Holiday Dinner 2018 

Pedernales Falls Public Star Party 12 August 2023

About a dozen of us Austin Astronomical Society club members were there with instruments. The Perseid meteor shower was the main event. Advance publicity across social media promised the best live sky spectacle of the year; judging from the oohs and aahs of the crowd starting at first darkness, the promise came true. I left at 11:15 PM. As a regular backyard enthusiast, I see meteors all the time in my telescope, binocular, and naked eye. And, I own several meteorites. So, my focus was on talking about the stars while standing at my telescope. 

Brian Lippincott explaining eyepieces to guests.
A good fabricator, Brian has been the Equipment Chair.

Brian Lippincott was first on the field when I arrived, all set up with his solar viewing binocular rig and large Dobsonian reflector. He went off to place the entrance signs and I set up my Explore Scientific 102-mm achromatic refractor on a Celestron AVX computerized (“go to”) tripod and mount. At home, I rely on a much simpler and easier Explore Twilight 1 manual altitude-azimuth (“alt-az”) mount but the AVX with automatic tracking and menu selections supports public engagement very well. The only ocular (“eyepiece”) was a 14-mm 82-degree Meade 5000 for 47X. It was sufficient. Soon after Brian returned, other club members trailed in and found their places.

 

I stopped counting visitors at 125, and I estimated 200 overall, which was the headcount that Joyce and Jim Lynch at the greeting table said that they expected. At the Sky Theater mini-megalith Ed Labelle and Jim Lynch welcomed our guests. In the growing darkness, Ed devoted about an hour to explaining our local Stonehenge and highlighted the basics of viewing the sky, measuring distances with your hand,  the general mechanics of celestial motion, and how to dim your cell phone. 

 

Austin Astro Outreach Chair Ed Labelle at the
Obelisk talking to the visitors.

I began a four-star alignment and soon had guests. For most of my audiences for most of the night, I was focused on Messier 22. It is large and bright and I was able to talk from memory about the astronomy and physics of globular clusters without getting lost in the narrative while showing people where to look and how to focus for themselves. Over the course of the night, stargazing from the scopes of other members, many guests got to view the Hercules Cluster, (Messier 13) and they remarked on that view while visiting with me.

 

Overture! Curtain! Lights!
This is it: the night of nights!

But I started with Messier 11, the Wild Duck cluster because I aligned on Arcturus, Antares, Vega, and then Altair; and it was a short drop to Messier 11. For myself, this was a first sighting. I had tried two nights before from my backyard, but the view was unremarkable and I did not log it. This time, I could see the cluster and its red and orange stars. The guests were also happy. “Wild Duck” is a cooler name than “Messier 11.” 

 

Fixin' to Start: Many club members brought
large Dobsonians.

A steady stream of people in small groups and families, came and went and lined up again until about 11:00. We also looked at Beta Scorpii (Graffias) because some had seen Albireo at another instrument. They easily remembered the stunning yellow and blue pair. I explained that this is not as pretty, but these stars are truly gravitationally locked whereas Albireo is an accidental arrangement. I then talked about the 200 years between Galileo and William Herschel when it was assumed that the stars are more or less randomly arranged and are more or less alike with differences in color perhaps relating to their temperatures by analogy with an iron bar heated in furnace. Then, about 1810 William Hershel changed our paradigm. My groups viewed  Messier 7, Messier 80, and Messier 4. After I pointed to Mizar and Alcor naked eye, we viewed the system in the telescope, and I indicated Mu Scorpii, the Eyes of the Lion, another naked-eye double. I suggested that club members with larger instruments could show them that Polaris is also a double star.

 

Then, I went searching for Messier 51 (another first light for myself). My three guests agreed that they could see the small grayer patch in the middle of the field of view. And, again, I recommended that more aperture would be rewarding. Finding myself alone, I packed up.

 

PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS

Austin Astro Public Star Party

Kyle Astronomy Club Observe the Moon Night

A Good Entry-Level Telescope

Images from SXSW 2013 

Austin Under the Stars

Last night, Laurel and I attended a star party hosted by the Austin Astronomical Society and St. Stephen's Episcopal School. Laurel recommended it on the advice of a friend of hers from a Saturday morning kaffee klatsch for computerists. I went because I knew that there would be about 20 telescopes there, more powerful than my own, operated by people who know the sky better. Even though she is not into astronomy, we both had a good time. Laurel integrated some “Star Trek science” into her general knowledge base.

