Alex Eames from RasPi.TV has written a Python script that tests out the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi 2’s quad-core processor by carrying out sorting operations on a massive list of words. The results are astounding. The Pi 2 clearly beats the B+ in a single-core test and simply wipes the floor with the B+ in a multi-threaded test. You can watch a video of the test and see the code here. He’s also done some power-usage measurements to compare the Pi 2 against all the other models of Pi out there.
Alex has made the code for the multi-threaded test available on GitHub if you’d like to run it yourself or see a great example of how multi-threaded Python programming is done. Python is cross-platform, so you can try this out wherever Python can be installed!
According to Wales Online, the Sony factory in Pencoed, Wales, is due to have a boost of around 30 new jobs due to the increase in production caused by the launch of the Raspberry Pi 2. Sony has confirmed that they will be increasing production of the Pi from 18,000 units a week to 80,000. That’s a lot of Pi! You can read the full story at Wales Online here.
In a recent Linux User magazine, they featured a great section all about the different types of robots out there for the Raspberry Pi. The editors decided to base the article around the Pi Wars challenges, which was very nice (and much appreciated!). Now, the review parts of the article are available online. It comes in two parts: Part one and Part two and covers the following robotics kits:
The world is all a-twitter (and, indeed, many people have Tweeted) about the launch of the Raspberry Pi 2 today. I was lucky enough to get hold of a Pi 2 a few weeks ago to put it through its paces. It’s a very impressive piece of kit and I shot some video of it in action. In the video below you can see the Pi booting (incredibly fast), the X desktop start up and then some apps being loaded. Pardon the shaky cam – I was using my mobile phone!
Just doing a quick update at lunchtime on this fantastic launch day. As you should all know by now, the Raspberry Pi 2 was launched at 9am today by Eben Upton at a press conference at The Shard in London. I hope to bring you a recording of that press conference at some point, but currently the Element 14 site, where the press conference was streamed, is up and down like a yo-yo.
Alex Eames has done a great walk-around video and blog coverage. His video includes a side-by-side comparison between the Pi 2 and B+. As always, Alex’s enthusiasm for the Pi comes across and it’s a great fact- and demonstration-based video. Read and watch it here.
Raspberry Pi Guy
Matthew Timmons-Brown has done a slightly longer video with more background detail of the history of the Pi. Watch it here.
Make
Alasdair Allan has written a piece over on Make in which he interviews Eben Upton about the new board – well worth a read if you want more technical detail about the new board. Read it here.
Russell Davis
Russell has got some very specific uses for a Pi, such as writing COBOL on it (!) and has been putting the Pi 2 through its paces. Read about his experiences here.
