mesa177

This was announced on the Facebook Developers Circle: Beirut Group; more details to follow once available:

Its Official! We now have a Syndicate!
لمستندات المطلوبة مع طلب الانتساب:
- صورة شمسية
- إفادة عمل أو نسخة عن السجل التجاري (تثبت ممارسة المهنة)
- نسخة عن تذكرة الهوية او اخراج قيد.
- خلاصة اصلية عن السجل العدلي لا يعود تاريخها لأكثر من شهر واحد.
- نسخة عن شهادة جامعية بالعلوم المعلوماتية أو ما يعادلها مصادق عليها من المراجع الرسمية.

Required documents along with the application:
- Passport Photo
- A statement of work or a copy of the commercial registry (proving the practice of the profession)
- A copy of the ID ticket
- An original summary of the judicial record that is not more than one month old.
- A copy of a university degree in Computer Science or its equivalent certified by the official references. Tagging Abbas Taki
Syndicate of Computer Sciences in Lebanon

They only have a Facebook page till now, but it looks legit so far.

oh an forgot to say welcome here Rassi!! if you have any questions till then, do feel free to PM me here :)

NuclearVision wroteHello!
I was wondering if there any places in Lebanon to volunteer, during summer or weekends.
Please share your experience if any, and thanks!

try giving SMEX a shot, they are an NGO that works on promoting digital privacy. They're always on the lookout for people to help out. Also I agree with rolf to check out other NGOs in daleel-madani.

Personally, I've worked upclose with SMEX, nahnoo (Jessica is brilliant! as a plus she's an AI expert, so if you're interested in that I'm sure you can learn alot from her), AIEserve, Home of Hope, BusMapProject, dotTrust, Girls Got IT, Teens Who Code (not an NGO per say, more like social enterprise if you want), Cherpa.io (same case as Teens Who Code), and MSF (though they're picky with their volunteers on specific projects because it has to do a lot with healthcare). I also advise you to check out Codi Lebanon, No Label NGO, Lebanon Support, and IEA as xterm suggested. They do real good work (never had the pleasure yet to collaborate with them though).

1) welcome aboard Hassan!! I'm sure a naturally gifted maker like you will find this forum as a safe haven. I hereby vouch for Hassan's abilities seeing that I've seen his work first hand :)
2) @Rassi, sorry for the late reply but I've only seen this post now. for next time's sake, please pose your question in a separate topic so we can find it more easily. having said that, Hassan did mention your project to me. we'll hopefully meet/skype soon do discuss this matter further. coming from a background of biomedical engineering and with hands-on experience with neurosignals, myoelectric signals, and prosthetics, I hope I can help you out in your quest.

DNA wrote

mesa177 wroteSuperpower? Definitely not. Physics? Absolutely yes. As you said it is commonly known as water dowsing, but the scientific name is ideomotor effect. It is used with an object that has high level content of liquid like an egg or a coconut, or using 2 L shaped rods or a pendulum. It is heavily done in farming cultures like India and African countries. It requires some practice, but by flexing your muscles in a specific manner, the coconut or egg will topple to the side once you step on an area with groundwater underneath. Here is a link to a Youtube video where the presenter shows how to topple the coconut or egg to detect groundwater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fDprYQQNW4.

If I were you, I'd get myself a coconut and train next to a well. Once I get good at it, I do it free of charge just to mess around with that guy.

Are you being serious? the only physics i see is gravity and his muscle movement. The ideomotor effect is not related to physics.

I should have mentioned the static electricity part. And yes I'm dead serious. Makes for a very neat trick. Edit added to the post.

Pro tip: pay attention to the brand of the batteries before you buy them. E.K.T has HW and BigBat, both ok brands but require change every 3 years. The best on the market are the original Yuasa batteries (best life cycle amongst all), but generally require change after 7 to 10 years of consumption (depending on regular use). They are also the most expensive on the market. Is it worth the price tag? Absolutely.

AVOlio wroteSame sort of question here,
My ups consists of 4 batteries of 7A.
Thing is u already own 2 new 9A ones, and I don't want to buy 4 new 7A ones.
So is it safe if I buy 2 new 9A ones and replace the batteries of the ups with 4 9As?

check my answer above for more details, but getting 2 extra 12VDC 9Ah batteries should be fine as long as you are 100% sure your other batteries as still good (storing batteries while being fully charged decreases the life cycle of the batteries, hope you depleted or at least discharged half of it's current capacity before placing them aside; humidity also shortens the shelf life of batteries).

thegodfatherdany wrote

Tech Guru wrote Mission Accomplished , 36000 LBP two batteries , and I replaced them my self ; better than paying 140 usd for a good 1200 VA UPS as this UPS

Hi there. Do you have information regarding choosing the correct battery? I asked around and was told all are 12V batteries but some are 7Ah and some 9Ah.

My question is if i have a 1200VA (2battery) or 1500VA (2battery of course) broken UPS, do i get the same batteries for both UPSs?
Also where did you get your batteries from? Macrocity has the PCE12V 7Ah battery for 16.7$ and PCE9Ah for 26.6$ including VAT.

