Hacking

This month we have a fantastic session hosted by James Birnie, Director of Strategic Consultancy at **[Forrow](https://forrow.uk/)** where he will talk about how to get post quantum ready. In this talk James will discuss why all the world's encryption will break, why a lot of your data is leaking right now, what you need to do now and what you will need to do in the near future. **About James Birnie** James Birnie has worked in software delivery since the 1990s, when TDD was something you studied but never did, "agile" and "lean" were words used to describe athletes, and Pipelines were for carrying oil. James worked in a successful startup for 10 years before he became a consultant (and an ex software engineer) at, first, Thoughtworks and then Codurance. After time as Head of Platform at Currencycloud and VP of Engineering at IMMO Capital, James returned to consultancy and is currently Director of Strategic Consultancy at Forrow. He mainly spends his time trying to keep organisations secure against current and future threats, including the immediate threat of Harvest Now Decrypt Later attacks. **Food and Drinks** Pizza and drinks will be provided upon arrival sponsored by **[Codurance](https://www.codurance.com/),** with vegetarian and vegan options available.

**THIS EVENT IS PENCILLED IN MEANING IT MAY NOT GO AHEAD, FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED ON THIS SESSION LATER.**

These fortnightly sessions are dedicated to the discussion and exploration of an idea that I, as the organiser, have planned. No prior reading or knowledge is required. For more information, please visit https://www.think-philosophy.group/about/

Hi Architects, Welcome to our the third AWS London Well-Architected User Group Meetup!!! 🥳🥳🥳 Our third meetup will take on a Security Theme. Dragon Hall Trust, 17 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LT The AWS London Well-Architected Meetup is the latest chapter in the most popular AWS Meetup group globally. At each meetup we cover off various pillars of AWS best-practice in detail including insights from industry leaders that specialise in the Well-Architected Framework. **Speakers** * "Detection Engineering on a Budget" - Tom O'Connor - Senior Content Engineer @ Try Hack Me * "Ransomware protection with immutable AWS backup ... it's complicated" - Paul Schwarzenberger - Cloud Security Engineer & Kurtis Mash - Lead Technical Architect from The National Archives (UK) **Detection Engineering on a Budget** AWS's Well-Architected Security Pillar tells you what to detect. It doesn't tell you how to do it without a SIEM contract and a six-figure budget. This talk covers building a credible detection engineering capability on AWS using native tooling, a bit of open source, and no enterprise spend. **Ransomware protection with immutable AWS backup ... it's complicated** You’ll hear how The National Archives used AWS Backup to implement centralised, immutable backups of critical data, to protect against ransomware attacks. You’ll see a live demo of the solution, and learn how you can use their open-source Terraform module for your own organisation’s backup and compliance needs. So come join us at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start, including drinks, snacks and friendly networking after our talks :-) \*\*\*NB: No entry to the building after 7.00pm.\*\*\*

Be part of the next Londroid event on Thursday, 30 April 2026, hosted by Zopa Bank. Join us for an evening of Android talks, conversation and community. Expect engaging sessions, the chance to meet others working in Android, and an opportunity to hear from the Zopa team. After the event, we’ll head to Crate for post-event drinks and further conversation. Please note that guests will need to bring a form of ID to access the venue. **Tickets:** We have 150 tickets available. Don’t miss out. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for updates. **Schedule:** 18:00 – Doors open & registration 18:30 – Welcome from Londroid and Zopa Bank 18:45 – Efthymios Kontis – A Nav3 Story: Navigation 3 in Production 19:30 – Anton Kosyakin – Escaping the Slopacolypse: should I read the code? 20:15 – Q&A and socialising 20:30 – Drinks at Crate **Venue:** Zopa Bank, Level 12, 20 Water St, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 5GX **Our Hosts and Sponsors** Zopa Bank Zopa Bank is a digital bank offering a range of financial products designed to make money management simpler and more transparent for its customers. Novoda Novoda is a digital product agency dedicated to building high-quality software. Their team of engineers helps companies scale, modernise and improve their development practices to deliver exceptional digital experiences. Join us for an evening of learning, collaboration and community. See you there.

