Raspberry Pi Foundation forum user Gaz99 has developed a Home Energy Centre which uses a Pi to collect Solar PV data and Solar Thermal (hot water) information along with the weather and turn this into an easy to understand display that is displayed on a Nook Simple Touch e-reader, or a browser or smartphone. You can read more on his blog.
Dave Akerman has worked with Anthony Stirk to create a new GPIO board for the Pi to facilitate high altitude ballooning launches. Called Pi in the Sky, the board comes with the following features:
… and comes with a full software suite to complement the outstanding hardware.
Beta testers have successfully flown their sample boards and the production boards are expected to be available mid-late July.
Guest post from Nevil Hunt of Innovations in Education
I have been invited to the BBC/Google “Computing for a new Generation” Conference at Media City on the 2nd July where I will be demonstrating…
A – Seven Segments of Pi – “Possibly the Simplest Games Console in the World!”
Write software for a “PiDice”, a “PiStopWatch”, and the game “Figure Eight My Pi” – “Could this be your first step to becoming the next generation of Computer Games Designer?”
B – The PiTrol – “Control your Pi with the PiTrol!”
“Pi” shaped Games Controller with Joystick & PushButtons interfaced to GPIO. Modify games to control them using The PiTrol or write new single player computer games.
“Could this be your second step to becoming the next generation of Computer Games Designer?”
C – PiDapter – “P1 Adapter for The PiTrol!”
The PiDapter allows 2 PiTrols to connect to the Raspberry Pi. You can modify games to create 2 player versions or write new 2 player computer games. “Could this be your third step to becoming the next generation of Computer Games Designer?”
If you are attending the BBC Conference on the 2nd July feel free to drop by for a demo! If not I will also be at the Cambridge Raspberry Jam on the 5th July, or visit my Web Sites www.SevenSegmentsOfPi.com www.ThePiTrol.com and www.PiDapter.com
– Nevil
Russell Barnes, previously editor of Linux User and Developer magazine and now working freelance, has just launched RasPi.today – a website hosting his podcasts. He’s released three short podcasts so far with (I hope) many more to follow. You can listen to the podcasts by heading over to his new site.
Jamie Jackson has written some code that uses the weather.com API to pull a weather forecast into his Pi. He then displays it on his PiTFT using some icons he downloaded. It’s a neat little set-up that is well worth a go if you like to be kept up to date on all things meteorological (and yes, I did use spell-checker for that!). Read all about it here
The Foundation has just published this blog post which has Amy Mather controlling electrical sockets via a Raspberry Pi. She’s using an Energenie GPIO plugin board and extension block and controlling it via Python on the Pi. You can get hold of a starter pack of this system from Energenie for £19.99 (including VAT and delivery) which will give you the GPIO board and two socket adapters. Take a look here.
I’ve not tried one of these myself but they look like a great way to get into home automation without a load of re-wiring.
