Schlagwort: christmas

  • This Nicla Vision-powered ornament covertly spies on the presents below

    This Nicla Vision-powered ornament covertly spies on the presents below

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Whether it’s an elf that stealthily watches from across the room or an all-knowing Santa Claus that keeps a list of one’s actions, spying during the holidays is nothing new. But when it comes time to receive presents, the more eager among us might want to know what presents await us a few days in advance under the tree, which is what prompted element14 Presents host Milos Rasic to build a robotic ornament equipped with vision and a compact movement system.

    On the hardware side, Rasic went with an Arduino Nicla Vision board as it contains a camera and the ability to livestream the video feed over the network. A pair of continuous servo motors allow the mobile robot platform to move along the ground while another set of servos open the ornament’s trapdoor to expose the wheels and carefully lower it from the tree through a clever system of bands and thread.

    The livestreaming portion of the project was based off an existing MJPEG RTP example that exposes a web API endpoint for fetching the latest frame from the Nicla’s onboard camera and delivering it via Wi-Fi. To control the robot, including winching, driving, and toggling the lights, Rasic created a Node-RED interface that sent MQTT messages to the Nicla.

    To see more about how this creative device was designed, watch Rasic’s video below or read his full write-up here.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnwMHgpKqw4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The post This Nicla Vision-powered ornament covertly spies on the presents below appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Build Your Perfect Xbox Stocking

    Build Your Perfect Xbox Stocking

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    If you’re looking to give the perfect present to a gaming fan over the holidays, it can be a little daunting to work out exactly what to put in their stocking. Thankfully, Xbox offers a huge amount of variety, meaning there’s a perfect gift for every player. With multiple consoles, subscriptions tailored to every player’s needs, games across every conceivable genre, and personalized accessories, you’re spoiled for choice when you’re looking to spoil a loved one. 

    With that in mind, we’ve put together “stockings” for multiple kinds of gaming fans. From buying them a very first console, to figuring out what to get for a veteran player, here are some suggestions of Xbox goodies to gift your loved ones over the holidays.  

    Their First Console

    Xbox Starter Bundle Hero Image

    There’s nothing quite like unwrapping that suspiciously big box and finding your first games console inside. If you’re planning on gifting someone a console this year, the Xbox Series S – Starter Bundle is the perfect choice – this all-in-one gaming gift includes an Xbox Series S , designed to play next-gen games, as well as 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. With Game Pass Ultimate, you’ll get access to four generations of Xbox games, including our biggest titles, meaning the lucky recipient is sure to find something perfect to play – from the year’s biggest releases like Starfield or Forza Motorsport, to family-friendly gems like Minecraft Legends (and with our convenient Xbox Family Settings App available on iOS and Android, you can set your parental controls and choose what’s appropriate to play, who your child plays with and more)., you can choose what’s appropriate to play). 

    If you want to make this holiday extra special, consider customizing their own Xbox Wireless Controller from Xbox Design Lab. Here you can create the perfect controller to match their personality – and you can even engrave their name or Gamertag to make it truly their own. 

    The Seasoned Player 

    Design Lab Hero Image

    Some players will already have their Xbox in heavy rotation, but there are some perfect ways to make their gaming experience even better. To give your giftee a truly top-tier experience, consider creating an Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 with Xbox Design Lab just for them. Built to let seasoned players have the best possible experience, with adjustable thumbsticks, rubberized grips, and components built to last. With Xbox Design Lab, you can customize the perfect controller, right down to adding extra paddles, or a carrying case and charging pack. 

    Of course, they’ll want some games to play as well, and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership is the perfect solution. With hundreds of titles included as part of the price – and access to them across Xbox consoles, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) – it offers some of the best value in gaming. Play huge releases like Starfield on day one, discover indie gems, and even get access to EA Play for even more games, all in one package. 

    With all those games to download, your giftee might need some extra space to store them on. Consider adding an Xbox Series X|S Expansion Card into the mix to help with that. Both the WD_BLACK C50 and Seagate Storage Expansion Card offer a seamless way to offer more space on their console. 

    The PC Player 

    PC Game Pass Key Art

    Xbox games don’t have to be played on a console – if you’re gifting for a PC player, PC Game Pass is their ticket to hundreds of new experiences. Including PC favorites from our own studios and incredible partners – like Starfield, Age of Empires IV, and Crusader Kings III – you’ll be opening up multiple new worlds to play with a keyboard and mouse. 

    If you really want to treat the PC player in your life, consider giving them a new way to play. The ASUS ROG Ally is a portable gaming PC that includes full support for Game Pass (and even comes with 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free), and supports Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning you can start a game at home and pick it up again on the move. 

    Your Far-Flung Multiplayer Partner 

    Xbox Wireless Headset Renders

    Sometimes, your perfect Halo Infinite comrade can’t be nearby – but with Xbox that doesn’t need to be a problem. Keeping in touch over comms is never easier than with the Xbox Wireless Headset, which offers crystal-clear sound, a cable-free direct connection to the console, and a comfortable design for those long multiplayer sessions. It’s an affordable way to get the very best online experience. 

    If you’re the kind of players who don’t want to stick with a single game, an Xbox Game Pass for Console membership is the way to go. The gigantic catalogue includes multiplayer games from many genres – battle it out in Party Animals, compete for the fastest finish in Forza Motorsport, or survive together in State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition. 

    A Budding Co-op Player 

    Xbox Series S Carbon Black

    If you’re hoping to play with a partner in your own home, make sure they have the perfect controller to play with. The Xbox Wireless Controller comes in multiple styles, meaning there’s something for everyone. The new Gold Shadow Special Edition offers a sophisticated gold-to-black metallic finish, the Remix Special Edition offers a multi-toned green finish and one third is made from regrind and reclaimed materials, and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 offers a best-in-class gaming experience. 

    And if you both want a screen to yourselves, the new Xbox Series S – 1TB (Black) offers an affordable way to add a second powerful console to your home. Get the same next-gen speed and performance of our Xbox Series S, now with double the storage. And if you do want to play together, Xbox Game Pass Core unlocks online gaming on Xbox, as well as a slate of over 25 games to try, including multiplayer favorites like Grounded, Gang Beasts, and Among Us. 

    The Sci-Fi Fan 

    Starfield Screenshot

    Some players want to immerse themselves in new worlds – none more so than sci-fi fans. Starfield (available with Game Pass) is the perfect gift for the explorer in your life. Discover over a thousand worlds in Bethesda Game Studios’ first new universe in 25 years and embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery. 

    For the full Starfield experience, you can help customize their console, too. The Starfield Xbox Series X Console Wrap offers a striking design inspired by the game, made to offer a precision fit around their console.  

    The Racing Fan 

    Forza Hero Image

    Some players want the thrill of a race on their console, and Forza Motorsport (available with Game Pass) offers the most advanced racing simulation ever created across Xbox Series X|S and PC. With over 500 cars, 20 tracks, 800 performance upgrades, and more on the way Forza Motorsport will keep fans racing for years to come. 

    For the true at-home racing experience, consider adding a Designed for Xbox Racing Setup – these creations from our partners allow you to add a dash of real-life drama to your racing fantasies, all designed to work perfectly with your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. The Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel delivers 11Nm of force feedback in a low-latency direct drive motor for ultimate realism, the Thrustmaster T128X adds a wheel-and-pedal bundle to bring the simulation home, while the Fanatec ClubSport Universal Hub v2 for Xbox allows you go fully modular, offering customization with multiple wheel rims, steering wheels, wheel bases, and pedals. 

    Website: LINK

  • Unwrap Your New World of Tanks Holiday Ops with Vinnie Jones!

    Unwrap Your New World of Tanks Holiday Ops with Vinnie Jones!

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Summary

    • World of Tanks Modern Armor‘s Holiday tradition returns.
    • Vinnie Jones is coming to town.
    • New Commanders and an exclusive tank are waiting under the tree!

    ‘Tis the season to be tankful as Vinnie Jones teams up with World of Tanks Modern Armor to bring you Holiday Ops 2024!

    This community-driven event starts on December 1. Get ready to hop into your favorite tanks and score themed rewards together with World of Tanks Modern Armor players across the globe or, for the first time ever, on your own. Yes, this year’s Holiday Ops event brings you double the fun and the rewards with two paths to follow. You can take on both your personal op with the Santa’s Helper Earn Challenge, as well as the community-based Holiday Op event. Each path will have its own rewards ranging from themed Cosmetics, boosters, and Consumables to the powerful Charlemagne Premium tank.

    And the latest addition to Santa’s team will also be joining the celebrations to make sure that all Commanders stay on the nice list this year.

    Introducing Our Holiday Ambassador!

    World of Tanks Vinnie Jones Screenshot

    Former soccer player and professional tough guy Vinnie Jones joins you in the game as Holiday Ops 2024’s special guest. Known for his no-nonsense roles in film classics like Snatch (2000) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Jones is essentially a human tank, a professional strongman who was practically built for the humor that we had planned for this year’s Holiday Ops experience.