As long as the voltage rating is the same, and the current rating is the same (you either hook all 7 Ah or all 9Ah batteries, don't ever mix them when placed in series), it's ok to use either batteries. But there will be compromises and trade-offs in specific cases:

- when using a set of 12VDC 7Ah batteries to replace 12VDC 9Ah, you lose 2Ah: your UPS loses the capacity to provide appropriate current within 1 hour (2A to be specific). This move is not recommended mostly since your setup will mostly be needing that 9A/hr.

- when using a set of 12VDC 9Ah batteries to replace 12VDC 7Ah, you gain 2Ah but charging time for the batteries increases by at least 30min. This is an ok tradeoff for most UPSes, but some don't allow you to change the nominal voltage and current ratings for the batteries and will sound off an alarm for that. so best consult a user manual for that before buying and installing them.

Red7 wroteWhat I mean is: persons or groups discussing trends and technologies, reviewing them, sharing information on the products available in Lebanon etc.

I will check the recommendations, thank you.

Then add Beirut Digital District to the mix. Yes some talks are targeted towards entrepreneurship and business to encourage more people to do their own start-ups and enroll with accelerators such as AltCity / SoUK.Lb, Flat6Labs, Speed, The UK Tech Hub, etc... But sometimes the talks are targeted towards Bitcoin, blockchain, AI, open source (Keeward does regular meetups, they're pretty good), game development, robotics in general, digital fabrication (Berytech Fab Lab), etc...

Unfortunately, Innovation Factory Beirut is now art oriented than tech oriented, though they have an amazing makers' lab.

vlatkozelka wrote

Charbeljabbour wroteGreetings
i need to make a traffic simulation using C# windows form

This line is all the info you gave in your question. There's really no way to answer that.

And btw, is it a requirement to do so in Windows form? I'm seeing it would be the worst tool for the job, as opposed to some simulator like Matlab or maybe a game engine. But then again it depends on what your requirements are, and what you've tried, which you didn't give any details about.

100% agreed on this. Matlab or even Mathematica is easier to use for this sort of simulations, especially if you plan to involve imagery. So first thing you need to do is describe fully what the project is. Not gonna lie, I smell a university project description, and in those cases I demand to see code first or at least your thought process. We are not here to do uni projects for anyone. We just help out with advice, getting over bumps, or spotting errors; hints are also on the menu.

Having said that, you can use C# in Matlab (though not sure about Octave), and visa versa. Check for more info here .

As vlatkozelka suggested, even Unity game engine might be used (based on C# if the language is a must).

So for more info, you will have to spill more beans.

I would recommend you check out the Lebanese Game Developers FB page and attend their meetups. Sometimes we hold a conjoined workshop with them and Arab Arcade at Lamba Labs to discuss game development.

You'd definitely have an interested audience there.

The compressor is a main part of the cooling unit, so you can't isolate it. Replacing it costs just as much as a new unit so wouldn't recommend that.

Hate to break it for you, but the sound you are hearing is indeed normal, especially on Compomatic fridges. They're notorious for their loud compressors. This is coming from my 7 years experience with medicinal fridges and freezers alongside industrial side fridges and freezers. Learned alot about those from my work in hopsitals.

I would give you some advice though that may sound weird but might actually help out. Sometimes the compressor is overworked because the fridge needs defrosting. The noise becomes louder as the compressor tries to reach the preset temperature on the thermostat (that knob you turn to control the cooling level) because the motor on the compressor works harder. So switch off you fridge for 48hours (place a thick piece of cloth underneath, there will be enough water to cause a flood). Then switch it back on and observe of there's any difference. The age of the fridge also affects the operation of the compressor (especially when not defrosted regularly).

In Lebanon, we have 2 major players when it comes to original boards: EKT a.k.a. Katranji and CNC Lab. Katranji has the tendency to have a couple of defected items (I had a couple of Arduino Pro Micros that didn't work though I got the original ones). CNC Lab is in Tripoli (Bahsas to be exact), but all his products are top notch and never did I receive a defected item. You can also get them via RS On-line shop (Verdun, across Zara), but they are expensive.

You can also order them online via Massdrop and AliExpress for better pricing.

For electronic components to go with your boards, Katranji is your best bet, followed by Incotel and Boujikian (both located in Doura). Another good electronics provider is Kubbi (Bourj Brajni, best source for SMD components). You can also try Kanafani (Bchara El Khoury, next to Ministry of Finance and across Berytech Digital Park). Despite the friendly staff, they tend to have old stock (since they don't move their items as fast as Katranji or Boujikian). Boujikian is also the Armenian store that Johnaudi might be referring to (don't know if they etch and assemble the Arduino Uno boards though). In home automation projects you might be needing circuit breakers and other high current controllers, so I recommend Takom energy for that (Ghazieh).

