raspberry pi
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Chromium browser for Raspberry Pi beta available
Well known ChromiumOS developer Hexxeh has been fiddling around with the Raspberry Pi since its debut and his latest experiment is a beta version of the Chromium browser, ready to run on Raspbian images. While it's not the full Chromium OS (that's still under development) it should help ease the pain of browsing the web on one of the $35 Broadcom-powered units. It still requires quite a bit of horsepower however, so overclocking your Raspberry Pi and using a fast USB stick or SD card for storage is advised, hit the source link below for more instructions on downloading and running the 35MB~ package.
Raspberry Pi announces Raspbian, an optimized OS upgrade with performance improvements abound
No software update is quite so sweet as one that brings improved performance, and that's exactly what Raspberry Pi users can expect from the latest Debian-based OS known as Raspbian. Optimized specifically for the $35 computer, Raspbian introduces more comprehensive support for floating point operations, and with that, a faster web browsing experience. The latest release also brings improvements to the firmware, kernel and applications, and is recommended as the distribution most appropriate for general users. An SD card image of Raspbian is now available for download, so do yourself a favor and snag it today.
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.
Adafruit's Pi Cobbler breakout kit puts Raspberry Pi's pins to work
Leave it to Adafruit to really help a product deliver on its DIY promise. Those pins on the Raspberry Pi taunted us from the moment we laid our hands on it, and not just cause we weren't sure what to do with them. The board's makers didn't exactly make playing with them easy. Actually, prototyping a project with a Pi embedded seemed like a logistical nightmare destined to become a mess of wires. The Pi Cobbler solves that problem with a ribbon cable, some header pins and a custom PCB. The kit lets you easily run those 26 I/O pins to solderless breadboard... after you've soldered together the Cobbler, of course. The whole, unassembled package will set you back just $7.95, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us. Especially since each pin is nice and clearly labeled. Hit up the source link to order yours.
FishPi sets course for the open sea, captained by a Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi's journey to reach owners has been a lengthy one, but Greg Holloway is preparing to send his board on a longer voyage -- one across the Atlantic. Nestled inside a tupperware tub, the RaspberryPi is the brains of FishPi, an autonomous vessel -- guided by GPS and a compass -- that measures 20 inches from bow to stern. Currently in proof-of-concept form, the craft uses a 40 mm rotating propeller and draws juice from batteries powered by a 130 watt solar panel. Producing kits for students, enthusiasts and professionals is the goal of the project, but testing and development are still on the docket. While the Linux-laden launch isn't ready for the high seas quite yet, you can sail to the source for the technical breakdown or check it out at the Nottingham Hackspace Raspberry Jam next month.
Chromium OS gets ported to Raspberry Pi
Hexxeh has already proven his love for Chromium OS and the Raspberry Pi, obviously the next step was for the hacker to combine his passions into one project. Thus was born Chromium OS for the tiny ARM-powered computer from the UK. The initial commit of the port was officially approved by the Chromium team, meaning that anyone lucky enough to get their mitts on the board can download the code themselves. Of course, there's a long road to hoe before we see a stable version -- if we ever see such a thing. Right now the OS does little more than boot up, but if the embedded version of Chromium can be made to function without issue it could make browsing the web on the Broadcom SOC-sporting PC much less painful. Then again, performance is a big question mark. Seeing how much the 700MHz ARM11 chip struggled with the Midori browser, we wouldn't hold our breath for miracles. Then again, the underlying system is far less demanding than a full fledged Linux distro with a desktop. Hit up the source link to download Chromium OS for the Raspberry Pi yourself.
Gooseberry Android board plans to sate those still waiting on a Raspberry Pi (video)
If one of the aims of the Raspberry Pi was to embody the "do-it-yourself" ethos, then it's already succeeded. Annoyed at the wait for the education-friendly board to arrive, the anonymous creator of the Gooseberry decided to build their own. Looking reasonably similar to its inspiration, it's packing a 1GHz AllWinner CPU, 400MHz Mali GPU, 512MB RAM and 4GB of onboard storage. It'll go on sale in the UK for £40 ($63) shortly, running Gingerbread and is capable of running HD video -- as demonstrated by the video we've got for you after the break.
