Alex Eames from RasPi.TV has been putting GPIO Zero through it’s paces by creating an automatic security light which senses a) when it’s dark and b) when movement is detected and then triggers a light to come on. He’s used a combination of components, including relays, to create the circuit and then put together a GPIO Zero-powered script. Take a look here.
A very interesting Pi Podcast this time from the guys. They interview Les Pounder, who is heavily involved with Picademy and is also a writer of good repute. They also cover various other topics including GPIO Zero and the recently-released Senior Pi operating system. Listen to the podcast here.
Martin O’Hanlon and the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Birmingham Picademy team is starting a new initiative in the city. Picademy Bytes is a free, 2 hour introductory course to the Raspberry Pi for educators and includes the following:
It is taking place at the Google Digital Garage in the Library of Birmingham on Saturday, 21st November between 2pm and 4pm.
So, if you’re an educator who wants to find out what the Raspberry Pi can do for you and your classroom, and you’re in that area, head over to Eventbrite to register.
Just a quick announcement that there will be a Cotswold Raspberry Jam on Saturday 28th November at the University of Gloucester in Cheltenham. The event runs from 1-4pm and is free. You can get tickets from Eventbrite.
Big stuff happened yesterday and I haven’t got around to blogging it until now.
Myself, Tim Richardson and Jamie Mann (from The Pi Hut) have been working for months (Months, I tell you! Months!) to create the new CamJam EduKit. This one is a very special kit and it’s all about robotics! It has been designed from the ground up to get you started with building a robot. On Monday, the kits arrived at the warehouse!
Let me tell you what’s in the kit:
The only things we haven’t included are 4 AA batteries (because shipping batteries is the most difficult thing in the world to do!) and a chassis. Why not a chassis? you may ask. Well, we’d like to see people come up with their own ideas! We’ve tried several ourselves – we’ve used the box the kit comes in (which is very thick cardboard and therefore very sturdy), an official Raspberry Pi case, a spare box we had lying around and we even considered a Domino’s pizza garlic bread box! The best thing about the kit, we think, is that everything comes pre-soldered. That’s right – no soldering required! This makes it particularly suitable for schools and clubs and also for those people who don’t want to risk burns using a soldering iron.
Tim has been beavering away writing the worksheets for the kit. Due to a family illness, he’s a little behind where he would want to be but he wants to make sure that the resources are perfect before we launch.
With that in mind, we expect to have them on sale at the beginning of November (exact date to be decided soon!). The price is £17 inc VAT, plus delivery. That means that for schools, who claim their VAT back, the kit comes in well under £15!
To get notified of when the kits go on sale, head over to The Pi Hut and sign up to the mailing list.
We’re really excited about the EduKit, and we hope you are too!
Richard Saville aka the Average Man has written a not-so-average blog post about installing OSMC (Open Source Media Centre) onto a USB stick so you can use it with your Raspberry Pi. He explains why it’s a good and/or bad idea to do so and takes you through all the steps you need to carry out to achieve it. If you’re into using your Pi as a media centre, check it out.