    “He has tough-guy charisma, and it fit great with our new concept for the Holiday Ops 2024 event,” said Alena Terekhova, Publishing Director for World of Tanks Modern Armor. “It was a blast to work with him, and he was open to sharing his thoughts and ideas.”

    In the Holiday Ops 2024 trailer, Jones plays the role of the top enforcer for none other than jolly ol’ Saint Nick. For years, while Santa Claus has tended to the Nice List, Jones has paid visits to the people on the Naughty List, reminding them exactly why you better watch out.

    This year, however, things are different for Vinnie. He’s found a holiday role that he thinks might suit him better, one that includes a sweet new company ride: a tank commander in World of Tanks!

    World of Tanks Vinnie Jones Screenshot

    Jones indeed had a blast with the concept, too (and not just because he and Santa got to take his tank out for some practice shots, as seen in the trailer). “I am a World of Tanks commander now, and it is going to be ‘Jingle-Bells’ all the way!” he said.

    Terekhova echoed Jones’ enthusiasm, saying, “I think we all managed and reached our intention – the promotional video that Vinnie Jones took part in is indeed different from our previous Holiday Ops trailers.”

    That much holiday cheer couldn’t be confined to the trailer, even a trailer as large as this. We had to bring Vinnie Jones into the game itself. That means that during Holiday Ops, you’ll be able to recruit Vinnie Jones as your very own tank commander!

    Holiday Ops Commanders and Tank

    World of Tanks Vinnie Jones Screenshot

    World of Tanks Modern Armor will have both a 2D and a 3D version of the Vinnie Jones Commander, with the 2D version available as a reward in the Santa’s Helper Earn Challenge. Both will feature 250 lines of custom voiceover that Jones himself recorded for this event earlier in 2023. Ever the consummate professional, Jones applied his natural focus on production day and recorded his lines in about a half-hour.

    “We worked with different development and publishing teams across Wargaming [World of Tanks PC and World of Tanks Blitz],” said Terekhova. “We had to balance between priorities and product focuses, but we all agreed that we want to have something new and outstanding this year, so we remained focused, but creative at the same time.

    “I remember one of our first steps was to choose how we wanted to present Vinnie Jones: as a Santa-type character, or the kind of tough hero he plays in his movies, or even a football player, but Santa’s enforcer sounded like a perfect fit for our concept, so we proceeded with this direction.”

    World of Tanks Vinnie Jones Screenshot

    So while you’ll be able to hear Jones’ signature toughness in every line of dialogue, several lines in particular are spiked with holiday cheer … and those aren’t the only special details.

    For the 3D Commander in particular, Terekhova says, “Vinnie’s look features a stylish suit and red coat. The suit is tailored to reflect Vinnie’s sophisticated personality while also being versatile enough to accommodate his active lifestyle. The red coat adds a touch of festivity to his overall appearance, making him stand out during the holiday event.”

    And of course, every commander needs a vehicle. The tank we designed for Vinnie Jones had to have his personality, too, because if you’re going to go out tanking, you might as well go in style, you know?

    This year’s Holiday Ops tank, available for purchase, is the British Tier IX Old Reliable Medium Tank, a versatile vehicle that’s as dependable as its name suggests, no matter how rough the situation gets. Old Reliable is cast in an exterior that calls to mind the timeless elegance of blackened iron and burnished wood, and also features slogans and mottos that pay tribute to Jones’ entire career and were approved by the man himself.

    Vinnie Jones has his list, he’s checked it twice, and he’s ready to get to work. Join him from December 1 through January 8 and have a blast this holiday in World of Tanks Modern Armor!

    World of Tanks
    Xbox Live

    World of Tanks

    Wargaming.net

    ☆☆☆☆☆ 1577

    ★★★★★

    Xbox One X Enhanced

    World of Tanks is a global online multiplayer free-to-play game dedicated to tank warfare in the mid-20th century. Custom built for Xbox, World of Tanks features realistic vehicles and environments, enabling players to command history’s most powerful tanks and experience combat on Xbox like never before. Features: • Strategic, fast-paced 15 vs 15 online action. • Over 700 authentic tanks to choose from among 12 nations. • Battle across a variety of environments with varying terrain and weather effects
    • Built-in support for Xbox One X pushing the boundaries of graphic fidelity. • Regular updates offer new content and frequent special events.

    Website: LINK

  • Raspberry Pi Christmas Shopping Guide 2020

    Raspberry Pi Christmas Shopping Guide 2020

    Reading Time: 7 minutes

    The most wonderful time of the year is approaching! “Most wonderful” meaning the time when you have to figure out what gift best expresses your level of affection for various individuals in your life. We’re here to take away some of that stress for you — provided your favourite individuals like Raspberry Pi, of course. Otherwise you’re on your own. Sorry.

    We’ve got ideas for the gamers in your life, what to get for the Raspberry Pi “superfan” who has everything, and options that allow you to keep giving all year round.

    If keeping up with the Joneses is your thing, why not treat your nearest Raspberry Pi fan to one of our newest products…

    Raspberry Pi 400 | $70

    Top view of a woman's hands using the Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard and official Raspberry Pi mouse

    This year, we released Raspberry Pi 400: a complete personal computer, built into a compact keyboard, costing just $70. Our community went wild about the possibilities that Raspberry Pi 400 opens up for home learners and for those who don’t have expensive tech options at their fingertips.

    You just plug in a mouse, a monitor (any semi-modern TV screen should work), and go. The Raspberry Pi 400 Personal Computer kit costs $100 and comes with a few extras to help get you started. Or you can buy the Raspberry Pi 400 unit on its own.

    Depending on where you are in the world, you may need to pre-order or join a waiting list, as Raspberry Pi 400 is in such high demand. But you could give a homemade ‘IOU’ voucher letting the recipient know that they will soon get their hands on one of our newest and most popular bits of kit.

    Our latest book of coding coolness | £10

    We publish some cool books around these parts. Laura Sach and Martin O’Hanlon, who are both Learning Managers at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, have written the very newest one, which is designed to help you to get more out of your Python projects.

    In Create Graphical User Interfaces with Python, you’ll find ten fun Python projects to create, including a painting program, an emoji match game, and a stop-motion animation creator. All for just £10.

    So, if you’ve a keen coder in your midst, this book is the best choice to stretch their skills and keep them entertained throughout 2021. Buy it online from the official Raspberry Pi Press store.

    Raspberry Pi 4 Retro Gaming Kit | £88

    The Pi Hut’s Raspberry Pi 4 Retro Gaming Kit costs £88 and includes everything you need to create your very own retro gaming console. All your lucky kit recipient has to find is a screen to plug into, and a keyboard to set up their new Raspberry Pi, which comes as part of the kit along with a case for it. The Pi Hut has also thrown in a 16GB microSD card, plus a reader for it, as well as our official micro HDMI cable. Job done.

    Picade 8″ or 10″ display | from £165

    How cool does Picade look?! It’s sold by Pimoroni and you can buy an 8″ display set for £165, or a 10″ display version for £225. Show me a self-respecting gamer who doesn’t want a desktop retro arcade machine in their own home.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUuOH1Ip4A?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Picade is a Raspberry Pi–powered mini arcade that you build yourself. All you’ll need to add is your own Raspberry Pi, a power supply, and a micro SD card.

    Code the Classics, Volume 1 | £12

    And if the gamer on your gift list prefers to create their own retro video games, send them a copy of Code the Classics, Volume 1. It’s a stunning-looking hardback book packed with 224 pages telling the stories of some of the seminal video games of the 1970s and 1980s, and showing you how to create your own. Putting hours of projects in the hands of your favourite gamer will only set you back £12. Buy it online from the official Raspberry Pi Press store.

    Raspberry Pi Zero W | $10

    For just $10 apiece, you can drop a couple Raspberry Pi Zero W into any tinkerer’s stocking and they’ll be set for their next few projects. They will LOVE you for allowing them try a new, risky build without having to tear down something else they created to retrieve an old Raspberry Pi.

    Babbage Bear | $9

    What to get the superfan who already has a desk full of Raspberry Pi? An official Babbage Bear to oversee the proceedings! Babbage only costs £9 and will arrive wearing their own Raspberry Pi–branded T-shirt. A special Raspberry Pi Towers inhabitant made our Babbage this Christmassy outfit before we photographed them.

    Official t-shirts | $12

    • Raspberry Pi “Pi 4” T-shirt
    • Raspberry Pi “Make Cool Stuff” T-shirt

    If you’ve a superfan on your gift list, then it’s likely they already own a t-shirt with the Raspberry Pi logo on it — so why not get them one of these new designs?

    Both costing just £12, the black Raspberry Pi “Pi 4” t-shirt was released to celebrate the launch of Raspberry Pi 4 and features an illustration of the powerful $35 computer. The white Raspberry Pi “Make Cool Stuff” option was created by Raspberry Pi’s own illustrator/animator extraordinaire Sam Alder. Drop that inside fact on the gift tag for extra superfan points.

