Open-source online learning platform edX can now be run on the Raspberry Pi. Started by MIT & Harvard, the development team has released a new distro image that you can download and install on an SD card. It is at an early stage at the moment and several features have yet to be implemented, but it’s worthwhile taking a look if you’re after an online learning system.
Dexter Industries (who previously developed BrickPi, a LEGO-Mindstorms interface board) are bringing out GrovePi. GrovePi is an add-on board that plugs into the GPIO pins and allows you to use Grove Sensors from SeeedStudio. These are little modules with a cable and the GrovePi has lots of sockets into which you can plug the cable. I’d love to get my hands on one of these as I think it presents a great way to easily get the Pi interacting with the real world without a lot of messing about with breadboards and/or Arduino boards.
The GrovePi itself uses an Arduino chip and interface to work, but because it’s all mounted on the board I expect the interface to be pretty seamless. Documentation is going to be vital here! You can pre-order a GrovePi for $23.99 which I think is stunningly good value. Another thing I particularly like is that they’ve used a long-pin GPIO header meaning you can stack other boards on top of the GrovePi.
Jack Minardi has hacked into a lamp remote control with his Pi and used the Flask Python framework to expose the control to the internet.
Chris Davies-Barnard wanted to use his Raspberry Pi for reading data from a La Crosse Weather Station. To do this, he’s using the open source Python-based Weewx software. He’s blogged about how to install the software.
Francois Dion has decided to publish regular quick tips for Python on his blog.
Not much more to say really – read his blog here. I recommend subscribing to his RSS feed.
Ireland-based programmer Walter Higgins has created ScriptCraft, a Minecraft mod that allows you to program inside Minecraft using Javascript. It uses a version of the Minecraft server modded using CraftBukkit. There’s more information and instructions on Walter’s GitHub including how to install it. I think this is a fantastic way to get started messing about inside Minecraft.
