Halloween here, and a weekend’s worth of parties on the docket, some last-minute costume ideas might be useful in a pinch. For those developers who’d rather not wear the same costume two nights in a row, or for those who wait until the afternoon of the party to throw something together, this list is for you.
Android alien
This is as topical a costume as they come. Throw together some green felt and paper mache to make your very own Android alien. The time and effort you put into this costume will determine whether you look more like a friendly alien or an amorphous green blob.
Easily customizable, you can carry around a Kit Kat bar for an instant Android KitKat costume (the same works with jelly beans, lollipops, etc.), or slap a Samsung or Motorola logo onto the front to become any Android device you can think of.
Hadoop Elephant
Buy an elephant costume (if you can find a yellow elephant costume, more power to you), spray-paint it yellow and voilà, you’re the Hadoop elephant.
Raspberry Pi (Pie)
For all the bakers out there, this “costume” might be for you, provided you don’t mind holding a pie all night while fending off drunken partygoers prowling for a snack. You can show up wearing normal clothes though, so that’s a plus, right?
Then at the end of the night, instead of throwing the costume in your closet never to be worn again, you’ve got a delicious dessert (providing it’s still intact).
Woz
Gentlemen, start your battery-powered engines. Rent a Segway and strap on a bike helmet (polo stick and ball are optional) for your night on the town as Woz himself. Good for making a zooming entrance and a speedy exit from awkward party conversations.
Java
Hey, we said last-minute. This costume takes it literally. Grab a cup of joe on the way to the party, and you become the proud owner of a Java costume. We even gave you a bona fide pick-up line. For customization, strap on a pair of VR goggles and you’re a Java Virtual Machine. Carry a stack of paper and you’re JavaScript. Or just spend a couple hours in a tanning bed on high, and strut proudly into the party as Larry Ellison.
Windows 8 Desktop
This one’s a bit conceptual but stay with us; it could be a lot of fun. Put on an old paint-spattered shirt, maybe add some fresh colors to really make it pop. Then when you get to the party, spend the entire night doing the opposite of what everyone says. Even if nobody gets it, you’ve got a built-in excuse to annoy everyone else at the party to no end.
#!DOS Prompt
Now we’re going old school. All you need to do is wear all black and strap on a blinking light. The partygoers who get the joke instantly become your friends for the rest of the night.
Jenkins
Break out your finest suit, a pair of white gloves and a bowtie to be Jenkins, your favorite continuous integration tool and loyal butler. A dashing costume indeed.
Larry Wall
If you have a thick moustache, wide-rimmed glasses, a god-awful Hawaiian shirt and enough hair for a terrible comb-over, Perl creator Larry Wall might be the perfect costume for you. Carry an onion and a bible for effect.
Group costume: Bill Gates & Steve Ballmer
The bromance between Microsoft heads Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer is well documented. If you’re unaware, check out these old videos of the two having a play day in the park, spoofing “A Night at the Roxbury,” or as Austin Powers and Dr. Evil.
One of you can strap on a bald cap (if necessary), the other sports glasses, and the two of you can wear matching sweaters or Microsoft polo shirts. It’s a match made in Redmond.
Group costume: Python
Group snake costumes are easy to find, so dressing up with a few friends as the fast-growing programming language Python shouldn’t be too tough. Surround the guy dressed as Java and slowly constrict him. There’s a metaphor.
Zombie Steve Jobs
This one is only for the guy who loves being controversial. While zombies are still all the rage, this mash-up costume could either be the hit of the party or lead to a horde of awkward, half-amused, half-disgusted stares. If you’re brave enough, pile on the undead makeup, pick up an empty Apple product box and see what happens.