As is my routine, before the event, I referenced the current night via the US Naval Observatory site http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/mrst.php. I made notes on what I wanted to see. Unfortunately, at the event, I was not able to view Markanian’s Chain (NGC 4406). However, as so often, serendipity delivered the M3 globular cluster, which I never saw before. Most of the telescopes were aligned to Jupiter and Venus. Venus was gibbous. But other than that, it does not grab the eye as does Jupiter, which most instruments were on for most of the night. In a Dobsonsian, it was bright enough to hurt.  

Laurel’s friend has a neat little instrument. The housing is aluminum and titanium; the optics are “folded.” This kind has been used by NASA and the CIA. “You can parachute it into the field,” he said. “Mercury and Gemini astronauts used them to look at Russia.” Even though the small aperture (about 2-1/2 inches), precludes deep sky objects, Rob knows the sky. (I bought two of his astro-photographs at an artists walk last winter.) He had all four Galileans in view. And he took out his cellphone and accessed an app to identify them. 

 

Pretty much as it looked to me

As with all knowledge aids since the first notched stick, phone apps and computer controls come with a cost. I saw one dad using an app to line up Leo for his daughter. But Leo is one of the three constellations of the Sumerians that actually looks like what it is: The Lion, the Scorpion, and the Bull. (The Giant is probably older, but not on the ecliptic.) On the other hand, it may just be my own perspective, but looking up the relative positions of the Galileans on your phone seemed no different than looking them up in an ephemeris. Without repetition, you can only keep so much in your head.

Knowing the sky makes all the difference. I was dismayed to discover that no one could answer my questions. People with Dobsonian “light buckets” knew even less than I do. According to Space dot Com, Ceres is in Leo right now, but that echoed as arcana when I asked. Then I met Frank Mikan, the science teacher at St. Stephen’s. As far as I can tell, he knows everything. I learned a lot that will help me when I am star hopping in my backyard.  

Messier Object 3 from Wikipedia

http://hwilson.zenfolio.com/f129011888

See also

http://hwilson.zenfolio.com/messier

See also

http://www.astronomersdoitinthedark.com/search_css.php?search=wilson

See also

http://www.somewhereville.com/tag/hunter-wilson/

Finally, one of the astronomy club members had his 10-inch reflector lined up on M-3, a globular cluster near the zenith. Actually Messier’s own very first object (May 3, 1764), it is catalogued as M-3. The elder Herschel resolved it 20 years later. It contains about 500,000 stars; is 8 billion years old (or 11.4 according to the latest research); lies 31,600 LY above the galactic plane and 38.8 kLY from the center and 33.9 kLY from us. It is coming toward us at 147.7 km/sec. According to the astronomer last night, globular clusters do not show relative orbital motions: the stars are just out there together. It will give me something to chase with my 5-inch reflector, though it will probably not resolve to a cluster.

The Austin Astronomy Club provided many hands-on learning opportunities with books laid out, and stickers and paper models from NASA. They also provided little glow-in-the-dark hand rockets. With a QR-activated app, you could “walk the solar system” and listen to transduced “sounds” of the sun and planets.

Laurel and I are working our way through Star Trek: The Next Generation. We are up to Season 6. In "Ship in a Bottle" the Enterprise is sent to witness the collision of two gas giants which is expected to create a proto-star. Laurel asked me what a "gas giant" is. I replied that it is like Jupiter and Saturn. That led to more questions, including the subject of hydrogen as as metal. Last night was Laurel's first view of Jupiter.

PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS

Seeing in the Dark: Your Front Row Seat to the Universe 

Turn Left at Orion 

Meteorites 

Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins 
Fantastic Voyages: Teaching Science with Science Fiction 

ARMADILLOCON 39

On August 4-5-6, 2017, the 39^th annual Armadillocon science fiction convention brought possible futures and alternate pasts to Austin. A friend of mine said that it is “a very literary con” and it lived up to that. On the second night, I saw a couple in Steam Punk dress, but there were no other costumes, no t.v. or movie stars, just books, authors, artists, editors, publishers, and, of course, readers. We had a great time.

Armadillocon prides itself on introducing the best new talent. The GoH (Guest of Honor) was Nisi Shawl. Her steampunk novel, Everfair, is set in an alternate Belgian Congo that is - going on the reviews; I have not read it - inclusive to minorities of gender and color. In addition, as is customary, there was a Fan GoH (A. T. Campbell III). Other special guests were Mark A. Nelson (Artist GoH), and Trevor Quachri of Analog (Editor GoH). Fantasy writer Tamora Piece was the Special GoH.

