str = char((rand(1, 100)>0.5) + '0');    % test data
data = uint8(bin2dec(reshape(str(1:end-mod(end,8)), [], 8)));

len = 60;

string = [];
for i = 1:len
  string = [string sprintf('%d', randi([0 1]))];
end

% error
% bin2dec(string);

% roll your own...
value = 0;
for i = length(string):-1:1
  value = value + str2num(string(i))*2^(length(string)-i);
end

N=100;
strbin = char(randi(2,1,N)+'0'-1);

pows2 = 2.^(N-1:-1:0);
value=pows2*(strbin-'0')';

Nmax = 1e8; % already 700MB for pows2, watch out!
pows2 = 2.^(Nmax-1:-1:0);

value = pows2(Nmax-N+1:end)*(strbin-'0')';

N=3000;
strbin = char(randi(2,1,N)+'0'-1);

binvals=strbin-'0';
val=0;
twopow=vpi(1);
for ii=1:N
    val=val+twopow*binvals(N-ii+1);
    twopow=twopow*2;
end