    Wearable tech projects | £7

    And if they’re the kind of superfan who would like to make their own Raspberry Pi-–themed clothing, gift them with our Wearable Tech Projects book. This 164-page book gathers up the best bits of wearable technology from HackSpace magazine, with tutorials such as adding lights to your favourite cosplay helmet, and creating a glowing LED skirt. It’s on sale for just £7 and you can buy it online from the official Raspberry Pi Press store.

    What if you could give the joy of opening a Raspberry Pi–themed gift every single month for a whole year? Our magazine subscriptions let you do just that, AND they come with a few extra gifts when you sign up.

    The MagPi magazine

    The official Raspberry Pi magazine comes with a free Raspberry Pi Zero kit worth £20 when you sign up for a 12-month subscription. The magazine is packed with computing and electronics tutorials, how-to guides, and the latest news and reviews.

    Check out subscription deals on the official Raspberry Pi Press store.

    HackSpace magazine

    HackSpace magazine is packed with projects for fixers and tinkerers of all abilities. 12-month subscriptions comes with a free Adafruit Circuit Playground Express, which has been specially developed to teach programming novices from scratch and is worth £25.

    Check out subscription deals on the official Raspberry Pi Press store

    Wireframe magazine

    Wireframe magazine lifts the lid on video games. In every issue, you’ll find out how games are made, who makes them, and how you can make your own using detailed guides. The latest deal gets you three issues for just £10, plus your choice of one of our official books as a gift.

    Check out more subscriptions deals on the official Raspberry Pi Press store.

    Custom PC

    Custom PC is the magazine for people who are passionate about PC technology and hardware. You can subscribe to receive three issues for just £10, and you’ll also receive a book as a gift.

    Check out subscription offers on the official Raspberry Pi Press store.

    That’s all folks. Have a holly jolly one. Drop a question in the comments box below if you’re after something Raspberry Pi–themed which isn’t mentioned here. I’m half elf and should be able to help.

    Website: LINK

  • How to set up and use your brand-new Raspberry Pi

    How to set up and use your brand-new Raspberry Pi

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you bagged yourself a brand-new Raspberry Pi for Christmas, and you’re wondering what you should do next.

    Well, look no further, for we’re here to show you the ropes. So, sit back, pull on a pair of those nice, warm socks that you found in your stocking, top up your eggnog, and let’s get started.

    Do I need an operating system?

    Unless your Raspberry Pi came in a kit with a preloaded SD card, you’ll need to download an operating system. Find a microSD card (you may have one lurking in an old phone) and click here to download the latest version of Raspbian, our dedicated Raspberry Pi operating system.

    To get Raspbian onto the microSD card, use free online software such as Etcher. Here’s a video from The MagPi magazine to show you how to do it.

    Use Etcher to install operating systems onto an SD card

    Lucy Hattersley shows you how to install Raspberry Pi operating systems such as Raspbian onto an SD card, using the excellent Etcher. For more tutorials, check out The MagPi at http://magpi.cc ! Don’t want to miss an issue? Subscribe, and get every issue delivered straight to your door.

    Turn it on!

    Here, this video should help:

    How to set up your Raspberry Pi || Getting started with #RaspberryPi

    Learn #howto set up your Raspberry Pi for the first time, from plugging in peripherals to setting up #Raspbian.

    Insert your microSD card into your Raspberry Pi. The microSD card slot should be fairly easy to find, and you need to make sure that you insert it with the contact side facing the board. If you feel like you’re having to force it in, you have it the wrong way round.

    Next, plug your HDMI cable into the Raspberry Pi and your chosen HDMI display. This could be a computer monitor or your home television.

    If you’re using a Raspberry Pi Zero or Raspberry Pi Zero W, you’ll need a mini HDMI to HDMI cable or adapter.

    If you’re using a Raspberry Pi 4, you’ll need a micro HDMI to HDMI cable or adapter.

    Raspberry Pi official keyboard

    Next, plug in any peripherals that you want to use, such as a mouse or keyboard.

    Lastly, plug your power cable into your Raspberry Pi. This is any standard micro USB cable (if you have an Android phone, check your phone charger!), or a USB-C power cable if you’re using the Raspberry Pi 4.

    Most kits will come with all of the cables and adapters that you need, so look in the box first before you start rummaging around your home for spare cables.

    Once the power cable is connected, your Raspberry Pi will turn on. If it doesn’t, check that your SD card is inserted correctly and your cables are pushed in fully.

    Still in doubt? Here’s Sally Le Page with more:

    How to use a Raspberry Pi ft. Dr Sally Le Page

    What is a Raspberry Pi and what do you need to get started? Our ‘How to use a Raspberry Pi’ explainer will take you through the basics of your #RaspberryPi, and how you can get hands-on with Raspbian and #coding language tools such as Scratch and Mu, with our host, Dr Sally Le Page.

    Once on, the Raspberry Pi will direct you through a setup process that allows you to change your password and connect to your local wireless network.

    And then, you’re good to go!

    Now what?

    Now what? Well, that depends on what you want to do with your Raspberry Pi.

    Many people use their Raspberry Pi to learn how to code. If you’re new to coding, we suggest trying out a few of our easy online projects to help you understand the basics of Scratch — the drag-and-drop coding platform from MIT — and Python — a popular general-purpose programming language and the reason for the “Pi” in Raspberry Pi’s name.

    Maybe you want to use your Raspberry Pi to set up control of smart devices in your home, or build a media centre for all your favourite photos and home movies. Perhaps you want to play games on your Raspberry Pi, or try out various HATs and add-ons to create fun digital making projects.

    Sally Le Page

    Whatever you want to do with your Raspberry Pi, the internet is full of brilliant tutorials from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and online creators.

    Some places to start

    Get involved with the Raspberry Pi Foundation

    From community events and magazines to online learning and space exploration – there are so many ways to get involved with the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

    The Raspberry Pi community is huge, and spreads across the entire globe, bringing people together to share their love of coding, digital making, and computer education. However you use your Raspberry Pi, know that, by owning it, you’ve helped the non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation to grow, bringing more opportunities to kids and teachers all over the world. So, from the bottom of our hearts this festive season, thank you.

    We can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!

    Website: LINK

  • How to set up and use your brand-new Raspberry Pi

    How to set up and use your brand-new Raspberry Pi

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you bagged yourself a brand-new Raspberry Pi for Christmas, and you’re wondering what you should do next.

    Well, look no further, for we’re here to show you the ropes. So, sit back, pull on a pair of those nice, warm socks that you found in your stocking, top up your eggnog, and let’s get started.

    Do I need an operating system?

    Unless your Raspberry Pi came in a kit with a preloaded SD card, you’ll need to download an operating system. Find a microSD card (you may have one lurking in an old phone) and click here to download the latest version of Raspbian, our dedicated Raspberry Pi operating system.

    To get Raspbian onto the microSD card, use free online software such as Etcher. Here’s a video from The MagPi magazine to show you how to do it.

    Use Etcher to install operating systems onto an SD card

    Lucy Hattersley shows you how to install Raspberry Pi operating systems such as Raspbian onto an SD card, using the excellent Etcher. For more tutorials, check out The MagPi at http://magpi.cc ! Don’t want to miss an issue? Subscribe, and get every issue delivered straight to your door.

    Turn it on!

    Here, this video should help:

    How to set up your Raspberry Pi || Getting started with #RaspberryPi

    Learn #howto set up your Raspberry Pi for the first time, from plugging in peripherals to setting up #Raspbian.

    Insert your microSD card into your Raspberry Pi. The microSD card slot should be fairly easy to find, and you need to make sure that you insert it with the contact side facing the board. If you feel like you’re having to force it in, you have it the wrong way round.

    Next, plug your HDMI cable into the Raspberry Pi and your chosen HDMI display. This could be a computer monitor or your home television.

    If you’re using a Raspberry Pi Zero or Raspberry Pi Zero W, you’ll need a mini HDMI to HDMI cable or adapter.

    If you’re using a Raspberry Pi 4, you’ll need a micro HDMI to HDMI cable or adapter.

    Raspberry Pi official keyboard

    Next, plug in any peripherals that you want to use, such as a mouse or keyboard.

    Lastly, plug your power cable into your Raspberry Pi. This is any standard micro USB cable (if you have an Android phone, check your phone charger!), or a USB-C power cable if you’re using the Raspberry Pi 4.

    Most kits will come with all of the cables and adapters that you need, so look in the box first before you start rummaging around your home for spare cables.

    Once the power cable is connected, your Raspberry Pi will turn on. If it doesn’t, check that your SD card is inserted correctly and your cables are pushed in fully.

    Still in doubt? Here’s Sally Le Page with more:

    How to use a Raspberry Pi ft. Dr Sally Le Page

    What is a Raspberry Pi and what do you need to get started? Our ‘How to use a Raspberry Pi’ explainer will take you through the basics of your #RaspberryPi, and how you can get hands-on with Raspbian and #coding language tools such as Scratch and Mu, with our host, Dr Sally Le Page.

    Once on, the Raspberry Pi will direct you through a setup process that allows you to change your password and connect to your local wireless network.

    And then, you’re good to go!

    Now what?

    Now what? Well, that depends on what you want to do with your Raspberry Pi.

