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January Talks; Computer Games Development Night


Ever wonder what goes into making a computer game? Well, we have a night of talks to suit you! Computer Games Development Night will feature a variety of talks from professionals in the computer games industry, covering topics like development processes and behing-the-scenes tools that make your games enjoyable.

And for some variety we’ll have a few short talks about projects people are working on, a sort of show-and-tell.

Date: Thursday, 10th of January
Time: Open from 18.30, Talks begin 19.15
Location: TOG

Cost: Free
No Signup required.

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Review of The Arduino Starter Kit

During Maker Faire New York, Jeffrey and Robert were offered the opportunity to review the new official Arduino Starter Kit. We’ve had the kit now for over a month now and finally got a chance to properly review it.

Arduino Starter Kit
The first thing you notice is that the retail packaging is beautiful. A simple cardboard box with elegant pictures of an Arduino and the kit’s components on the outside. Then on the inside the components are grouped into their own smaller gold coloured cardboard boxes.

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Open Wrt Workshop

openwrt-logo

OpenWrt is firmware or software that runs on wireless access points such as those used to provide Wifi to home internet users. Using OpenWrt can increase speed, improve reliability and add extra features. There will be a free Workshop held at TOG on Sunday 16th of December at 3pm. No need to book, just turn up. If possible, but not essential, bring your home router with you.

http://openwrt.org
OpenWrt is an alternative and open source firmware for wireless/ADSL routers.

Quote from there web page:
“Instead of trying to create a single, static firmware, OpenWrt provides a fully writable filesystem with package management. This frees you from the application selection and configuration provided by the vendor and allows you to customize the device through the use of packages to suit any application. For developer, OpenWrt is the framework to build an application without having to build a complete firmware around it; for users this means the ability for full customization, to use the device in ways never envisioned.”

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Christmas Origami Workshop

Christmas as always is a fun time of year, so we have decided to run a Christmas Origami Workshop.

The workshop will be on from 1pm – 2.45pm on Saturday the 15th of December. There will be a short break in the middle for tea. I can take a maximum of 8 people per class, so please book early. The price for the class will be € 5 for non-members, free for members, payable on the day. All money goes to TOG.

All paper will be supplied, but if you have some nice paper you want to use, please bring it along.

Please book with the form below 🙂

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Capital Brewers First Brewday in TOG

The first Capital Brewers brewday will be held on Saturday December 8th from 10:30 a.m.

All are welcome regardless of experience, so please feel free to sign up here. TOG (www.tog.ie, Chancery Lane, Dublin 8) have very kindly offered to host the first brewday.

 

Cheers!

 

TOG is a shared space where members have a place to be creative and work on their projects in an environment that is both inspiring and supportive of both new and old technologies. They share a similar DIY ethos with homebrewers which provides a perfect location for a brewday.
On the day there are plans to demonstrate the three homebrew methods (kit, extract and all grain). Using a similar recipe for each method will focus the brewday so that everyone will be able to see how each method can produce a similar beer.
The kit will be hacked a bit to make it taste better, the general consensus amongst the better kit brewers is that the first step is to throw the instructions in the bin. There will also be a brief talk about kit brewing and sanitation as this is one of the most important skills that a brewer should have.
The extract batch recipe was posted on our website yesterday. Extract brewing is a step up from kit brewing but should not be a huge leap for those who have some experience hacking kits. There will also be a small talk about extract brewing on the day.
The all grain batch will be based on a recipe that Jacob put together and is a great example of a Pale Ale. The all grain process is another step up from extract in that grains are mashed as opposed to using extract liquid or powder.
At the end of the day there will be three brews fermenting  that will need to be bottled or kegged a couple of weeks later. It is hoped that the beers will be conditioned and ready for drinking in January and that a blind tasting will be held to see if people can guess which brews are the kit, extract and all grain batches. It is hoped that all going well we will find a permanent base where we can brew at least once a month and undertake some projects like barrel ageing an imperial stout and having a yeast bank for members use.
There will be plenty of time for chatting on the day and everyone will be able to learn from each other. There may be a couple of extra talks on the day and maybe a small workshop, if anyone would like to suggests a workshop for the day. Please feel free to add to the suggestions topic on the forum.
The last thing that will need to be decided on the day is the format the club will take. Please take some time to think about what the club can do for you: Will we try to pitch in together and have a big kit for group brews? Would we prefer to just bring out on equipment in and brew in a more social environment? Would we like to organise talks and other education initiatives? Maybe workshops on how to build equipment? Possibly all of the above and a lot more.
The sign-up page can be found on the forum. If you have any queries please email Padraic at capitalbrewers@nationalhomebrewclub.com or find him on Twitter @capitalbrewers. Please everyone sign on to the forum and update the list so that we have a good idea of numbers to ensure the day runs smoothly.

 

Home Brew

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Christmas Crafting at Tog

Now that it’s December, we can officially discuss Christmas in public!  As always, there’s plenty of crafting to do for the season.  On Saturday the 8th, Tríona will be running a crocheted baubles workshop and on Tuesday 11th will be the final craft night of the year (sadly, we won’t be meeting on the 25th, nobody’s available for some reason…).

The crochet workshop will run from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday 8th of December.  No prior crocheting experience is required, all levels will be welcome.  During the workshop you will learn very basic crochet skills to create a beautiful net to go around a bauble to hang on the tree.   The workshop will cost €2 for members and €7 for non-members.  Spaces are limited, so sign up below if you can make it.

Last Christmas, our final Craft Night of the year was a sugar fuelled craft fest, and this year will be no different.  Crafting will occur as usual on the night but we’ll be making biscuits and hot chocolate to help the panicked-Christmas-is-here-and-Ive-no-presents-ready frantic making.  Feel free to bring some baked goodies of your own, it’s a busy night and we have lots of sugar loving crafters!  The night will start earlier than normal at 6pm and will most likely run later than normal (later than 9pm anyway).    To keep an eye on the plans for this special Craft Night and for details on future craft nights, you can sign up to the mailing list here.

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