12 years of TOG – a perfect time to do some hacking :-)

For the last five years I was getting more and more anxious the closer it was till the end of the year. Why so? The answer is very simple – the SANS Hack Challenge (https://holidayhackchallenge.com/2020/index.html) run online by Counter Hack Team (https://www.counterhack.com/expert-pen-testers). I have learnt plenty and had an immeasurable amount of fun while solving hacking challenges. This winter I found myself helping others with their tasks by giving hints and I discovered that I have learnt even more. The best part was seeing others to grow and to learn how to beat the tasks.

Unfortunately, SANS hack challenge is only once a year and I didn’t always managed to find enough spare time to solve all the puzzles. Luckily, there is a way to fix that.

So, this year to celebrate 12th birthday of Tog, there will be a pleasant surprise. A walk through a past SANS Holiday Challenges. We will start on the 23rd of January, all info will be posted online. So, keep an eye on our website and reserve time between 5 pm and 7 pm on the day to join the discussion on a dedicated Discord channel https://discord.gg/322Kw4bkQK.

Science Hack Day Dublin Round-Up

A few weeks ago our space as packed for the annual Science Hack Day Dublin. A load of great projects were built over the weekend. Check out the video of the presentations.

Our own Jeffrey Roe was interviewed about Science Hack Day on https://soundcloud.com/dcfm-1032/community-chats-14th-march-2020us

Jump over to our gallery to see some photos from that weekend. https://www.tog.ie/gallery/nggallery/galleries/science-hack-day-dublin-2020

Science Hackday Dublin

We are hosting Science Hack Day. A 36 hr hardware and software hackathon. Ireland’s first public hackathon it has been run by plucky volunteers since 2012. A social event with creativity and love of science at its heart. Each year we bring together, designers, coders, scientists, engineers and makers. Simply to make interesting things. Why? For adventure, for playfulness, for science!

On Saturday & Sunday 7th/8th of March join forces with fellow enthusiasts to work on projects together. During the course of the weekend, the hackerspace will enable participants to bring projects to reality with the various tools and equipment on hand. Sign up with the link below.

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/science-hack-day-dublin-2020-registration-94633813283

Engineers Week Ireland logo

This event is part of Engineers Week that runs from February 29th until March 6th. For other events on as part during the week visit http://www.engineersweek.ie/ . We are also running an Air Quality Sensor workshop -> https://www.tog.ie/2020/01/air-quality-sensor-kit-workshop/

Open Community Hackathon for Sustainability Week, Saturday 21th September

On 21 September 2019 we are joining the European Day of Sustainable Communities. #SustainableCommunity #EDSC19

The day celebrates local communities taking action for a zero-carbon, regenerative and inclusive Europe.  All those who are catalysing transformation in the face of ecological and climate breakdown are invited to become co-creators of the day.

We are hosting a free community hackathon. Feel free to work on any projects you want, but try and have a sustainability theme. Repair something that is broken instead of throwing it out or make use of recycled materials. Feel free to stay around for our social evening. Bring a project and your laptop. More details here.

We invite you to join us or to organise your own event to mark the day – it can be as simple or as ambitious as you like. 

For more information please see sustainable-communities.net

Tog Events in April

Wave Hackers experimental music group.
An experimental audio research & performance group, a place for artists, dreamers, geeks, hackers, nerds, outcasts, weirdos, rebels and scientists to experiment and create. Everything from circuit bending to instrument design and creation. Everyone welcome no matter experience. Come learn and share but most importantly have fun. Hosted by Seb, Friday 19th April, from 7 to 10 pm. Let us know you’re coming on meetup.

The return of the singer/songwriter

Open Social: We open the doors to all-comers once a month for our Open Social event. This month it’s on Saturday 20th April, from 7 pm until the last one leaves. Come and see what happens in Dublin’s only hackerspace. Contributions of food and drink are always welcome. Club Bodge are threatening cheese and wine (bought, not made).

Lock Picking: Conor runs lock picking nights every other Monday, you never know when you may have put your skills into practice… We open padlocks, mostly taken from the Halfpenny Bridge, handcuffs, and various other locks, all without the original keys. Intrigued? Come along to lock-picking on Monday 1st, Monday 15th, and Monday 29th April, starting at 7 pm. Tools provided, and there are some for sale.

Craft Night: The Crafters are an eclectic bunch, engaging in embroidery, sewing, knitting, screen printing, crochet, drawing, painting, and other craft skills. You can bring a project along, start one from scratch, we have materials, tools and supplies to help you out. Every other Wednesday, this month on the 3rd and 17th April. 7 pm start.

Electronics and Micro Controller Night: Gary runs Electronics and Micro Controller night, every Monday that isn’t a Lock-Picking night. We have an electronics room with a dizzying variety of equipment and bits and pieces to get you started if you’re a beginner. Basic kits for sale and lots of expertise on offer. This month’s evenings will be on Monday 8th and the 22nd April, starting at 7 pm and finishing at 9 pm. We don’t supply laptops, so bring your own.

CAD Night: Krzysztof and Louise host the 3D printing and laser cutting night, every second Wednesday (coincides with Craft Night), in April the 3rd, 17th, from 7 pm to 9 pm. We have a working Prusa Mk 3 3D printer, and a Lasersaur for laser cutting. Recommended that you bring your own laptop.