    Many people use their Raspberry Pi to learn how to code. If you’re new to coding, we suggest trying out a few of our easy online projects to help you understand the basics of Scratch — the drag-and-drop coding platform from MIT — and Python — a popular general-purpose programming language and the reason for the “Pi” in Raspberry Pi’s name.

    Maybe you want to use your Raspberry Pi to set up control of smart devices in your home, or build a media centre for all your favourite photos and home movies. Perhaps you want to play games on your Raspberry Pi, or try out various HATs and add-ons to create fun digital making projects.

    Sally Le Page

    Whatever you want to do with your Raspberry Pi, the internet is full of brilliant tutorials from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and online creators.

    Some places to start

    Get involved with the Raspberry Pi Foundation

    From community events and magazines to online learning and space exploration – there are so many ways to get involved with the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

    The Raspberry Pi community is huge, and spreads across the entire globe, bringing people together to share their love of coding, digital making, and computer education. However you use your Raspberry Pi, know that, by owning it, you’ve helped the non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation to grow, bringing more opportunities to kids and teachers all over the world. So, from the bottom of our hearts this festive season, thank you.

    We can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!

    Website: LINK

  • Raspberry Pi capacitive-touch musical Christmas tree

    Raspberry Pi capacitive-touch musical Christmas tree

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    What, your Christmas tree ISN’T touch-enabled?

    Capacitive Touch Christmas Tree How To | Raspberry Pi | Bare Conductive Pi Cap

    Turn your Christmas tree into a capacitive touch-interactive musical instrument using a Raspberry Pi and a Bare Conductive Pi Cap. You’ll be rocking around the Christmas tree in no time! /* Bare Conductive */ Pi Cap: https://www.bareconductive.com/shop/pi-cap/ Touch Board: https://www.bareconductive.com/shop/touch-board/ Code: https://github.com/BareConductive/picap-touch-mp3-py #RasberryPi #BareConductive #Christmas

    Using the Bare Conductive Pi Cap, Davy Wybiral hooked up his fairy lights and baubles to a Raspberry Pi. The result? Musical baubles that allow the user to play their favourite festive classics at the touch of a finger. These baubles are fantastic, and it’s easy to make your own. Just watch the video for Davy’s how-to.

    The code for Bare Conductive’s Pi Cap polyphonic touch MP3 utility can be found in this GitHub repo, and you can pick up a Pi Cap on the Bare Conductive website. Then all you need to do is hook up your favourite tree decorations to the Pi Cap via insulated wires, and you’re good to go. It’s OK if your decorations aren’t conductive: you’ll actually be touching the wires and not the ornaments themselves.

    And don’t worry about touching the wires, it’s perfectly safe. But just in this instance. Please don’t make a habit of touching wires.

    Make sure to subscribe to Davy on YouTube (we did) and give him a like for the baubles video. Also, leave a comment to tell him how great it is, because nice comments are lovely, and we should all be leaving as many of them as we can on the videos for our favourite creators.

    Website: LINK

  • IoT ugly Christmas sweaters

    IoT ugly Christmas sweaters

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    If there’s one thing we Brits love, it’s an ugly Christmas sweater. Jim Bennett, a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, has taken his ugly sweater game to the next level by adding IoT-controlled, Twitter-connected LEDs thanks to a Raspberry Pi Zero.

    IoT is Fun for Everyone! (Ugly Sweater Edition)

    An Ugly Sweater is great-but what’s even better (https://aka.ms/IoTShow/UglySweater) is an IoT-enabled Ugly Sweater. In this episode of the IoT Show, Olivier Bloch is joined by Jim Bennett, a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft. Jim has built an Ugly Sweater using Azure IoT Central, Microsoft’s IoT app platform, and a Raspberry Pi Zero.

    Jim upgraded his ugly sweater to become IoT-compatible using Microsoft’s IoT app platform Azure IoT Central, Adafruit’s programmable NeoPixel LED Dots Strand and, of course, our sweet baby, the Raspberry Pi Zero W.

    After sewing the LED strand into the ugly sweater and connecting it to Raspberry Pi Zero, Jim was able to control the colour of the LEDs. Taking it one step further, he then built a list of commands within Azure IoT Central and linked the Raspberry Pi Zero to a Twitter account to create the IoT element of the project.

    Watch the video above for full details on the project, and find all the code on Github.

    Website: LINK

  • Raspberry Pi Christmas Shopping Guide 2019

    Raspberry Pi Christmas Shopping Guide 2019

    Reading Time: 7 minutes

    Stuck for what to buy your friends and family this Christmas? Whether you’re looking to introduce someone to Raspberry Pi and coding, or trying to find the perfect gift for the tech-mad hobbyist in your life, our Christmas Shopping Guide 2019 will help you complete your shopping list. So, let’s get started…

    The good ol’ Raspberry Pi

    They’ve asked for a Raspberry Pi but not told you which one they want? You know they like coding but don’t know where to start? They’re an avid baker and you think they may have spelt ‘pie’ wrong on their Christmas list? No problem, we’ve got you sorted.

    Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit

    With everything you need to get started using Raspberry Pi 4, the Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit contains our official mouse, keyboard with an integrated USB hub, USB-C power adapter, case, two micro HDMI leads, our Beginner’s Guide and, of course, the 4GB Raspberry Pi 4. Available from our Approved Resellers and the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge, the Desktop Kit is the perfect gift for anyone who’s wanting to get started with coding and digital making, or who’s simply looking to upgrade their current home computer to a smaller, less power-hungry setup.

    Visit the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge, or find your nearest Approved Reseller online.

    Raspberry Pi Zero W

    Raspberry Pi Zero WH

    The smallest Raspberry Pi still packs a punch despite its size and price. For $10, Raspberry Pi Zero W is perfect for embedding into projects and, with onboard Bluetooth and wireless LAN, there are fewer cables to worry about. Buy a Raspberry Pi Zero W with or without pre-soldered header pins, and pop it in someone’s stocking this Christmas as a great maker surprise.

    Visit the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge, or find your nearest Approved Reseller online.

    Get Started with Raspberry Pi 3A+

    This isn’t just a book: it’s a book with a computer on the front. Getting Started with Raspberry Pi is a great gift for anyone curious about coding and, at £35, it’s a pretty affordable gift to give this festive season. Alongside the 116-page getting-started guide, the package also contains a Raspberry Pi 3A+, official case, and 16GB micro SD card pre-loaded with NOOBs. Raspberry Pi 3A+ can be powered with a good-quality micro USB phone charger, and it can be connected to any TV or computer display via standard HDMI. Grab a keyboard and mouse — you’ll be surprised how many people have a keyboard and mouse lying around — and you’re good to go!

    Order your gift today from the Raspberry Pi Press online store, with international shipping available.

    A full range of all Raspberry Pi variants, official accessories, and add-ons can be found on our products page.

    A Raspberry Pie

    Don’t be lazy, make your own!

    Books

    Raspberry Pi Press has released a small library’s worth of publications these last few months — have you ordered all your copies yet?

    Pre-orders are now open for our glorious Code the Classics, so secure your copy now for the 13 December release date, with free UK shipping. And, while you’re on our Raspberry Pi Press page, check out our latest range of publications to suit all techy interests: Retro Gaming with Raspberry Pi will show the budding gamer in your life how to build their own Raspberry Pi retro arcade to play their Code the Classics favourites on, while Book of Making 2 and Raspberry Pi Projects Book 5 will inspire them to make all manner of amazing projects, from electronics and woodworking to crafts and rockets.

    If they’re already full to the brim with Raspberry Pi, why not treat them to our Get Started with Arduino guide so they can expand upon their electronics skills. We also offer a host of established publications at discounted prices, including Sophy Wong’s Wearable Tech Projects, An Introduction to C & GUI Programming, and previous volumes of the Book of Making and the Raspberry Pi Projects Book.

    Visit the Raspberry Pi Press online store, or head to the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge to find all our publications. You may also find a selection in your local WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, or Barnes & Noble.

    Magazine subscriptions

    Subscriptions are available for all of our magazines. 12-month subscribers to The MagPi magazine will receive a free Raspberry Pi, while a 12-month subscription to HackSpace magazine will net you a free Adafruit Circuit Playground Express.

    Subscribers to Wireframe magazine, Custom PC magazine, and Digital SLR Photography will save up to 49% compared to newsstand prices, with many subscription options to choose from.

    Babbage Bear

    Everyone needs a Babbage Bear. Your new Babs will come complete with their own Raspberry Pi-branded shirt. And, with some felt, stuffing, and a stapler, you can make them as festive as ours in no time!

    Order yours online, or buy Babbage at the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge.

    Great third-party add-ons and essential kit

    The Pi Hut’s 3D Xmas Tree

    This newest iteration of The Pi Hut 3D Xmas Tree includes programmable RGB LEDs! Simply detach the two halves of the tree from their frame, slot them together, and place them onto the GPIO pins of your Raspberry Pi. With the provided libraries of code, the tree will be lit up and merry before you know it.

    How about programming it to flash to your favourite Christmas song? Get yours today from The Pi Hut and the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge.

