Siggraph 2006 (and the Teapot Exhibit)
Well, I'm at Siggraph. I've made it through the registration gauntlet. I got to the convention center about two hours early to hop on the free wireless. The Hyatt wants $10 a day for wireless access; I think I'll try and do most of my web access from the convention center. Anyway, registration closes at 8:00, and there are still at least several hundred people waiting to get into the hall to register. Not sure they'll all make it; there may be a riot if they don't.
One special exhibit this year is a teapot exhibit. I thought it would just be a large number of pictures of teapots, renders of teapots, sculptures of teapots, etc. Rather mundane (unless you really like teapot art). For the most part, that's what it is. However, there's a really cool virtual teapot. There's a pen with force feedback on it that allows you to move the pen around an "Air Teapot". While you do so, a voice sings "I'm a little teapot". When you hit the spout, it sings "Here is my spout". Same for the handle. It's really cool. Stop by and give it a try. If you don't see (or hear) someone using it, it's easy to miss.