Armadillocon website: 

http://www.armadillocon.org/d39/ 

You can edit the URL to see the archives back to 1994:

http://www.armadillocon.org/d16/ 

And, of course, Wikipedia has good background: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArmadilloCon 

The con is sponsored by the 

Fandom Association of Central Texas

(FACT): http://www.fact.org/

The panel discussions were all about the craft and business of writing, from how to get an idea, to how to turn an idea into a story, to how to sell to Analog (or anyone). Laurel and I attended several panel discussions together and split up for others. 

 

Brad Foster of JabberwockyGraphix.com
Artist, Panelist, and Pictionary player

“Writing Golden Age Fiction Today” (billed as Lou Antonelli, Alan J. Porter, James Reasoner, Adrian Simmons, but with Shane Friesner and Keith West filling in for Adrian Simmons) was interesting to me because I have an unfinished anthology, Millennium Wonder Stories, set the present, but as if written in 1937-1939.  Like any good story, the action must be plot driven, fun, and adventurous, with a touch of romance. It has to be “a story that moves.” Introducing a new world is key. A weird menace with “a Scooby-Do ending” (unmasking the threat) is one way to frame those.  A point made in other panels was that a plot is not “an extended conceit.” In a Golden Age story, there are no moral ambiguities. We get the future we deserved, not the one we got.

 

One of Many Panel Discussions
(Barbara Ann Wright was inspirational.)

Also on the first night, I went to “Timeless versus Tired Tropes.”  Like a riff in music, a trope is a recurring shorthand: the plucky girl, the evil corporation, the mysterious elf, star-crossed lovers, coming of age, bad-assed robot, first person smartass, alien invasion, the dream sequence.  Panelist Ari Marmell said, “A trope is a cliché done well.” Steven Brust suggested subverting the trope, changing the reader’s expectations. Panel chair Shawn Scarber offered the city as a character.

Friday night closed with an investigation into the sidekick, “Frodo had Samwise, Han had Chewie…” with Michael Ashleigh Finn, Josh Roundtree, Patrick Sullivan, Rhonda Eudaly, and Skylar White. The sidekick can be relatable or inspirational, a friend whose presence relieves the author of writing interior dialog. It opens the opportunity for a story about the friendship. The relationship can be unequal or equal. The sidekick can also be a stand-in for the audience. It is also possible to “subvert the trope” as was done in Without a Clue in which Dr. Watson is the protagonist.

 

Kurt Baty built a replica of the Antikythera Device with LEGO

Saturday opened with Kurt Baty’s presentation on the Antikythera Device. The topic was a little far afield, though science is essential to science fiction. Kurt focused on the machine. I noted that the Antikythera Device does open up both alternate history and lost history as story devices. What would “wine punk” science fiction be like? A world of Daedalus hang gliders, mirror-and-lens burning rays, bronze gear calculators, for a society that speaks of geometry and astronomy. In the real world of the time, a legal slave could be a lawful millionaire.

Laurel and I went to “Writing 101.” They suggested taking a common domestic event and twisting the story, and other advice.

I went to the Guest Editor interview while Laurel was at “Pantsing versus Outlining.”  (“Pantsing” is writing by the seat of your pants, not the now-criminal harassment we suffered in our childhoods.)  I followed the Guest Editor interview with “How to Sell to Analog (and other Markets)” while Laurel attended “Sitting Pilates for the Sedantary.” We met up again for “You Have a Great Idea for a Story—Now What?” Laurel went to “Serial Killers: Books that Ended a Series” while I walked out of “Technology – Art – Business” which was supposed to be about how recent advances in graphic arts technologies have changed the markets, but turned out to be about where to get free copies of programs that let non-artists find out why they are not artists. 

 

Tristan Thorne of Sinister Smile, local publisher of
eBooks, Paperback, or Hardcover
on Demand or Otherwise.
I bought one their scifi anthologies and
showed him my "Millennial Wonder Stories."

We both attended the session, “Novel or Short Story?” chaired by Louise Marley, with T. Eric Bakutis, Urania Fung, Michelle Muenzler, Patrice Sarath, and William Browning Spencer. We both took a lot of notes. Among the good information was an introduction to where to find markets. Laurel does more reading than I do, but we both benefited from learning about the meta-lists of markets. That was all explored again in depth on Sunday with “Short Story Markets.” That presentation started off rough with the panelists just naming markets in random conversation until another frustrated guy in the audience finally pointed to the easel and flipchart.

The same problem struck the presentation on Cartography which I walked out of. I completed my master’s degree with two classes in geographic information systems. I was looking forward to this. But I was astounded (and not in a Golden Age way) by a panel on Cartography without any graphics.

On Sunday, Laurel was at one of the very many readings by authors that are the structural skeleton of the convention.