    Pimoroni Pirate Radio

    “Pirate Audio Speaker,” Pimoroni explain “is perfect for making a Lilliputian radio, sound effect player, or even as a teeny-weeny games console!”

    Attach this HAT to any 40-pin Raspberry Pi and start creating a whole host of wonderful audio-visual projects — such as a Christmas #1 jukebox — to get you in the mood for your office party.

    Available from the Pimoroni website and the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge.

    PocketMoneyTronics GPIO Christmas Tree

    This super-cute GPIO add-on allows users to write their own light shows via GPIO. Available for £4 from the Raspberry Pi Store, Cambridge, and the PocketMoneyTronics website, it’s a nice festive addition to any coders stocking.

    Full instructions are provided with the kit, and are also available online. Buy the kit pre-soldered or loose, depending on your giftee’s soldering skills.

    Visit the websites of all our Approved Resellers for more great Raspberry Pi gifts. Find your local Approved Reseller by selecting your country from the dropdown menu on any Raspberry Pi Products page.

    Essential kit

    Fill their maker kit this festive season, with a whole host of great components and tools. A soldering iron is a great way for coders to start bringing their projects out into the real world, allowing them to permanently add sensors, lights, buttons, etc. to their Raspberry Pi. They’ll also need one if they want to add header pins to the $5 Raspberry Pi Zero and $10 Raspberry Pi Zero W.

    You can never have enough LEDs. Available in a variety of sizes and colours, you can find packs of LEDs online or in your local electronics store.

    Never underestimate the importance of a cutting mat. Not only will it save your tabletop from craft knife cuts and soldering iron burns, but they also look great in photos for when its time to show of their latest project!

    Amazon Smile

    If you plan on making online purchases via Amazon, please consider selecting the Raspberry Pi Foundation via Amazon Smile! Your items will still be the same cost to you, but Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to help us continue to make free computer science education available to adults  and young people everywhere.

    • Amazon Smile for the UK
    • Amazon Smile for the US
    • For those of you based elsewhere, we’re pretty sure that you just need to add smile. before amazon in the Amazon web address you use in your country, so give that a try. If that doesn’t work, try searching for Amazon Smile via your prefered search engine.

    Our gift to you

    We wanted to give you a gift this festive season, so we asked the incredibly talented Sam Alder to design an illustration for you to print or use as your desktop wallpaper.

    The poster is completely free for you to use and can be opened by clicking on the image above. We just ask that you don’t sell it, print it onto a t-shirt or mug, tattoo it onto your body, or manipulate it. But do feel free to print it as a poster for your home, classroom, or office, or to upload it as your computer wallpaper. And, when you do, be sure to take a photo and share it with us on social media.

    You can also download a wider version of the image.

    Happy gift-giving this 2019!

    Website: LINK

  • Secret Santa ideas for the Raspberry Pi fan in your office

    Secret Santa ideas for the Raspberry Pi fan in your office

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Today’s blog post started as a deflated “What do I buy my Secret Santa person?” appeal from a friend last night. My answer is this, a nice and early Secret Santa idea guide for anyone stuck with someone for whom they have no idea what to buy.

    All the gifts listed below cost £10 or less, and they’re all available from the Raspberry Pi store in Cambridge, UK. Many of them are also available to buy online, but if you’re able to visit our store, you definitely should – we have a couple of in-store exclusives on offer too.

    Gifts for £5 or less

    If your Secret Santa limit is set at £5, as many seem to be, we’ve a few ideas that will fit nicely within your budget.

    Raspberry Pi Zero

    We’ll start with the obvious: Raspberry Pi Zero, our tiny computer that packs a punch without leaving a dent in your finances. At bang on £5, anyone of the electronics/techie persuasion will be delighted to receive this at the office Christmas party.

    Raspberry Pi pin badge and sticker pack

    Help your Secret Santa pick show their love for Raspberry Pi with a Raspberry Pi pin (£3) or sticker pack (£4). They’ll be as on-brand as Pete Lomas (and that’s saying something).

    CamJam Edukit #1

    The CamJam Edukit #1 is jam-packed with all the bits you need to get started with digital making, and it’s supported by free downloadable worksheets. It’s a fantastic gift for anyone who’d enjoy learning electronics or expanding their coding know-how. At £5, you can’t go wrong.

    Essentials Guides

    At £3.99 each, the Essentials Guides cover a range of topics, including Learning to code with C, Hacking and making in Minecraft, and Making games in Python. Our in-store offer will score you three guides for £10, which brings us nicely to…

    Gifts up to £10

    A £10 budget? Check you out!

    Raspberry Pi Zero W

    With added wireless LAN and Bluetooth connectivity, Raspberry Pi Zero W will cost you £9.50, leaving you 50p to buy yourself some sweets for a job well done.

    Babbage Bear and friends

    Babbage Bear, for many the face of Raspberry Pi, is the perfect gift for all ages. He’ll cost you £9, as will any of his Adafruit friends.

    Mugs and travel cups

    What do you buy for the Raspberry Pi fan who has everything? A store-exclusive travel cup. At £8 each, our branded drinkware is rather swell, even if we do say so ourselves.

    HackSpace: Wearable tech projects (and other books)

    Ranging in price from £3.99 to around £15, our Raspberry Pi Press books and magazines are a great gift for anyone looking to learn more about making, electronics, or video gaming.

    Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide

    If you’ve heard your Secret Santa match mention that they like tinkering and making in their spare time, but you don’t think they’ve tried Raspberry Pi yet, this is the book for them. Updated to include the new Raspberry Pi 4 and upgrades to Scratch 3, our Beginner’s Guide will help them get started with this fabulous addition to their toolkit.

    If you’re feeling generous…

    These gifts are a little more than £10, and worth every penny. They’d make the perfect gift for anyone who loves making and Raspberry Pi.

    Bearable badge kits

    The Bearable badges are cute, light-activated LED badges that require no soldering or external computers. Instead, the kit uses conductive thread and sensors, making it a wonderful maker project for anyone, whether or not they’ve done any electronics before. Choose between an adorable sleepy fox and a lovable little bear, both at £15.

    3D Xmas Tree

    Available both as a pre-soldered kit (£15) and as a solder-yourself kit (£12), the 3D Xmas Tree is the ultimate festive HAT for Raspberry Pi. Once it’s assembled, you can use pre-written code to light it up, or code your own light show.

    Still not sure?

    The Raspberry Pi Store now offers gift cards, giving your giftee the chance to pick their own present. Add whatever value you’d like from a minimum of £5, and watch them grin with glee as they begin to plan their next project.

    Plus, our wonderful Jack has designed these rather lovely Christmas tote bags, available exclusively in store and as a limited run!

    But wait, there’s more!

    We’ll be publishing our traditional Raspberry Pi gift guide soon. It’ll include all the tech and cool maker stuff your nearest and dearest will love to receive this holiday season, with links to buy online. If you think there’s something we shouldn’t miss, let us know in the comments below.

    Website: LINK

  • Mince Pi – what’s under your tree?

    Mince Pi – what’s under your tree?

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Merry Christmas everybody! We’re taking a little time off to spend with our families; we’ll be back in 2019. This post is for those of you who have found a piece of Pi under the tree or nestling uncomfortably in the toe of a stocking, and who are wondering what to do with it. Raise a glass of egg nog and join us in fighting over who gets the crispy bits this lunchtime.

    So you’re the proud owner of a brand-new Raspberry Pi. Now what?

    Your new Raspberry Pi

    Did you wake up this morning to find a new Raspberry Pi under the tree? Congratulations, and welcome to the Raspberry Pi community! You’re one of us now, and we’re happy to have you on board.

    But what if you’ve never seen a Raspberry Pi before? What are you supposed to do with it? What’s all the fuss about, and why does your new computer look so naked?

    Setting up your Raspberry Pi

    Are you comfy? Good. Then let us begin.

    Download our free operating system

    First of all, you need to make sure you have an operating system on your micro SD card: we suggest Raspbian, the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s official supported operating system. If your Pi is part of a starter kit, you might find that it comes with a micro SD card that already has Raspbian preinstalled. If not, you can download Raspbian for free from our website.

    An easy way to get Raspbian onto your SD card is to use a free tool called Etcher. Watch The MagPi’s Lucy Hattersley show you what you need to do. You can also use NOOBS to install Raspbian on your SD card, and our Getting Started guide explains how to do that.

    Plug it in and turn it on

    Your new Raspberry Pi 3 comes with four USB ports and an HDMI port. These allow you to plug in a keyboard, a mouse, and a television or monitor. If you have a Raspberry Pi Zero, you may need adapters to connect your devices to its micro USB and micro HDMI ports. Both the Raspberry Pi 3 and the Raspberry Pi Zero W have onboard wireless LAN, so you can connect to your home network, and you can also plug an Ethernet cable into the Pi 3.

    Make sure to plug the power cable in last. There’s no ‘on’ switch, so your Pi will turn on as soon as you connect the power. Raspberry Pi uses a micro USB power supply, so you can use a phone charger if you didn’t receive one as part of a kit.

