The Google I/O show, a three-day event featuring all the news that’s fit to print from everyone’s favourite search provider, is currently broadcasting live video from radio controlled blimps. The important news for us is that there is a Raspberry Pi onboard each blimp, streaming video from a webcam and controlling a servo to point the camera. Read more here and watch a video of them in action
Installing avconv on the #RaspberryPi
Some of you with the camera may have been trying to install avconv by using the following:
sudo apt-get install avconv
As you have probably discovered, this does not work and it reports that it cannot find the package. (I know, it’s confusing). But it’s not actually missing, it’s just part of something else!
To do the install, do the following:
sudo apt-get install libav-tools
Bletchley Park, in Lego
This isn’t strictly Pi-related, but should be interesting to you anyway, especially MK Jammers.
James Pegrum is exploring the elite codebreaking facility Bletchley Park by using LEGO to create scenes of massive computers and workers rushing about.
He’s been doing it for his History of Britain series.
Easy timelapse with the #RaspberryPi camera module
The Raspberry Pi camera module has built-in timelapse functionality.
Here’s a command to try:
raspistill -o timelapse%04d.jpg -t 5000 -tl 1000
This will make a time lapse run for 5 seconds (5000 milliseconds), taking a picture every 1 second (1000 milliseconds). It will create files called timelapse0001.jpg, timelapse0002.jpg to 0005. (It uses 4d to say ‘number to 4 places’).
Please note that if you Ctrl-C during the time lapse, the camera may get ‘stuck’. I’m keeping an eye out for a way to reset it, but I haven’t found it yet.
Hopefully this will be useful for someone – I’m trawling the Foundation forums for some of these little bits and pieces so that others don’t have to 🙂
#RaspberryPi Camera Module documentation
This is an aide-memoire for me but others may find it useful.
An RTF document containing the Raspberry Pi camera module documentation is available here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2434217/pi/RaspiCamDocs-1.rtf
ScorPi – pose-able arm for the #RaspberryPi camera module
As part of their Sweetbox II Kickstarter, France-based Grasping Hand are offering the “ScorPi” which is a pose-able arm for the Raspberry Pi camera module. It plugs in to the composite video port and then attaches to the camera via one of its mounting holes. It costs £11 delivered (which I guess isn’t bad for a just-launched product) as a pledge to the Kickstarter. I’ve asked if you can get it separately and await a response. This looks like a good way of just holding the camera without too much messing about. Read more/get the ScorPi here