For the workshops, Lamba Labs!! We do build nights on Wednesdays between 7:30pm and 10pm (sometimes we start earlier and sometimes we stay later, depends on the timing of keyholders). Check our FB page for events as well (we did an all Python workshop where we touched base with the Raspberry Pi; we're holding an intro to Arduino workshop and maybe an IoT workshop based on NodeMCU and Blynk app in January as well). Even if we don't have a dedicated workshop during Build Night, you can ask for help anytime from any attendee who is willing to help out (myself included). We always welcome questions, no matter how dumb or nooby you think it may be :) Contacts: 70/854780 (if you want me to add you to our whatsapp group notify me on that number as well), or email at contact@lambalabs.com. You can also PM me if you want to keep things private or whatever. Note: we provide the hardware during the workshops and Build Nights if you're curious about something and just want to test it out before buying, and majority of the workshops we hold are free of charge.

To be fair, BDD and some university clubs (like AUB Robotics Club and STC club at RHU) sometimes do workshops on Arduino and Raspberry Pi (though sometimes access is restricted and other times workshops are paid).

PS: between Dec 1st and Dec 5th I'm not available in the country, so best way to contact me then is via whatsapp.

I would recommend trying the SIM800L shield since it has been known to be used alongside Arduino Pro Micro 3.3V and Arduino Pro Mini 3.3V. You can find it at EKT or CNC Lab, though I would recommend buying the one at CNC Lab because Katranji has had some problems with their shields and Arduino boards (even the original models, this is based on my experience).

So things you need to keep in mind though:
1) DON'T power the shield from the Arduino board, use an external power source for that:




2) Sim card's angled corner should be facing outside when inserted into the shield

If you still have any questions or need help, drop me a PM or pass by next Wednesday between 7:30pm and 10pm for Build Night at Lamba Labs Beirut Hackerspace. You can even email me at contact@lambalabs.com.

Happy building!!

Loris restaurant in Gemmayzeh has some pretty good Meza dishes with a modern twist. Prices are generally between 25 to 30$ per person.

infiniteloop wroteI wonder how can we invent a product in Lebanon while being protected by copyright and patent internationally.
If you think your product can reach a good popularity worldwide should you have a Lebanese or US lawyer for example to protect you from knock offs?

As someone who has been participating and mentoring in the current start-up ecosystem, I can vouche for Al Yafi Group's work on patenting. If you want, PM me your email so I can send you their contact info alongside some presentations they did during my stint at Flat6 Labs.

I can say this though, while most startups register abroad for less tax brackets, more crowdfunding opportunities, and prestige, you can easily register your startup as S.A.L or S.A.R.L and still get an international patent here locally. You should also diffrentiate between trademark as a brand name and patent for the actual product. You usually have to do both. Patents are expensive though (just fyi).

Also, note that your product will not depricate in value if a knockoff comes into the market. Take for example an iPhone and a Chinese knockoff. The quality is different and the brand name of Apple makes it more valuable. So can your product. If in case someone does knock off your core design, you can legally pursue them only if you have registered the design under a legal patent. There's also the more affordable form where you just declare you filed for a patent (will dig exact name for it). It gains you a year before needing to issue a full patent. However, if you don't complete the patent application after a year, all your rights for the patent declaration falls until you apply again.

As for rapid prototyping, we have a lot of local opportunities for that. You can start at our makerspace Lamba Labs Beirut Hackerspace where we can help you out with figuring your best options (free of charge, we're a community based organization). We may even be able to support you on some hardware free of charge as well.

Having said that, keep an eye on our FB page. In November we will be holding 2 sessions on vital signs of startups (what you need to know on starting a startup from ideation to bootcamp to local opportunities in terms of accelerators), as well another session Show & Tell style on local opportunities in rapid manufactury.

If you want to visit the space, this Saturday we have a geeky Halloween party starting at 4pm. Also Wednesdays we hold Build Nights between 7:30pm and 10pm.

PM for any questions or contact me via email at contact@lambalabs.com or phone at 70854780.

Sorry for the long post.

For those who are between 12 and 18 and are interested in joining the summer camp hosted by Teens Who Code during the month of July, registration is now open. It's a great opportunity to not only learn coding but also to get engaged with a like minded community and have a glimpse of the programming workspace in the real world.

Well arithma is still around too.

As for me, I'm still lurking around but no posting as much since I'm getting my hands dirty ever since joining Lamba Labs. I keep Lebgeeks at heart for my programming side, but for hardware development I see a wider and more interactive community at Lamba Labs. Maybe we can have another gathering soon, maybe even have a meet and greet between this community and Lamba community?

First of all welcome aboard!! Glad to have machinery enthusiats here. The world of metal casting is huge, but I wouldn't say Lebanon is far behind the rest of the world. We do have a lot of places and workshops in Lebanon who do metal casting (aside from CNC) like RapidManufactury, IFB (Innovation Factory of Beirut, though not sure that kind of equipment is available to public), and a couple of my go to workshop pros in the South (namely Ghaziyi and Sarafand). I would love to discuss this more in person if you ever want to, so feel free to pass by Lamba Labs Beirut Hackerspace during Build-Nights on Wednesdays (starting June since now we are closed for Ramadan).