    Learn with our free projects

    If you’ve never used a Raspberry Pi before, or you’re new to the world of coding, the best place to start is our projects site. It’s packed with free projects that will guide you through the basics of coding and digital making. You can create projects right on your screen using Scratch and Python, connect a speaker to make music with Sonic Pi, and upgrade your skills to physical making using items from around your house.

    Here’s James to show you how to build a whoopee cushion using a Raspberry Pi, paper plates, tin foil and a sponge:

    Raspberry Pi Whoopee cushion PRANK || HOW-TO || Raspberry Pi Foundation

    Explore the world of Raspberry Pi physical computing with our free FutureLearn courses: http://rpf.io/futurelearn.

    Diving deeper

    You’ve plundered our projects, you’ve successfully rigged every chair in the house to make rude noises, and now you want to dive deeper into digital making. Good! While you’re digesting your Christmas dinner, take a moment to skim through the Raspberry Pi blog for inspiration. You’ll find projects from across our worldwide community, with everything from home automation projects and retrofit upgrades, to robots, gaming systems, and cameras.

    Need a beginners’ guidebook? Look no further: here’s the official guide. It’s also available as a free download, like all our publications.

    You’ll also find bucketloads of ideas in The MagPi magazine, the official monthly Raspberry Pi publication, available in both print and digital format. You can download every issue for free. If you subscribe, you’ll get a free Raspberry Pi 3A+ to add to your new collection. HackSpace magazine is another fantastic place to turn for Raspberry Pi projects, along with other maker projects and tutorials.

    And, of course, simply typing “Raspberry Pi projects” into your preferred search engine will find thousands of ideas. Sites like Hackster, Hackaday, Instructables, Pimoroni, and Adafruit all have plenty of fab Raspberry Pi tutorials that they’ve devised themselves and that community members like you have created.

    And finally

    If you make something marvellous with your new Raspberry Pi – and we know you will – don’t forget to share it with us! Our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts are brimming with chatter, projects, and events. And our forums are the best place to visit if you ever have questions about your Raspberry Pi or if you need some help.

    It’s good to get together with like-minded folks, so check out the growing Raspberry Jam movement. Raspberry Jams are community-run events where makers and enthusiasts can meet other makers, show off their projects, and join in with workshops and discussions. Find your nearest Jam here.

    Have a great break, and welcome to the community. We’ll see you in 2019!

    Website: LINK

  • Christmas lights 2018

    Christmas lights 2018

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There’s much mistletoeing, and hearts will be glowing – as will thousands of Raspberry Pi-enabled Christmas light displays around the world.

    Polish roadside crib

    This morning I have mostly been spending my virtual time by a roadside in snowy Poland, inflicting carols on passers-by. (It turns out that the Polish carols this crib is programmed with rock a lot harder than the ones we listen to in England.) Visit the crib’s website to control it yourself.

    Helpfully, Tomek, the maker, has documented some of the build over on Hackster if you want to learn more.

    LightShow Pi

    We are also suckers for a good Christmas son et lumiere. If you’re looking to make something yourself, LightShow Pi has been around for some years now, and goes from strength to strength. We’ve covered projects built with it in previous years, and it’s still in active development from what we can see, with new features for this Christmas like the ability to address individual RGB pixels. Most of the sound and music displays you’ll see using a Raspberry Pi are running LightShow Pi; it’s got a huge user base, and its online community on Reddit is a great place to get started.

    2018 Christmas Light Show

    Light display contains over 4,000 lights and 7,800 individual channels. It is controlled by 3 network based lighting controllers. The audio and lighting sequences are sent to the controllers by a Raspberry Pi.

    This display from the USA must have taken forever to set up: you’re looking at 4,000 lights and 7,800 channels.  Here’s something more domestically proportioned from YouTube user Ken B, showing off LightShow Pi’s microweb user interface, which is perfect for use on your phone.

    LightShow Pi Christmas Tree 2018

    Demonstration of the microweb interface along with LED only operation using two matrices, lower one cycling.

    Scared of the neighbours burning down your outdoor display, or not enough space for a full-size tree? Never fear: The Pi Hut’s 3D Christmas tree, designed by Rachel Rayns, formerly of this parish, is on sale again this year. We particularly loved this adaptation from Blitz City DIY, where Liz (not me, another Liz) RGB-ifies the tree: a great little Christmas electronics project to work through with the kids. Or on your own, because we don’t need to have all our fun vicariously through our children this Christmas. (Repeat ten times.)

    RGB-ing the Pi Hut Xmas Tree Kit

    The Pi Hut’s Xmas Tree Kit is a fun little soldering kit for the Raspberry Pi. It’s a great kit, but I thought it could do with a bit more color. This is just a quick video to talk about the kit and show off all the RGB goodness.

    Any Christmas projects you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

    Website: LINK

  • Minecraft-controlled real world Christmas tree

    Minecraft-controlled real world Christmas tree

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Interact with the real world via the block world, with the Minecraft-controlled Christmas tree from the team at BroCraft Gaming.

    Illuminating

    David Stevens of BroCraft Gaming reached out to us last month to let us know about the real-life Christmas tree he and his team were planning to hack using Minecraft. Intriguing? Obviously. And after a few more emails, David has been back in touch to let us know the tree hack is now live and ready for the world to interact with.

    Here’s a blurb from the BroCraft team:

    Join our Minecraft server at brocraftlive.net, complete the tutorial if you haven’t already, and type /mcct to join our snowy wonderland. Collect power from power blocks dotted everywhere, then select a pattern with the Technician, and watch as the tree lights up on the camera stream LIVE before your very eyes! Visit the attractions, play our minigames, and find out what else our server has to offer.

    The tree uses individually addressable LEDs and the Adafruit Neopixel Python library. And with the help of a bespoke Java plugin, all instructions from within the Minecraft server are fed to the lights via a Raspberry Pi.

    You can view the live Christmas tree camera stream here, along with a brief FAQ on interacting with the tree within the BroCraft Minecraft server.

    Minecraft Pi

    You’ll need access to Minecraft to be able to interact with the tree. And, lucky for you, Minecraft Pi comes free with Raspbian on the Raspberry Pi!

    To flash the Raspbian image onto an SD card, follow this video tutorial from the team at The MagPi. And to get more acquainted with Minecraft on the Raspberry Pi, check out our free resources, including the getting started guide, Minecraft selfies, and the big Minecraft piano.

    Find more free Raspberry Pi resources on our projects site, and immerse yourself even further into the world of Minecraft Pi with The MagPi’s Hacking and Making in Minecraft Essentials Guide, available in print and as a free PDF download!

    Website: LINK

  • The Raspberry Pi Christmas shopping list 2018

    The Raspberry Pi Christmas shopping list 2018

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Looking for this year’s perfect something to put under the tree ‘from Santa’? Well, look no further than right here — it’s time for our traditional Christmas shopping list!

    Woohoo!

    Which Raspberry Pi?

    As you are no doubt aware, the Raspberry Pi comes in more than one variety. And if you’re planning to give a Pi as a gift to a first-time user, you may be confused as to which one you should buy.

    Raspberry Pi 3B+

    For someone learning to write code for the first time, we recommend the Raspberry Pi 3B+. Anyone living in a home with an HDMI display, such as a computer monitor or television, will be able to plug directly into the 3B+, and in case they don’t already have a standard USB mouse and keyboard, these can both easily be acquired online, in many charity shops, or by sweet-talking a friend/neighbour/employer. You can even find some great Raspberry Pi starter kits that include many of the items needed to get started.

    Raspberry Pi Zero W

    The Raspberry Pi Zero W comes at a lower price, and with it, a smaller footprint than the 3B+. This makes the tiny Pi the perfect addition to any creator’s toolkit, ideal for projects that run on a Pi long-term, such as display builds, robots, or near-space HABs.

    Pre-loaded micro SD card

    Whatever Raspberry Pi you choose for the lucky receiver of your Christmas gift, we also recommend getting them a pre-loaded micro SD card. While it’s really easy to flash an operating system image onto one of the dusty old micro SD cards you have lurking in a drawer, pre-loaded cards allow new Pi owners to plug in and get started right off the bat. Plus, the ones with our operating system Raspbian on come in rather fancy, logo-adorned SD adapters. And who doesn’t like a rather fancy, logo-adorned SD adapter?

    Books, books, books

    We’re releasing two new books this week that are perfect for any Christmas stocking!

    Code Club Book of Scratch Volume 1

    Code Club Book of Scratch Volume 1

    The Code Club team is buzzing over the release of the first Code Club book, which is available to order now. Primarily aimed at learners aged 9–13, the book focuses on teaching the Scratch programming language, and it’s jam-packed with fun projects, tips, and stickers. The book also comes with a pair of super-special computer science glasses that allow you to see secret hints hidden throughout the book. Very, very cool.

    And since Scratch is pre-installed on Raspbian, the Code Club Book of Scratch is the perfect accompaniment to that Raspberry Pi you’re planning to get for the young person in your life!

    The Official Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide

    Raspberry Pi Beginner's Guide Book 2018

    From setting up a Raspberry Pi to using Scratch and Python to create games and animations, the hot-off-the-press Official Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide has everything your loved one needs to get started and keep going.