Meanwhile, I attended “Clarke Centennial: 2001: A Space Odyssey.” I had a few problems with their opinions. It seemed a common assumption that HAL 9000 typified “technology out of control” a harbinger for petroleum which will kill us all with global warming. Quoting Dr. Chandra, I replied, “HAL was told to lie, by men who find it easy to lie.” Then, I lost my cool over global warming. However, I did meet panelist David Afsharirad who edited three volumes of “Year’s Best Military SF” for Baen Publishing Enterprises. I found him later in the dealers room. (He was buying at a table, not selling from one.) I bought all three volumes. He autographed them for me, inscribing them to my units in the Texas State Guard, the Maritime Regiment, and Domestic Operations.

Hard SF
From New Atlantic Industries.
Find them on Facebook, 
and of course, at 
http://www.newatlanticindustries.com/

Laurel and I closed out the show with “What is This Thing Called Plot?” The panelists were Lou Antonelli, Michael Bracken, Urania Fung, Joe R. Lansdale (chair), Louise Marley, and Barbara Ann Wright. They recommended Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat” website for screenwriting (http://www.savethecat.com/) and his “15 Beats” that pace a story.

We picked up a ton of art cards, bookmarks, and other freebies, including self-published little stories. I bought a cool t-shirt, “Book Wyrm” in rich colors depicting a dragon in front of stacks of books. I also was happy to find a spin-off X Files/Star Wars poster (“I want to believe” with the Millennium Falcon for the flying saucer) from Vyktohria, who also draws pin-ups (website here). This was Laurel’s first scifi con. I went to a trekker con in Livonia, Michigan, back in the 20^th century. All in all, we both benefited, and we brought home a lot to talk about, even a week later. One reason for this write-up is that we are still transcribing our notes in order to facilitate discussing them. We don’t do that for computer security conferences.

Previously on Necessary Facts
2017 Austin Energy Regional Science Fair

Fantastic Voyages: Teaching Science Through Science Fiction

Monsters from the Id

All Volitional Beings Deserve Rights

2017 Austin Energy Regional Science Fair

For the sixth consecutive year, I judged the middle school and high school exhibits in Behavioral Sciences in the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival. I also judged both sections of elementary school entries.  As always, it was challenging and fascinating. 

Before the show, I walked the event looking for
projects with military applications.

This year, none of the entries in Behavioral Science was advanced to the Best of Show competition. Unlike previous years, none had the best statistical summaries, and none got beyond the Internet for research citations. Nonetheless, many of the 50+ were outstanding. We judges argued over our two rounds of selections to find the best five, three of which were sent on the state level of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Drones and robots are already
engaged in the battle space.

Synesthesia, Attitudes of Foreigners Toward American Values, the emotional content of colors, how sales personnel influence buyer decisions, the difference in to-go versus in-store serving sizes, judgments of personality types based on eye color, the physiological stresses associated with lying, and gender differences in multitasking were some of the many entries.  Woody Allen famously said that 85% of success is showing up. These kids all acquired special learning and perhaps ineffable experience by carrying out their experiments, recording their results, and presenting their findings.

It gives a new meaning to "Mobile Infantry"

This was reinforced for me the day before the fair when my officemates were puzzled by an assignment to present a broad set of findings over the past year to a large floating assortment of public officials. "You need three-fold presentation boards," I said. "What are those?" they asked. After the science fair, when the tasking was discussed again, our supervisor (who was out of the office earlier) said that he bought them for his son's science fair project.

PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS
Where All the Children are Above Average
World Peace Through Massive Retaliation
2014 Austin Energy Science Festival
2016 Austin Energy Science Festival
Monsters of the Id
Teaching Science with Science Fiction

InnoTech 2015

On Thursday, October 8, I spent the morning at the 13th annual InnoTech computer security conference. Seventy-nine vendors filled the floor. I only had time to meet a fraction of them. My tour was facilitated by a "passport" sheet that listed ten sponsors. Track them down, get them to sign their square, and drop the completed form in a box for a drawing.  It was "must be present to win" but I did not stay for that. I met some friends, colleagues from OWASP, and recruiters who sponsor our happy hours.

"Technology Navigators is a technical staffing firm,
specialized in recruiting skilled individuals
for project-oriented consulting and contract positions.
We’ve been firmly rooted in the Austin technology community since 1999,
and have been providing companies that
develop, build, and use technology
with the people they need to grow their business for over 15 years."

"Knight Security Systems has built its reputation over three decades
as one of the country’s leading providers of security system solutions.
With over 4,000 systems since 1983, Knight Security Systems has assisted
our customers in reducing internal and external, loss, legal liability,
employee liability, increasing productivity, safety compliance,
customer satisfaction and bottom line profits."

