Phil Martin has worked out how to activate AP mode on the built-in wifi module on the Raspberry Pi 3. Using some standard Linux software, he has written a tutorial that takes you through the activation, allow the Pi to give out IP addresses to connecting devices and then set up IPv4 forwarding. Great stuff – this will come in really useful for those wanting to connect to their Pi headlessly. Read how he did it here.
25-year old Dries Depoorter has used a Raspberry Pi to monitor a webcam installed at an intersection in Fredericton, Canada. It uses image processing algorithms to determine if people are crossing the road illegally (jaywalking) and then allows visitors to an art gallery to decide whether to report them (with a screenshot) to the police. Depoorter specialises in artwork that deals with intrusion into privacy, and this exhibit fits right in. Kudos to him for using BIG RED BUTTONS for the trigger mechanism which fires off the police-bound email. You can read a bit more (and see captured photographs) here along with some other non-Pi invasion-of-privacy artworks.
I was watching Pimoroni’s Bilge Tank today and Phil Howard mentioned that there was now a way in Ruby to run Neopixels (WS2812, I believe, I could be wrong) and therefore it wouldn’t be a stretch to get it to be able to control the UnicornHAT. I reasoned that, seeing as SonicPi was a Ruby-derived language, that SonicPi should therefore be able to control the UnicornHAT. Within the hour, I was tweeted by Wayne Keenan who had managed to do it using a Python server, sockets and a lot of know-how. Here is the result:
Cat Lamin is a primary school teacher (and Raspberry Pi Certified Educator) and has recently got hold of CamJam EduKit 3 Robotics. The kit is a collection of electronic components that will help you get started with robotics using the Raspberry Pi and costs £17 (plus delivery). Cat and her friend Louise set about following the EduKit worksheets, building and programming their robot and getting those motors spinning. The article is a great walk-through of the kit and is a well-balanced review. It’s given myself and Tim food for thought as to how we might improve the worksheets and the overall experience of the kit. Read the article here.
You can buy CamJam EduKit 3 Robotics from The Pi Hut.
You can read more about our series of EduKits and look at the worksheets here.
By now, of course, everyone knows that the new Raspberry Pi 3 includes Bluetooth capability. Andrew Mulholland has made a video that shows you how to run a full network stack via Bluetooth using his Mac. If anyone can get this working on Windows as well, let me know! See the video below:
Ward, from DorkbotPDX, has tried out two concepts for increasing the range and quality of his Raspberry Pi 3 wifi connection. I should point out straight away: this hack voids your warranty and FCC certification, and the soldering is a bit fiddly, so it’s not to be done lightly. If after this warning you still want to give it a try, head over to Ward’s website to read how to do it.