    And when we say ‘ hot-off-the-press’, we mean it — we only released the book this week!

    Both the Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide and the Code Club Book of Scratch are available with free international shipping. And if you’d like to give either of them a ‘try before you buy’ test drive, they should both available soon as free PDFs for you to download and peruse at your leisure.

    Magazine subscriptions

    Alongside our books, we have an array of magazines, including the brand-new, twice-monthly, video game–focused Wireframe! As with the books, you can download all issues of our magazines for a test read before you commit to a subscription.

    Twelve-month print subscriptions to HackSpace magazine or The MagPi will reward you with a technical treat: an Adafruit Circuit Playground or a Raspberry Pi 3A+.

    So not only can you give a gift that will last the entirety of 2019, but you’ll also automatically provide your favourite creative person with something rather lovely to play with when they receive their first issue.

    And if you sign them up now, you can give someone a six-issue subscription of Wireframe magazine for £12! Or save 49% on a twelve-month subscription of 26 magazines from £40.

    So many choices, so many ways to make the creators and tech fans in your life happy this holiday season.

    Accessories and such

    Maybe the person you’re shopping for already has every Raspberry Pi on the market. And as for our publications, their mailbox is full of magazines and books every week, and their smartphone and tablets are crammed with every PDF we’ve ever produced. So what next?

    Swag

    What do you buy the Raspberry Pi fan who has all the Pis? Swag, of course!

    From stickers and mugs, to coasters and pins, check out the Raspberry Pi swag store for some wonderful treats!

    (Edit: out of stock things shouldn’t be out of stock for too long – Alex)

    Add-ons

    Whether it’s a HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) for the Raspberry Pi, or a full kit to make something rather spectacular, our Approved Resellers stock all manner of Pi add-ons.

    You can find your nearest Raspberry Pi Approved Reseller by clicking on any item on our products page and then selecting your country.

    This isn’t all!

    We’ve been putting together a Raspberry Pi shopping list every year in response to the message we receive from you asking for gift ideas. So why not have a look back at our previous lists to get more inspiration for what to give, including more books, toolkit staples, non-Pi tech bits, and, of course, LEGO.

    Website: LINK

  • MagPi 76: our updated Raspberry Pi Superguide!

    MagPi 76: our updated Raspberry Pi Superguide!

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Hi folks, Rob from The MagPi here! The holiday season will soon be upon us, and that means a lot of Raspberry Pis will be given as gifts. For all these new Pi users, we thought it was time to update our beginners’ guide for 2019 in issue 76 of The MagPi, out now!

    And yes, this includes the brand-new 3A+.

    Look, up on the magazine rack!

    Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s Superguide!

    In this Superguide, we’ll take you through the initial setup of the Pi, we’ll help you familiarise yourself with it, and we’ll even show you a couple of fun Pi projects to get started with! Whether you’re a complete newbie to Raspberry Pi or you want need a little refresher, our guide has got you covered.

    Superb

    3A+ subscription offer!

    Speaking of the Raspberry Pi 3A+, we have a full feature on the fresh addition to the Raspberry Pi family, including all the juicy benchmarks, stats, and info you’d ever want to know. There’s even an interview with Eben Upton and Roger Thornton about its development!

    In fact, we love the 3A+ so much that we’re offering a brand-new, limited-time subscription offer: sign up for a twelve-month print subscription of The MagPi now, and you’ll get a Raspberry Pi 3A+ completely free!

    Hurry though, this offer only runs as long as stocks last.

    Be quick, this offer won’t be around forever!

    Heads, Pac-Man, and Christmas lights

    Of course, there also are amazing projects, guides, and reviews in this issue. This includes As We Are, a mesmerising art project that displays people’s faces on a 14-foot tall screen shaped like a head. We also show you how to start making Pac-Man in our monthly Pygame tutorial, and our smart lights guide has a bit of a festive flair to it.

    Get The MagPi 76

    You can get The MagPi 76 from WHSmith, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda. If you live in the US, head over to your local Barnes & Noble or Micro Center in the next few days for a print copy. You can also get the issue online: check it out on our store, or digitally via our Android or iOS apps. And don’t forget, there’s always the free PDF.

    Rolling subscription offer!

    Want to support the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the magazine? As well as the subscription mentioned above, you can now take out a monthly £5 subscription to the magazine, effectively creating a rolling pre‑order system that saves you money on each issue.

    The MagPi subscription offer — The MagPi 75

    That’s it for now! I’ll see you next time around Christmas.

    Website: LINK

  • Brand-new books from The MagPi and HackSpace magazine

    Brand-new books from The MagPi and HackSpace magazine

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Hey folks, Rob from The MagPi here! Halloween is over and November has just begun, which means CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE! It’s never too early to think about Christmas — I start in September, the moment mince pies hit shelves.

    Elf GIF

    What most people seem to dread about Christmas is finding the right gifts, so I’m here to help you out. We’ve just released two new books: our Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book volume 4, and the brand-new Book of Making volume 1 from the team at HackSpace magazine!

    Book of Making volume 1

    HackSpace magazine book 1 - Raspberry Pi

    Spoiler alert: it’s a book full of making

    The Book of Making volume 1 contains 50 of the very best projects from HackSpace magazine, including awesome project showcases and amazing guides for building your own incredible creations. Expect to encounter trebuchets, custom drones, a homemade tandoori oven, and much more! And yes, there are some choice Raspberry Pi projects as well.

    The Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book volume 4

    The MagPi Raspberry pi Projects book 4

    More projects, more guides, and more reviews!

    Volume 4 of the Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book is once again jam-packed with Raspberry Pi goodness in its 200 pages, with projects, build guides, reviews, and a little refresher for beginners to the world of Raspberry Pi. Whether you’re new to Pi or have every single model, there’s something in there for you, no matter your skill level.

    Free shipping? Worldwide??

    You can buy the Book of Making and the Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book volume 4 right now from the Raspberry Pi Press Store, and here’s the best part: they both have free worldwide shipping! They also roll up pretty neatly, in case you want to slot them into someone’s Christmas stocking. And you can also find them at our usual newsagents.

    Both books are available as free PDF downloads, so you can try before you buy. When you purchase any of our publications, you contribute toward the hard work of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, so why not double your giving this holiday season by helping us put the power of digital making into the hands of people all over the world?

    Anyway, that’s it for now — I’m off for more mince pies!

    Website: LINK

  • Pope Francis Receives 3D Printed Nano-Nativity Scene for Christmas

    Pope Francis Receives 3D Printed Nano-Nativity Scene for Christmas

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Lithuanian researchers from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University have 3D printed the world’s smallest nativity scene. The nanoscale-sized gift was given to Pope Francis for Christmas.

    Last week, Pope Francis paid a highly anticipated visit to Lithuania, and his presence was commemorated with an unprecedentedly tiny gift. During his travels, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė presented the leader of the Catholic Church with a nanoscale-sized nativity scene.

    This piously miniature gift, which is smaller than a human cell was created in the nanoscale with laser 3D printing technology. The project was headed by researchers from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU), and created within the local creativity and innovation centre LinkMenų Fabrikas.

    The religiously significant scene has been submitted to the Guinness World Records for being the world’s smallest nativity scene.


    3D Printed Nano-Nativity Scene Celebrates Big Tradition in Small Size

    To create the nanoscale adornment, the research team 3D scanned fifteen sculptures from the nativity scene at the Cathedral Square in Vilnius. They then reduced the size of the 3D models 10,000 times to 300 micrometres (0.3 mm), making it small enough to be placed on a single human eyelash.

    The VGTU team collaborated with the Laser Research Center at Vilnius University, the micro-fabrication company Femtika, and the 3D tech company Ideja 3D. Not only does the nativity scene make for a thoughtful gift for the visiting pope, it also showcases the technological leap that local businesses in Lithuania have made.

    “With the festive season upon us, we would like to demonstrate to the world an exceptional science and business potential in high-technology market in Lithuania. We do not only master the technology, but we are also able to apply it creatively by developing a new form to an old tradition, and combining both intellectual and cultural achievements of humanity,” said Eglė Girdzijauskaitė, ‎Vice Director at VGTU “LinkMenų fabrikas”.

    There were a total of five nano-nativity scenes 3D printed. One was gifted to Pope Francis, one will remain in the Lithuanian Presidential Palace in Vilnius, another in Vilnius Archdiocese, while the last two will be showcased to the public at LinkMenų fabrikas and Vilnius Municipality.

    Source: VGTU

    Website: LINK

  • Thank you for my new Raspberry Pi, Santa! What next?

    Thank you for my new Raspberry Pi, Santa! What next?

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Note: the Pi Towers team have peeled away from their desks to spend time with their families over the festive season, and this blog will be quiet for a while as a result. We’ll be back in the New Year with a bushel of amazing projects, awesome resources, and much merriment and fun times. Happy holidays to all!

    Now back to the matter at hand. Your brand new Christmas Raspberry Pi.

