There is an air of anticipation in the Studio, as we prepare for the launch of two apps and one spacecraft.

We’re very happy that Tim Kindberg’s Nth Screen has been shortlisted by TechSPARK.co for a SPARKies Award in the ‘Startup To Watch’ category. The app will be launching in the November, we can’t wait to get our hands on it, and we’ll let you know when you can too.

Daredevil Project are inching ever closer to releasing their peer-to-peer challenge app, #DUEL. They have been organising focus groups, where they ask people about their online sharing habits. The team is rapidly growing, and next week we’ll be welcoming a brilliant new resident to the Studio to work on the design. We’ll introduce him in next week’s blog.

PocketSpacecraft.com have an upcoming launch from Xichang, China next Thursday evening. They will be hosting a launch event for spaceraft PS86X1 in the Studio, where they will set up Mission Control in the meeting room and inviting the public to join them. As if watching a space launch isn't enough, there will also be coffee and cake! If you want to come along, please sign up at PS86X1.eventbrite.co.uk

Our Creative Technologist, David Haylock has just posted a blog about the project that he and Arthur Buxton developed at Hack the Space. A few months ago, artists and technologists were invited to the Turbine Hall for a 24-hour hack, using Tate Data to create interesting projects. For their project, Light Histories, David and Arthur embedded 16 RGB LEDs in a canvas, and looked through the entire Tate catalogue, using colour to represent different works of art. Arthur described the project as an extension of his Colourstory project in light. The pair made it into the shortlist for best project, and they definitely deserved it, given the amazing work and the 3 hours sleep they had had! Read more about what they got up to here.

This week, REACT held interviews in the Studio to find a partner to design and deliver a new programme of support for eight projects from the REACT alumni. They also held PR and business development workshops for everyone working on REACT Feasibility or Prototype funded projects. It was great to get everyone together to catch up with each other’s projects and engage in some lively discussions. Find out more about all of the Feasibility or Prototype funded projects here.

Mandy Rose from DCRC hopped over the Atlantic to MIT last Friday for their Open Documentary Lab on The New Reality: Exploring the Intersection of New Documentary Forms and Digital Journalism. She was moderating a panel focused on documentary forms and processes. Find out more about the panel and the topics they were exploring here.

Former resident and regular Open Studio Friday friend, Keda Breeze has just launched Paradise Hotel, a bespoke creative production company, specialising in performing arts. They are currently producing events for Bristol Museum and Colston Hall.

Also, we briefly ran out of tea this week. It was scary but we got through it.