Coding: If you’re looking for a space to work on your own side project, or if you need help with some programming problem, come along to coding nights on alternate Mondays, the 1st, 15th and 29th April. Please bring your own laptop, we don’t provide the hardware.

The Science Fiction Book Club: While you are waiting for the future to arrive, why not be amazed at what others have imagined it will be like? This month we are reading a (non-Culture) novel by Iain M. Banks, Against A Dark Background. We’ll be eating cake and discussing it on Wednesday April 24th, at 7.30 pm.

Wikipedia Editing: Rebecca will instruct on how to become a Wikipedia editor, this happens every last Wednesday of the month, April 24th starting at 7 pm. You can’t edit without a computer, though, so please bring a laptop.

Team Bodge are in the space most Wednesday afternoons, from 3.30 pm until they run out of steam. Bring along your broken or faulty gadgets or computers – or anything else you’d like fixed – and James and Brendan will help you out, with advice, tools, expertise and the occasional spare part. Members only, check the mailing list for time and date confirmation.

What’s going on in Tog in March?

Open Social: The monthly highlight of Tog’s social calendar is happening on Saturday 16th March, from 7 pm until the last one leaves. Open to all, come and see what’s going on in Dublin’s only hackerspace. Contributions of food and drink are always welcome.

Lock Picking: Conor runs the popular lock picking nights, learn a useful skill and help to preserve historic monuments by opening padlocks taken from the Halfpenny Bridge. We also open other locks without using keys, if you want to find out how come along to lock-picking on Monday 4th and 18th March, starting at 7 pm. Tools are provided and are for sale.

Craft Night: Bring along a crafting project or start a new one, anything from embroidery, knitting, sewing, crochet to drawing and painting and t-shirt printing. We have sewing machines and craft supplies to get you started, learn a new skill or share your know-how with the group. This happens every second Wednesday, on the 6th and 20th March. 7 pm start.

Beginners don’t have to start here…

Electronics and Micro Controller Night: Anything electronic, micro and controllable… so that’s Arduinos, Galileos, Raspberry Pis, BeagleBones, whatever you have that you want to play with or that you need help with. If you’re a beginner, we have basic kits to get you started. Runs on non-lock-picking Mondays, the 11th and 25th March. Bring your own laptop, we don’t have spares. Starts at 7 pm, finishes at 9 pm.

CAD Night: Work on 3D printing or laser cutting on our Lasersaur. Declan and Louise host and advise, every other Wednesday, 7 to 9 pm: this month, the 6th and 20th March. Please bring ideas and your own laptop.

Coding: If you’re looking for a space to work on your own side project, or if you need help with some programming problem, come along to coding nights on alternate Mondays, the 4th and 18th March. Please bring your own laptop, we don’t provide the hardware.

The Science Fiction Book Club: After a few months sniggering at what authors in bygone times thought the future would be like, we have decided to go bang up to date with a novel whose first English publication was last year, Ball Lightning by Liu Cixin. Bonus points if you read it in the original Chinese (although you will be expected to criticise the translation…) Wednesday 27th March, 7.30 pm.

Wikipedia Editing: Rebecca will instruct on how to become a Wikipedia editor, this happens every last Wednesday of the month, March 27th. Essential that you bring a laptop.

Science Hack Day Dublin 2019: We are super excited to be hosting Science Hack Day Dublin 2019. It’s an entirely free-to-attend and volunteer-organised event. A 36-hour hackathon that brings together designers, coders, scientists, engineers and makers. It is a social event with creativity and love of science at its heart. Taking place during on Saturday 9th / Sunday 10th March coinciding with Engineers Week.

St Patrick’s Festival Village: Jeffrey and volunteers will be at a stand in the Science Foundation Ireland Science Zone, part of the Merrion Square Festival Village. Come along to see examples of what we do. Monday March 19th, visit https://www.irishcentral.com/travel/travel-tips/dublins-st-patricks-five-day-family-festival-2019 for more details.

Kino Spraoi: Jules hosts a five-day film-making session in Tog around St Patrick’s Day weekend (Thursday 14th to Monday 18th March), in the form of an extended hackathon for films, broken into two rounds, with a warm-up day on Thursday. 25 euro per round (i.e. 50 euro for the entire session), guest speakers, screening nights on Thursday 14th, Saturday 16th and Monday 18th March.

Dublin Service Design Jam: This will be a 24+ hour make/build/prototype re/act & fix-a-thon session: we will brainstorm and pitch ideas, team up and build prototypes, then test them out. At the end there will be demos, prizes and pizza! Jules is hosting, for further details see https://www.meetup.com/Tog-Dublin-Hackerspace/events/258769258/?rv=ea1_v2&_xtd=gatlbWFpbF9jbGlja9oAJGY2MGFkYzk3LTc2MWUtNDg4My05NzAyLWViMDRlMTQwZGUyYg

Team Bodge are in the space most Wednesday afternoons, from 3.30 pm until Craft night starts. Bring along your broken or faulty gadgets or computers – or anything else you’d like fixed – and James and Brendan will help you out, with advice, tools, expertise and the occasional spare part. Members only, check the mailing list for time and date confirmation.