    Your new Raspberry Pi

    Did you wake up this morning to find a new Raspberry Pi under the tree? Congratulations, and welcome to the Raspberry Pi community! You’re one of us now, and we’re happy to have you on board.

    But what if you’ve never seen a Raspberry Pi before? What are you supposed to do with it? What’s all the fuss about, and why does your new computer look so naked?

    Setting up your Raspberry Pi

    Are you comfy? Good. Then let us begin.

    Download our free operating system

    First of all, you need to make sure you have an operating system on your micro SD card: we suggest Raspbian, the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s official supported operating system. If your Pi is part of a starter kit, you might find that it comes with a micro SD card that already has Raspbian preinstalled. If not, you can download Raspbian for free from our website.

    An easy way to get Raspbian onto your SD card is to use a free tool called Etcher. Watch The MagPi’s Lucy Hattersley show you what you need to do. You can also use NOOBS to install Raspbian on your SD card, and our Getting Started guide explains how to do that.

    Plug it in and turn it on

    Your new Raspberry Pi 3 comes with four USB ports and an HDMI port. These allow you to plug in a keyboard, a mouse, and a television or monitor. If you have a Raspberry Pi Zero, you may need adapters to connect your devices to its micro USB and micro HDMI ports. Both the Raspberry Pi 3 and the Raspberry Pi Zero W have onboard wireless LAN, so you can connect to your home network, and you can also plug an Ethernet cable into the Pi 3.

    Make sure to plug the power cable in last. There’s no ‘on’ switch, so your Pi will turn on as soon as you connect the power. Raspberry Pi uses a micro USB power supply, so you can use a phone charger if you didn’t receive one as part of a kit.

    Learn with our free projects

    If you’ve never used a Raspberry Pi before, or you’re new to the world of coding, the best place to start is our projects site. It’s packed with free projects that will guide you through the basics of coding and digital making. You can create projects right on your screen using Scratch and Python, connect a speaker to make music with Sonic Pi, and upgrade your skills to physical making using items from around your house.

    Here’s James to show you how to build a whoopee cushion using a Raspberry Pi, paper plates, tin foil and a sponge:

    Whoopee cushion PRANK with a Raspberry Pi: HOW-TO

    Explore the world of Raspberry Pi physical computing with our free FutureLearn courses: http://rpf.io/futurelearn Free make your own Whoopi Cushion resource: http://rpf.io/whoopi For more information on Raspberry Pi and the charitable work of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, including Code Club and CoderDojo, visit http://rpf.io Our resources are free to use in schools, clubs, at home and at events.

    Diving deeper

    You’ve plundered our projects, you’ve successfully rigged every chair in the house to make rude noises, and now you want to dive deeper into digital making. Good! While you’re digesting your Christmas dinner, take a moment to skim through the Raspberry Pi blog for inspiration. You’ll find projects from across our worldwide community, with everything from home automation projects and retrofit upgrades, to robots, gaming systems, and cameras.

    You’ll also find bucketloads of ideas in The MagPi magazine, the official monthly Raspberry Pi publication, available in both print and digital format. You can download every issue for free. If you subscribe, you’ll get a Raspberry Pi Zero W to add to your new collection. HackSpace magazine is another fantastic place to turn for Raspberry Pi projects, along with other maker projects and tutorials.

    And, of course, simply typing “Raspberry Pi projects” into your preferred search engine will find thousands of ideas. Sites like Hackster, Hackaday, Instructables, Pimoroni, and Adafruit all have plenty of fab Raspberry Pi tutorials that they’ve devised themselves and that community members like you have created.

    And finally

    If you make something marvellous with your new Raspberry Pi – and we know you will – don’t forget to share it with us! Our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+ accounts are brimming with chatter, projects, and events. And our forums are a great place to visit if you have questions about your Raspberry Pi or if you need some help.

    It’s good to get together with like-minded folks, so check out the growing Raspberry Jam movement. Raspberry Jams are community-run events where makers and enthusiasts can meet other makers, show off their projects, and join in with workshops and discussions. Find your nearest Jam here.

    Have a great festive holiday and welcome to the community. We’ll see you in 2018!

    Website: LINK

  • Climate Change Activists Create 3D Printed “No-Snow-Globes”

    Climate Change Activists Create 3D Printed “No-Snow-Globes”

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Plan B, UK-based climate change activists, have partnered with the ad folks at Martin Agency to release quirky snow-less snow globes.

    When they’re not busy attempting to sue the UK government for alleged inaction over climate change, activist group Plan B have taken to glum festive frippery with the release of “No-snow globes”.

    A muddy, glib scene depicting the a chilling future affected by climate change, the snow globes are distinctive for the distinct lack of the very thing people want them for — snow.

    Seen by the group as an opportunity to prompt discussion about meeting carbon targets, three no-snow-globes were produced. The group turned to advertising agency Martin London, who also shaped a campaign around the no-snow-globe message.


    No-snow-globe

    3D Printing a Depressing Decoration

    Inspired by the recent rare snowfall in the UK, the no-snow globes are fabricated using an SLA 3D printer. Depicting three dour festive scenes, the figures were then hand-painted.

    Speaking of the no-snow-globes, Director Tim Crosland of Plan B said “Not everyone wants to discuss the apocalypse at Christmas time! So this campaign has been designed as a playful and accessible way to get people talking about climate change over the festive season. We’re using it a bit like a Trojan Horse – smuggling in a dose of reality about the urgency of the situation – without putting people off their Brussel sprouts.”

    The no-snow-globes do not appear to be for sale (for the sake of maintaining festive cheer, probably a good thing), but there’s no denying the charm in portraying a warmer, snow-less future this way.

    Source: Creativeboom.com


    No-snow-globe

    Website: LINK

  • Drive Into the Holiday Season With 3D Printable BMW Christmas Ornaments

    Drive Into the Holiday Season With 3D Printable BMW Christmas Ornaments

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    BMW celebrates the holiday season and 3D printing technology by releasing STL files of its iconic logo, the famous BMW Welt, a set of wheels, and more. 

    Of all the industries that have taken interest in advancing 3D printing technology, none seem as invested as the automotive sector. From rapid prototyping to small-run manufacturing, numerous car manufacturers have integrated 3D printing onto the production line.

    One of the pioneers in this field is the German automotive manufacturer BMW. Not only has the company used 3D printing to showcase unique concepts and improve its production capabilities, it has also been on the forefront of various investment opportunities.

    Over the past couples of years, BMW has provided funding to a few of the most highly anticipated 3D printing companies, including Carbon and Desktop Metal. Clearly, additive manufacturing is playing an increasing role in BMW’s ecosystem.

    The automotive manufacturer recently shared a post detailing the ways that 3D printing has reshaped its prototyping and production. To show appreciation for this emerging technology, BMW is celebrating in the holiday season with 3D printable Christmas ornaments.

    BMW Shares 3D Printable Ornaments for the Christmas Tree

    As you can see, 3D printing is poised to have a major impact on the future of BMW’s manufacturing process. And so, the German automotive giant has shared a number of STL files for 3D printing and/or Beemer enthusiasts to print and hang on the Christmas tree.

    Here’s what they’re offering:

    BMW Welt


    Based out in Munich, the BMW Welt is a famous multi-use exhibition center that sees over three million visitors a year.

    BMW Wheel


    Want to take that new 3D printer out for a spin? Well now you can do so with a set of BMW wheels. These double-spokes will look great hanging from your tree or even your car dashboard.

    BMW Logo


    Of course, nothing can beat the iconic BMW emblem. Now, it’s finally available for 3D printing, meaning you can showoff your Beemer fandom by printing and hanging this logo up for all to see.

    The BMW Four-Cylinder


    The Four-Cylinder building is the BMW headquarters, also located in Munich. This 101-meter-high landmark building was designed by architect Karl Schwanzer. Now, you can print it out at home and have a piece of BMW’s history with you at all times. 

    You can download all of the STL files from the BMW website. Find the STL files and learn more by clicking here.

    Website: LINK

  • 11 Festive Christmas Decorations You Can Print at Home

    11 Festive Christmas Decorations You Can Print at Home

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    The best part about the holidays is jazzing up our normally drab surrounds with the technicolor delights of tinsel, baubles and all manner of festive frippery. But before you go digging around the closet for that dusty old box of hall deckers, check out these 3D printable Christmas decorations and consider making some new ones!

    For your festive pleasure, here’s 11 Christmas decorations you can 3D print at home.

    Or, if you find yourself currently sans 3D printer, there’s always our 3D printing price comparison engine. Upload printable files and get near-instant prices from many of the world’s biggest print services.

    Also, don’t forget to check out the All3DP 3D Printing Gift Guide.  It’s full of ideas and inspiration for 3D printing themed gifting.

    Website: LINK

  • 23 Clever DIY Christmas Decoration Ideas

    23 Clever DIY Christmas Decoration Ideas

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    In this DIY tutorial, we will show you how to make Christmas decorations for your home. The video consists of 23 Christmas craft ideas. You will learn how to make various Christmas wreaths, ornaments from pasta and more things that will make your Christmas tree look truly festive.

    Subscribe to Crafty Panda YouTube channel

    Website: LINK