Intel's NUC mini-desktop said to cost around $400
Intel's Next Unit of Computing mini-desktop is reportedly going to cost around $400 when it arrives in the third quarter of the year. Designed for kiosks and digital signage setups, the weeny box has attracted so much interest from solder-wielding modders that the company expects it to go on general sale. The initial unit will include a Sandy Bridge Core i3, 4GB RAM and a 40GB SSD, while on the outside it'll come with three USB 2.0 ports and dual HDMI outputs. That high price might dampen the spirits of those hoping for an Intel-powered Arduino / Raspberry Pi, but we still expect to see it crop up in plenty of brilliant mods next year.
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.
Google pumps cash into UK classrooms, will buy Arduino, Raspberry Pi sets for kids
Eric Schmidt has said that Google will make cash available through its investment into Teach First to buy Raspberry Pi and Arduino units for British schoolchildren. He was at the UK's Science Museum to talk about Mountain View's partnership with the charity, which puts top university graduates into schools to teach disadvantaged kids. The Android-maker wrote a cheque to fund over 100 places on the scheme, aiming to get bright computer scientists to reintroduce engineering principles to pupils. Mr. Schmidt hoped that with the right support, kits like the Raspberry Pi would do for this generation what the BBC Micro did three decades ago.
Maker Faire Bay Area 2012, in pictures: 3D printers, unicorns, tesla coils and zombies (video)
Did you miss Maker Faire Bay Area 2012? Did you go but want to relive the experience a little? Well look no further: we came, we saw, we conquered. As one of our friends acutely observed, you couldn't throw something this year without hitting a 3D printer. Below you'll find pictures of said 3D printers, but also unicorns, Tesla coils and yes, even zombies (!) -- all lovingly curated from the hundreds of shots we took at the event this past weekend. Craving something with a bit more meat? We've made a convenient list of our Maker Faire posts. Once you're done digesting that, hit the break for our lovely video montage. Hands-on with the Electric Imp at Maker Faire (video) Raspberry Pi hands-on and Eben Upton interview at Maker Faire (video) Hands-on with the MakerBot robot petting zoo at Maker Faire (video) The Engadget Interview: Ben Heck talks Raspberry Pi at Maker Faire (video) Electric Motor Werks hands-on at Maker Faire (video) %Gallery-155867%
The Engadget Interview: Ben Heck talks Raspberry Pi at Maker Faire (video)
It's really no surprise that we bumped into the legendary Ben Heck at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012. Still, he was kind enough to give us a few minutes of his time. We talked about the Raspberry Pi, robot luggage, portable 3D printers, pinball machines, pretzels and cheese curds -- oh my! Just take a look at our video interview and don't miss the outtakes at the end.
Raspberry Pi hands-on and Eben Upton interview at Maker Faire (video)
Unless you've been hiding under a rock lately, we're pretty sure you've heard about the Raspberry Pi by now -- a $25 credit-card sized PC that brings ARM/Linux to the Arduino form factor. As a refresher, the system features a 700MHz Broadcom BCM2835 SoC with an ARM11 CPU, a Videocore 4 GPU (which handles HD H.264 video and OpenGL ES 2.0) and 256MB RAM. The board includes an SD card slot, HDMI output, composite video jack, 3.5mm audio socket, micro-USB power connector and GPIO header. Model A ($25) comes with one USB port, while Model B ($35) provides two USB ports and a 100BaseT Ethernet socket. Debian is recommended, but Raspberry Pi can run most ARM-compatible 32-bit OSes. This past weekend at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012 we ran into Eben Upton, Executive Director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and took the opportunity to spend some quality time with a production board and to discuss this incredible PC. We touched upon the origins of the system (inspired by the BBC Micro, one of the ARM founders' projects), Moore's law, the wonders of simple computers and upcoming products / ideas -- including Adafruit's Pi Plate and Raspberry Pi's prototype camera add-on. On the subject of availability, the company expects that "there will be approximately 200,000 units in the field by the end of June". Take a look at our hands-on gallery below and our video interview after the break.%Gallery-155800%
Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on
While the main thing that would make Raspberry Pi's diminutive $25 / $35 Linux setups better would be if we could get our hands on them faster, the team behind it is already working on improvements like this prototype camera seen above. The add-on is slated to ship later this year and plugs into the CSI pins left exposed right in the middle of each unit. According to the accompanying blog post, the specs may be downgraded from the prototype's 14MP sensor to keep things affordable, although there's no word on an exact price yet. Possible applications include robotics and home automation, but until the hackers get their hands on them you'll have to settle for one pic from the Pi's POV after the break and a few more at the source linked below.
