Comment ADHOC/MacHack (Score 2, Interesting) 37
I'll second the OP's favorite. I've only attended for two years, but it's a great conference. I'm for sure going again this year.
I came in second place two years ago in the showcase by teaming up with someone else to write a networked Pong game that literally played across the screens. The paddles were on the end computers, and the ball would bounce across all the computers between it. It hovered over the desktop, which we demonstrated by showing a QuickTime movie playing in the background on one of the computers. I think the best part was that the text showing the score spanned all the computers hooked up. We called it AirPong, because we happened to be networked over Airport.
However, the winner's entry was great. It was Unstoppable Progress bars, a haxie that turned the system progress bars, which fill up with "aqua" colored liquid, into un-capped bars that would spill out and fill up the window.
It's a great experience with developers gathering in the atrium of the hotel and teaming up as needed to create really great things.
If you're a Mac/UNIX programmer, or are even remotely interested in it, I highly recommend it.