Date/Time: Sunday 3 May 2026, 3 – 8pm (and likely a few hours beyond!) 20% off food and drink for our group First-timers: please see notes below on the Meetup fee, bringing boards, etc ☺️ Dear Backgammon Lovers, We had a great turnout last time with around 26 backgammoners arriving at Gest. We’re now delighted to announce yet another gathering at Gest, literally just next to one of Euston Square's tube exits. Gest has become a favourite spot for our lively and friendly backgammon gatherings, offering us more space and a relaxed atmosphere, with warm and welcoming staff. Social Backgammon Whether you’re a seasoned player or completely new, everyone’s welcome. Our Sunday afternoon offers a mix of friendly competition, laughter and the occasional lucky double six. Add alongside this, the food, drinks and easy conversation, and you’ve got the makings of a relaxed afternoon rolling dice into a fun evening. 20% off food and drink In order for us to be at Gest, we must each order at least one drink, possibly two, and if possible one of their meals - I can highly recommend their chicken burger. This will help us to maintain such a generous deal in a comfortable atmosphere. Gest has generously offered our group 20% off food and drink for this event. About Our Backgammon Group Our group started in June 2015 and has now run more than 400 official meetups plus over 200 informal gatherings. With nearly 2,200 members, we’re the largest backgammon group in the UK, and we're known for our warmth, humour and friendliness. We typically meet fortnightly on Sundays, with around twenty or so regulars along with new players each time. Everyone is welcome, whatever your level. Dinner, drinks and playing time We usually sit down for a relaxed group meal around 6pm, but you’re free to order whenever it suits you. Many people arrive early, stay late, and dip in and out of games between food and drinks. RSVP Please RSVP as soon as you can, as it really helps with planning, especially at this popular venue. Bring your own board If you have a backgammon board, please bring it. If you don’t, just post a note on the Meetup page or message me and we’ll match you up. It’s always fun to see the variety of boards people bring along. Meetup fee £4 per person. This small contribution helps pay Meetup, cover tip, admin, hosting and other organisational costs that keep the group running smoothly. Etiquette Let’s keep things friendly and respectful over the board, and please thank the lovely Gest staff for hosting us. If anything crops up during the event, just have a quiet word with me. Backgammon rules We play under international backgammon tournament rules, with one or two minor exceptions. Full details are on our Meetup page. Contact If you need help finding the venue or have any questions, call or text me on 07956 263451. Please avoid sending Meetup messages within two hours of start time, as they may not be seen in time. Looking forward to rolling dice and sharing another brilliant Sunday with you all – and to celebrating the New Year at Gest for the fifth time. Best wishes, Chris Sattaur 🤗

Hi, join me every Saturday 12:00 pm for climbing at London Fields. All abilities welcome! we can wind down by grabbing a coffee or tea and maybe a cheeky cake from one one of the many amazing cafes in the area!

Claim your free life coaching session by RSVPing to this event! And I will contact you directly. We have amazing life coaches who can help you in different areas of your life! No matter what is going on, we understand that sometimes it can all be very overwhelming and feel like you have no idea what to do! Come and speak to one of us so get some help!

