Razurblade Labs to Open Hub in Midtown

Razurblade Labs, a non-profit open device lab, said Monday it plans to open in Midtown by July 30, 2013.

Open device labs are hubs for web and app developers which allow them to share in a community pool of devices donated by corporations and individuals.

The need for ODLs has grown as consumer demand for mobile and web-based apps has risen sharply.

Midtown as a choice for Razurblade underscores the tech-related activity and business development that has occurred there.

It also is home to Georgia Tech and its students, many of whom are centered around computer science, information technology and digital design majors — disciplines that work well with the needs of ODLs and start-up companies.

"Today, every application needs to undergo extensive testing on various devices and multiple versions of operating systems before development to increase commercial success," Razurblade Labs' founder Garth Lyerly said in a statement.

"If your application does not function correctly or suffers from excessive crashes on certain devices you lose market share and the visibility of millions of users."

Razurblade Labs plans to offer developers and students scheduled blocks of testing time so they can spend one to eight hours at a time testing their applications or designs.

In addition, educational classes, meet-up groups and hackathons will be held at the ODL for the public to learn more about the future of web, mobile, and social technology within a community-driven environment.

Through partnerships and sponsorships Razurblade Labs expects to acquire at least 25 popular devices within two to three months while expanding to 60 devices by end of year. Such devices will include mobile phones, mobile tablets, gaming consoles, smart TVs and cutting-edge human-interactive components.