"Headspring is much more than a provider of
enterprise software strategy and development ...
We are motivated by our daily opportunity
to create a real impact in the world,
and to enable our employees, our clients
and our community
to achieve beyond their perceived potential."

"Bridgepoint Consulting provides
management consulting services
that help organizations optimize financial operations
and information technology
while mitigating organizational risks.
Whether a company needs assistance with strategy,
process improvement,
technology or regulatory compliance—
or simply has resource gaps,
our team of professionals deliver measurable results."

"By partnering with our customers,
Future Com [www.myfuturecom.com]
can give them a competitive advantage
in terms of everything from implementation times
and resources required during deployments
to lowering the total cost of ownership
of technology and solutions as a whole."

PC Magazine Best Antivirus Software 2015.
Available for Macintosh.
Enterprise solutions also available.
"Bitdefender protects its users’ privacy,
as well as the as their devices.
Our award-winning security technologies protect against
all cyber-threats today,
from annoying adware
to dangerous malware
that infiltrates to steal data, intercept online payments,
spy, or hold your information for ransom."

"M-Files is document management the way it should be:
simple to install and learn, reliable, powerful and secure –
without breaking your budget.
Improve workflow, increase information reuse, eliminate redundancy,
securely control content, and avoid conflicts and data loss –
all in a single document management solution
that integrates with Windows Explorer."

"Everything transacts on the wire: 

from raw packets to the payloads of all application transactions. 

Wire data is a deep and rich source that contains 

every conversation occurring on the network. 

Wire data provides an objective, "outside-looking-in" view 

across the entire application delivery chain. 

It serves as the most unbiased source of truth about 

the performance, effectiveness, and security 

of enterprise IT environments." -- Extrahop Networks

"For thirty years,
New Horizons Computer Learning Centers
has provided practical and innovative
corporate training solutions
to help organizations overcome operational challenges
and take advantage of emerging opportunities."

"Advanced communications and cloud solutions
from Time Warner Cable Business Class
can enable your Enterprise to be more successful
in today’s market. ... Time Warner Cable Business Class
delivers reliable and scalable voice and data solutions
over our advanced, fiber-rich IP network."

"...Veeam has pioneered a new market of Availability for the Modern Data Center™
by helping organizations meet
recovery time and point objectives (RTPO™)
of less than 15 minutes for all applications and data,
through a fundamentally new kind of solution
that delivers high-speed recovery, data loss avoidance,
verified protection, leveraged data and complete visibility."

"Keep your home connected
with powerful High-Speed Internet, Digital TV, Phone Service.
Services designed for business ranging from
home/small offices up to 50 employees,
including Internet Solutions, Phone Services,
and 24/7 Technical Support.
Enterprise-class data, voice, network and cloud solutions
designed to meet the unique needs of your business."

PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS

BSides Austin 2015

LASCON 2014

Innotech 2012

Documentation is Specification

Brian Krebs' Spam Nation

Available on Slideshare

Physical Security for Data Centers

Love Actually Quote-Along

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema "Ritz"downtown Austin hosted a screening of Love Actually for Christmas night.  In the grand tradition of Rocky Horror Picture Show the theater provided props for us.  We fanned ourselves with faces of three of the males leads: Billy Mack, Jamie, and David.  Also, the best lines were put up on the screen and turned to red as they were spoken. ("Try to do it in the voice of the character." Colin Frissel leaving at the airport was the winner there.)  Lyrics to songs also flashed by and we sang "All You Need is Love" and "Christmas is All Around Me." The Alamo gave everyone pennywhistle recorders to play for the wedding.

We fired off party poppers  when our various favorites got their kiss. 

We waved little Union Jacks when the Prime Minister

made us proud to be British.

A purple devil emoticon appeared to remind us to 

boo Mia, who suffered additional insults.

The interactions with the movie allowed us all to break many Alamo Drafthouse rules.  Because they serve beer and wine with the food, controlling the audience requires draconian enforcement of No Talking During the Movie.  Also, if your cell phone goes off, you are out the door without a refund.  That well-known stricture allowed us to yell to Sarah to shut off her phone.

Everyone likes going to the movies.  Star Wars, Star Trek, Tolkein, Die Hard, two remakes of Pride and Prejudice, they were all fine for what they were. The Love Actually quote-along was our best theater experience. 

ALSO ON NECESSARY FACTS
Valentine's Day: Love and Money
Love, Loss, and Redemption in Atlas Shrugged
Bringing Philosophy to Athens: Aspasia of Miletus
Dagny Two Point Oh