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Raspberry Pi has sold 5 million of its DIY-friendly computers
The audience for do-it-yourself computing might be larger than you think. The Raspberry Pi Foundation just revealed that it recently sold its 5 millionth mini computer -- not bad considering that the team had only delivered 1.75 million Raspberry Pis as of October 2013, or 16 months ago. The figure pales in comparison to what giant PC makers can do (Apple now sells over 5 million Macs per quarter), but it's impressive for a barebones board meant for schools and homebrew projects. In fact, the team notes that it could be the best-selling UK computer maker "ever."
Raspberry Pi $25 camera hardware finalized, won't be available for 'at least a month'
The budget board makers over at the Raspberry Pi Foundation are clearly having a busy week, first launching the Model A in Europe, and now reporting that development of the camera add-on for the miniature computers has been completed. Well, the hardware has been finalized, at least, although it hasn't been "tuned" quite yet (picture quality still needs improvement), and the drivers aren't fully ready. The camera PCB measures around 25 x 20 x 9mm, and hosts a 5-megapixel, fixed-focus sensor that can shoot 2592 x 1944 stills and 1080p video at 30 fps. Aligning with the low cost of the main boards, it'll set you back $25, but won't be available for "at least a month." Don't just sit there twiddling your thumbs, though. Start brainstorming all the cool projects you can work on once you put an eye on that Pi.
RISC OS lands on the Raspberry Pi, relives the glory days
The Raspberry Pi received a RAM boost recently, but it certainly won't need it to run the latest officially supported operating system -- RISC OS. A far cry from Linux variants the naked board is used to, RISC OS was developed in the late eighties by the same hotshots who designed the first ARM processor. Fittingly, it's also related to the OS found on the BBC Micro, a computer that shared the Raspberry Pi's educational vision. Don't expect much from the simple OS, but it will run extremely fast given the Pi's hardware is practically futuristic compared with the computers it was intended for. The simplicity does mean, however, that it's much easier to get right into the system and start tinkering. It was formerly a closed-source OS, so luckily, there are a bunch of Programmers' Reference Manuals (PRMs) available to kick-start your next project. Whether you are totally new to RISC OS, or excited to dive in for nostalgia's sake, head to the source link for everything you'll need.
Premier Farnell, Sony, team up to move Raspberry PI manufacturing to the UK
One of the biggest holdups to owning a Raspberry Pi was its stuttering availability, so much so that it even prompted a few copycat boards. Creator Eben Upton and equipment makers Premier Farnell might have found the solution, teaming up with Sony to produce an initial run of 300,000 of the educational computers at the company's UK Technology Center, in Pencoed, near Bridgend in Wales. Upton hopes to keep the cost at $25 and $35 for two boards, thanks to employing Sony's "lean manufacturing techniques," and the Japanese company has already spent £50,000 ($80,000) on new package-on-package assembly equipment -- ensuring that we'll all be able to get our hands on one soon enough.
Cambridge University helps new Raspberry Pi users break the crust with free guide, tutorials
It all looks so simple, doesn't it? A little board, a cute name -- why, you'll be up and robot-ing in no time, right? Well, just ask one of our techiest editors, who tried to learn a similar product, the Arduino -- and failed -- boards like the Pi are not cake. So, to push you in the right direction, Cambridge University is offering a free guide to creating a simple OS for the device called "Baking Pi." It's part of a course for new students of the institution's computer lab (who each get a Pi as part of their tuition), but the guide and a tutorial series are free to the public, as well. Programming experience is not required "if you are smart and persistent," but it will certainly be easier if you have some, according to the Pi website. The campus, which is the seat of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, certainly has a vested interest in getting new coders to the board -- not that they need to create any more demand. Check the source and coverage below for the guide and tutorials. [Image credit: Mark Foss]
Raspberry Pi lands MPEG-2 and VC-1 decoding through personal licenses, H.264 encoding and CEC tag along
Making the Raspberry Pi affordable involved some tough calls, including the omission of MPEG-2 decoding. Licensing fees alone for the video software would have boosted the board's price by approximately 10 percent. Now, after many have made media centers with the hardware, the foundation behind the project has whipped up a solution to add the missing codec. For $3.16, users can purchase an individual MPEG-2 license for each of their boards on the organization's online store. Partial to Microsoft's VC-1 standard? Rights to using Redmond's codec can be purchased for $1.58. H.264 encoding is also in the cards since OpenMax components needed to develop applications with the functionality are now enabled by default in the device's latest firmware. With CEC support thrown into the Raspbmc, XBian and OpenELEC operating systems, a single IR remote can control a Raspberry Pi, a TV and other connected gadgets. If you're ready to load up your Pi with its newfound abilities, hit the source link below. Update: The Raspberry Pi Foundation let us know that US customers won't have to pay sales tax, which means patrons will only be set back $3.16 for MPEG-2 and $1.58 for VC-1 support, not $3.79 and $1.90 for the respective licenses. We've updated the post accordingly.
DSLR gets dollop of Raspberry Pi for future home-baked camera accessories
We love a tasty mélange of gadgets, and that's just what photographer / hacker David Hunt has served up with a Raspberry Pi board inserted into his DSLR's battery grip. He used the handle for power, while exposing the Pi's USB, network and video ports for easy on-camera access, and so far he's managed to transmit images via WiFi and ethernet. But the Raspbian Linux OS opens up a world of potential DIY accessories, like wireless tethered shooting (with the addition of a WiFi dongle), cheap USB instant backup, storage, remote control from anywhere in the world and an intervalometer for timelapse photography. That's just for starters -- with the credit card sized board now in so many hands, the permutations are endless.
Raspberry Pi production ramped up to 4,000 per day, 5MP camera module on its way (video)
If you'd been frustrated thanks to all the Raspberries having been picked, and had even considered the bitter taste of other fruit, there's hope for you yet. The tiny computer's maker has just announced that production is now at 4,000 units per day, and the previous restriction of one purchase per person has been lifted. Good news. In addition to this is the announcement of a new camera board in the works. The 5-megapixel module (as expected, dropping a few notches from the 14MP prototype) is expected to cost around $20-$25, and be available in around three months. So now you can have your fill of the sweet little berries and look forward to your next upgrade too. Now you just need to think of a suitably sweet application for it.
Raspberry Pi impressions: the $35 Linux computer and tinker toy
The ledgers of history are littered with the rotting corpses of well intentioned, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to put computers in the hands of the young, underprivileged or severely impoverished. Some, like Intel's Classmate wanted to put cheap, durable Wintel machines in every American classroom, while others, like the OLPC program, focused their efforts on developing nations. Okay, perhaps it's a bit hyperbolic to compare those initiatives to decomposing bodies, but there's no denying they haven't exactly flooded the world with low-cost PCs the way they were envisioned. So, here comes the Raspberry Pi, another effort with lofty goals, both in terms of purpose and price. Of course, the approach is different here -- more barebones, with a healthy dose of inspiration from Arduino and the DIY movement. The question is, what has it learned from those that have come before it? And, most importantly, where does the Raspberry Pi go right and where does it go wrong? To find out, keep reading after the break.
