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Workshop: Solder and hack the Nanode

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By On June 4, 2012 In Workshops With No Comments Permanent Link to Workshop: Solder and hack the NanodePermalink

The first nanode workshop was a great success, we got to introduce many people to soldering and arduino. But we didn’t get to really hacking the nanodes and we couldn’t see fully working projects. There was not enough time to both solder the kits, interface them with sensors and program them.

We are having a second workshop, as part of the Human Rights Makerlab, taking place during the DMY Design Festival in Berlin. This time the places are limited, and there will be (hopefully) enough time to get the board made and programmed. It’s taking place on Saturday June 9th, from 11:00 to 17:00.

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betapitch: what it meant to us

betapitch
By On May 29, 2012 In Events, Musings With No Comments Permanent Link to betapitch: what it meant to usPermalink

We applied, we were shortlisted, we pitched and we didn’t win… But boy it was great!

I personally never presented anything in front of such a crowd in my life. It was a great exercise, and the feedback was not always positive but in all cases constructive.

We are not the new residents in betahaus, but the word is out now that OptimaLabs is in town, people know us, and they know what we do. We met great persons who now became friends and mentors.

Many thanks to the organizers and to people who supported us.
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We’re pitching at betapitch this thursday

betapitch
By On April 29, 2012 In Events, News With No Comments Permanent Link to We’re pitching at betapitch this thursdayPermalink

Betahaus is one of my favorite places in Berlin. I work and have meetings in the cafe, I hack around in the makerspace Open Design City at the back, and I always bump into cool people who become good friends.

betapitch is one great contest that betahaus organizes to offer ambitious baby businesses a roof and a desk in a supportive coworking environment. OptimaLabs applied and made it to the finals! We’ll present the business and SEE A WATT to a 10 person-jury from diverse backgrounds on thursday may 3rd, we will compete with nine other startups (who must be really good for making it past the first round).

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Successful Nanode workshop is to be continued..

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By On October 12, 2011 In Workshops With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Successful Nanode workshop is to be continued..Permalink
(sorry for not blogging about this earlier, it was just a crazy time…)

We made it!! The first Nanode workshop in Berlin!

On Friday and Saturday we had in total nine people who came and soldered their Nanode kits. Most of them were successful, surprisingly people with little or non-existant soldering experience had no problems or shorts, and funnily some who were more familiar with soldering electronic kits did it too quickly and had shorts :) RTFM Continue Reading →

Timelapse: OptimaLabs @ BTU Sommerfest

IKMZ
By On September 5, 2011 In Events With No Comments Permanent Link to Timelapse: OptimaLabs @ BTU SommerfestPermalink

During my participation in the BTU Cottbus Sommerfest, I wanted to make something fun and cool with the help of Jonathan Saudhof (thanks a lot Josch ;-) ). I saw many timelapse sequences shot in Maker Faires and other events, and I thought why not shoot one, just for fun.

The result is not very professional, but I like it :) It was a nice experience and a useful exercise. Below is the video that summarizes a day in 30 seconds (I made some silly things with iMovie :p).
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Optimalabs at the BTU Cottbus Summerfest

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By On June 25, 2011 In Events With No Comments Permanent Link to Optimalabs at the BTU Cottbus SummerfestPermalink

Optimalabs is still in the stage of foetus (third month), but we gave this baby an opportunity to see the world and meet some people. The BTU Cottbus is the youngest university in Germany (20 years old), and this year’s Summerfest was quite special with the traditional international street food, the bands, the rain but also with the presence of our unusual stand: Continue Reading →