**Join Backabush on the bank holiday for some clifftop, riverside and ancient woodland hiking with historic hotel accommodation in the heart of beautiful Chepstow town.** Number of nights - 3. £285 - Shared twin room £385 - Private single room We have booked our group into a charming 3 star Welsh hotel which has all the modern comforts you would expect whilst retaining the charm and character of a 16th century coaching inn. Located right in the centre of town and just a few minutes walk from the train station this is the perfect location to base ourselves for a weekend of exploring. There are also many great places to eat in Chepstow around our accommodation. We will organise reservations at some local restaurants so that our group can dine together each night and have a sociable evening after our day on the trails. From Chepstow we will have some stunning walks following the River Wye straight from the door, as well as the opportunity to explore the view points, villages and ancient woodland of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean only a short drive away. Here are some of the local highlights we hope to include in our itinerary of hikes... **Wynd Cliff, Tintern Abbey, the Devil's Pulpit and Brockweir -** The classic 'Grand Tour' of the Wye Valley, including the magnificent vista of the meandering river from the 'Eagles Nest' on top of the precipitous Wynd Cliff. We will also get a chance to visit Tintern, where the famous abbey is considered to be the most beautiful and superbly situated monastic ruin in the country. **Chepstow Castle, Wintour's Leap, Lancaut and Tidenham Chase** This lovely walk is not challenging but offers splendid views across a dramatic stretch of the Wye. We can set out on foot straight from our hotel to follow the Wye upstream to where the river makes a great curve around the Lancaut peninsula. We can take in the spectacular viewpoint of Wintour's Leap and return to Chepstow to visit the Medieval Castle. **Symonds Yat Rock, the Hand Pulled Ferry and the Wobbly Bridge** \- Symonds Yat is one of the most iconic and beautiful locations in the entire Wye Valley and a fantastic opportunity to watch Peregrine Falcons\. There is the novel opportunity of crossing the Wye on a hand pulled barge\, the trail then winds up past King Arthurs Caves to an Iron Age Hill Fort\. We also hope to find time to visit the some other local beauty spots like Puzzlewood, Cannop Ponds and the Forest of Dean Sculpture trail. Join us for a weekend of superb hiking in this lovely valley. A perfect weekend away! :D **WHAT IS INLCUDED:** * 3 nights hotel accommodation in single or twin share rooms. * 3 cooked breakfasts. * A choice of guided hikes by trained Mountain Leaders (MLTE) and qualified first aiders * Financial protection in accordance with the Package Travel Law 1992 **WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:** * Transport expenses. * Lunches & evening Meals * Travel insurance **HOW TO BOOK A PLACE ON THIS TRIP** To book onto this trip please **email nathancapay@googlemail.com** and send full payment to the Backabush account. **Please** **use WYE as your payment reference**... Account Name: BACKABUSH XPLORERS Sort Code: 090127 Account Number: 22440622 **Your RSVP alone is NOT enough to secure your place, full payment is needed to make a reservation.** The following "terms and conditions" apply to all trip reservations: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ngc5A61k76qb6HGMeTK96AVaXn0565yPS9p42IPzIy8/](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ngc5A61k76qb6HGMeTK96AVaXn0565yPS9p42IPzIy8/edit?usp=sharing)

Build in a day. Shape the future of AI Agents. Showcase on a global stage. This hackathon isn’t simply a one-day sprint; it’s an accelerator for your idea. Finalists will demo their projects LIVE at MongoDB.local London on May 7th. AI agents are breaking free from passive chat interfaces and starting to learn, adapt, and grow alongside us as autonomous partners, driven by breakthroughs like OpenClaw’s viral action-taking runtime and Hermes’ self-improving, persistent skills. Now, we need to architect the next stage: creating the integrations, memory systems, and self-evolution mechanisms that allow agents to build intelligence that embeds seamlessly into our everyday lives. Build with MongoDB and London’s best hackers to define how agents evolve from chat-bound tools into indispensable, ever-improving intelligence. Prizes include £15,000 in cash and partner credits, awarded across the top three teams. **Notes**: * This event is fully in-person in London. Space is limited. Maximum team size is four. All attendees must submit an application and be approved to attend. * In order to be eligible to win, finalists must be available on May 7th to attend MongoDB.local London and present their project. Register and learn more here: [https://cerebralvalley.ai/e/mongo-db-london-hackathon](https://cerebralvalley.ai/e/mongo-db-london-hackathon)

This delayed event will be in Hyde Park A good day to meet new people and have some fun. Relocation due to our chosen bar is under reconstruction The gig is an excuse to have a good time. Any new members who wish to contribute to leading the play are welcome. We all been to weddings and got the Candy wrong. one or two wise guys will go through the routine and the rest will follow. You will be better at weddings after this. Please join as participant and learn it so that you can teach us. Lets have a big laugh and make friends. The date may change depending on availability of ket Candy men.

