Tag: RaspiTab

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Maker/Development

$99 pi-topCEED desktop combines STEM learning with radical affordability

The STEM dreams of children around the world are being awoken and nurtured by the stream of educational devices aimed at teaching these children how to code. The team behind their self-titled runaway Indiegogo hit Pi-Top laptop is back with a second product that looks to lower the barrier of entry even further while dealing with its chunkiness a bit more effectively.

The pi-topCEED is the first $99 Raspberry Pi desktop featuring a 13.3″ HD screen, a 180° degree hinge for greater viewing angels, and a front-facing slide-away panel that allows access to the circuitry within. The unit comes with a Raspberry Pi 2 pre-installed with pi-top OS, an OS built by makers for maker that includes key functionality like brightness control along with gaming in the form of Minecraft and educational programs like Scratch and CEEDUniverse, a MMORPG that teaches circuit and programming basics.

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Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Pi Watch open source smartwatch makes room for teeny Arduino board, microSD slot

As many cool and exciting things the smartwatches on the market allow users to do, at the end of the day they’re locked into their own hardware and software. This ultimately limits their use to only what the company behind it intends, and limits the imagination of those who buy it. As a result, consumers may have some of the most advanced tech on their wrist, but they basically have no clue how it works.

A big problem lies in the motivation to learn, something the Pi Watch does a good job of creating. The star of the show is the onboard, Arduino-ready Teensy 3.1, a powerful platform that supports a wide array of programming initiatives with the help of integrated Bluetooth 4.0, an accelerometer, magnometer, microphone, buzzer, and infrared transmitter. A bright and round 220 pixel TFT LCD brings it all together, offering users 160 pixels per inch and a 10-point touch ring surrounding it for both pre-programmed and custom gestures.

So far, the Pi Watch has demonstrated light video playback, the ability to be a password keeper, the control of televisions with the infrared transmitter, and the ability to play custom games. A lot more content can be created and added to the watch with the help of the microSD card slot, even if the 480mAh rechargeable battery may not last as long as users may hope. The $119 Pi Watch is expected to ship in March of 2015 should its campaign successfully reach its $50,000 goal.

For the most part, the Pi Watch is being presented as a learning tool, evident in its less than stellar aesthetics. But it serves the purpose of engaging in the technology hands-on and follows the lead of other open source platforms like the RaspiTab, Pi-Top, and Novena, this time with a wearable, an exciting opportunity for many tinkerers.

Categories
Maker/Development

RaspiTab open-source tablet is customizable, hacker-friendly

Every year, all the big name tablets on the market offer increasingly greater levels of performance and design, giving users unparalleled graphics and robust operating systems that pretty much do anything software-wise. Unfortunately, all this software is inherently limited by what hardware these companies choose to install in the device themselves. This leaves users who’d prefer alternative capabilities pretty much out in the cold.

While the RaspiTab won’t win any awards with its 7″ capacitive touch screen or 5MP camera, its Raspberry Pi heart will win over the legions of tinkerers and hackers who long for more autonomy over their hardware. The Pi allows for unparalleled customization of the RaspiTab to accommodate whatever someone might need inside it, from a GPS to a NFC chip to an accelerometer. To facilitate the easy installation of these parts, the product’s chassis is held together by minimal connections so that the process of taking it apart never becomes a chore. The RaspiTab can be had for £159 (~$248). Enterprising backers can expect their own come April 2015 should the campaign reach its £125,000 (~$195,400) goal.

The RaspiTab is certainly underwhelming on the stats side, but it’s completely up to the user if it stays like that. With so much room within its chassis to make adjustments, the hackable product has the capability to be similarly equipped to or even superior than other tablets provided the user knows enough. At the very least, the RaspiTab sits firmly in the Raspberry Pi tradition of creating an educational environment that can empower those learning hardware design and coding, alongside good company like the Pi Top.