Simple firmware updater for Raspberry Pi released, won't speed up your order
Getting hung up by having to constantly reinstall the firmware while working with your Raspberry Pi? So was developer Hexxeh (of ChromiumOS fame) who apparently got fed up enough to write his own tool that greatly simplifies the process. Thankfully for the thousands of other folks lucky enough to get their hands on their own Raspberry Pi already, he also recently went ahead and released the tool for free. Hit the source link below for all the necessary details to get started with it.
Intel enters mini-computer fray with Core i5-powered NUC
The mini-computer game has so far been dominated by upstarts such as FXI and Raspberry Pi, but a big name is getting ready to join the party, too. Intel first demoed its NUC (Next Unit of Computing) at PAX East in April, but details are just hitting the web now. One standout spec is the NUC's 10 x 10-cm (4 x 4-in) form factor, which places it between the Raspberry Pi and Mini-ITX boards in terms of size. Moreover, the NUC packs a Core i3 / Core i5 Sandy Bridge chip with last-gen Intel HD 3000 graphics, and sports Thunderbolt, HDMI and USB 3.0 sockets on the back. There's a heatsink and fan assembly on board, too, and the mini PCIe connectors leave the door open for added functionality. Because it runs an Intel Core i5 CPU instead of the ARM processors found in options such as the Cotton Candy and Raspberry Pi, the NUC promises to be a more powerful mini-desktop. But don't get too excited: Intel envisions it as a component in digital signage instead. Look for Intel's mini-PC at a kiosk near you in the second half of 2012, when it's expected to drop.
Adafruit wants to help you hack your Raspberry Pi
So you shelled out a cool $25 to get your hands on the Raspberry Pi -- and, after some hiccups, the thing actually shipped. Now what? Adafruit's got your back. The DIY-friendly company announced that it's getting ready to release its Prototyping Pi Plate Kit, which will help you leverage the little Linux box for some of those home-baked embedded computer projects you're itching to start. Nothing yet in the way of pricing or availability for the product -- not until Adafruit's done testing it on shipping Raspberry Pi units. In the meantime, you can always add it to your hacking wish list by clicking the source link below.
Raspberry Pi boards begin shipping today (video)
The moment has finally arrived: Eben Upton's Linux-powered dream of a super-cheap PC that could revolutionize the way we teach computer science begins shipping from today. RS Components and Allied Electronics have begun to mail the dinky devices out to the lucky pre-order customers who managed to get through before the overwhelming interest forced the servers offline. If you missed out originally, Model B is now available in the UK for £31.86 (inclusive of VAT and P&P) or $35 in the States -- if you'd like to see the momentous occasion when Mr. Upton personally delivered the first batch of devices, head on past the break
Raspberry Pi faces distribution troubles over CE certification
Raspberry Pi hit another snag in distribution this week, though the company seems optimistic that shipments of its long-awaited Linux PC won't be dramatically affected. The issue centers around two companies -- RS Components and element14/Premier Farnell -- that have confirmed they won't distribute the device until it's been anointed with the CE label. Raspberry Pi had previously argued that its PC is not a "finished end product," and that it, like Beagleboard, could therefore be distributed without the CE mark. Its distributors, however, disagreed. As a result, the team is working to get their computers CE-compliant "as soon as humanly possible," and are already pretty confident that they'll meet category A, and perhaps even category B requirements. They're also working closely with the UK's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to better understand the standards to which non-CE products like Beagleboard are held. No word yet on when RS and Farnell might issue a verdict, but the Raspberry Pi Foundation says it'll let us know as soon as they do.
Raspberry Pi production derailed due to manufacturing error, initial shipments still on schedule
Those Raspberry Pi Linux PCs you've been waiting on? Well, they've hit another "bump in the road" no thanks to a manufacturing process error. The production gaffe, which integrated non-magnetic jacks where the opposite was clearly needed, resulted in a backlog of defective devices incapable of achieving network connectivity. The company's managed to rectify the gaffe easily, as repairs are reportedly already underway, so if you've place an early order your shipment should still arrive on time. Further setbacks are expected, however, for later batches due to an unforeseen component shortage. Schadenfreude types can delight themselves with additional shots of these faulty ports in question at the source below.