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

Do you feel introverted when you are in a group setting? Are you shy? Do other people have more fun than you do? There are simple life hacks you can use to improve your connection to others and improve your social life. Talking is one thing. Truly connecting is altogether another. It's the whole experience of connecting with people and forming relationships. It includes the joy, understanding, and love formed among people. * In our meetings, you will learn: * A simple life hack to increase your liking and tolerance of other people, or even of yourself! * How to become more interested and enjoy conversations with people. * How to be comfortable in social settings. * How to be yourself * How to become more extroverted and, * How to make connections with people. Feeling lonely, isolated, or bored? This local meeting is exactly what you need! Come join us! Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics and Scientology life improvement center.

It feels like we just saw each other 🤷. Join members of the local design and UX community for our monthly breakfast. For May we’re stopping in for Rooh’s popup breakfast/cafe concept. You know someone is getting the lobster yuzu croissant, and that’s not even the prettiest thing on the menu!.

🌸 Mother’s Day deserves more than flowers 🌸 Join us for an elevated outdoor paint experience designed for creativity, connection, and unforgettable memories. ✨ Brushes & Brunch: Mother’s Day Garden Edition ✨ Beautiful garden vibes Brunch bites Signature refreshments Guided painting Soft music Luxury energy Whether you're celebrating your mother, your daughter, your friends, or simply honoring yourself — this experience is your invitation to slow down and create something beautiful. No painting experience needed — just bring your good energy. This is not your typical paint party. This is intentional. This is elevated. This is your moment. 🎟 Limited seating available to keep the experience intimate. Reserve your spot early https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brushes-brunch-a-curated-mothers-day-painting-experience-tickets-1987709930911

Practical AI for Power BI Developers A year ago, “agentic AI” was mostly hype for Power BI teams. Today, it deserves your undivided attention. For Power BI pros, there is now a real opportunity to reduce repetitive development work, accelerate delivery, and help developers do more, but only when strong DataOps practices are in place to make AI workflows effective. This session is a no-nonsense introduction to effective AI patterns for Power BI and Fabric development. Along the way, we will make sense of the growing pile of terminology, including skills, plugins, hooks, and MCP. You will see examples of how modern AI tooling can help with development tasks across Power BI and Fabric, along with the prerequisites, guardrails, and DataOps principles needed to use it responsibly. Whether you're burned out on AI hype or already using Copilot CLI daily, this session will show you the foundations that are finally making AI-assisted development genuinely useful.

**Huntsville Hack The Box – Monthly Meetup (In-Person + Online)** **Location:** UAH I2C, Huntsville, AL **Time:** Starts at 6:00 PM – Drop in anytime! **Discord (Join us online!):** [https://discord.gg/5sgUTzMqHS](https://discord.gg/5sgUTzMqHS) **Ready to Hack the Box (literally)?** Join us for our 10th *Huntsville Hack The Box* meetup — a free monthly cybersecurity event where beginners and experts alike team up to tackle real-world hacking challenges from the Hack The Box platform. Whether you're just curious about cybersecurity or you're already deep into pwning boxes, there's a challenge here for you. This will be our second event on hacking AI. Come join us! This month, we celebrate one year of Huntsville Hack The Box. **What to Expect:** * **Live hacking**: We'll have HTB machines at all skill levels — beginner to 1337 — for you to work on solo or with others. * **In-person & online**: Come hang out with us at the I2C or join remotely via Discord. * **Free food**: Provided by our awesome sponsor, SecurIT360. * **Prizes**: Hack The Box is hooking us up with swag and giveaways. * **No experience necessary**: Just bring a laptop. We’ll help you get started! **Don’t worry if you can’t make it right at 6:00 PM — drop in when you can. We’ll be hacking all evening.** Stay in the loop and connect with the crew before or after the event on our Discord: [https://discord.gg/5sgUTzMqHS](https://discord.gg/5sgUTzMqHS)

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Nothing yet. (You should volunteer). What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/