Kategorie: Technology

  • Gemini smarts are coming to more Android devicesGemini smarts are coming to more Android devicesSenior Director of Product and User Experience

    Gemini smarts are coming to more Android devicesGemini smarts are coming to more Android devicesSenior Director of Product and User Experience

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    Make your drive more productive and enjoyable, hands-free

    Hands-free voice commands with Google Assistant have always been at the core of Android Auto and cars with Google built-in. Soon, Gemini will upgrade that experience by understanding what you want while you’re driving, through natural conversations. So instead of focusing on the perfect prompt or tapping the right button, you can stay focused on the road ahead.

    You can not only find the best route, but also get help along the way. For example, Gemini can find you a charging station on the way to the post office that’s also near a park, so that you can go for a walk before your errands while your car is charging.

    By connecting to your messaging app, Gemini can summarize the messages that you receive, and even translate your reply into another language before sending. And if you’re like me and spend a lot of time in the car, Gemini Live can be your helpful driving companion. On my morning commute, I can ask Gemini to give me the rundown of the news today (but without sports), or get a quick synopsis of the book I just finished reading (or didn’t have time to finish) on my way to my book club meetup.

    Gemini will be available on Android Auto in the coming months, followed by cars with Google Built-in.

    Website: LINK

  • 3 ways Android keeps you and your device safe3 ways Android keeps you and your device safeSenior Product Manager

    3 ways Android keeps you and your device safe3 ways Android keeps you and your device safeSenior Product Manager

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    2. Find Hub helps you keep belongings — and loved ones — safe.

    Android has always offered a wide variety of features to keep your digital life secure, and that extends to your physical belongings, too. We launched Find My Device to help you locate everything from a lost phone at the park to a misplaced piece of luggage at the airport. Now this feature is evolving into something even more helpful: Find Hub.

    With Find Hub, you can easily locate your devices and tagged items, check if loved ones got home safely or share your location during a night out — all within a single, unified space. We’re adding even more compatible devices and Bluetooth tags to our ever-expanding list of partners. Learn more and sign up to be notified of our partner tag deals.

    And later this year, for devices and carriers that support satellite connectivity, Find Hub will take safety even further with the integration of satellite connectivity, helping you stay connected with friends and family even when cellular service is unavailable.

    Thanks to our partnerships, you’ll be able to easily share your Bluetooth tag’s location with some of your favorite airlines early next year, making recovering your lost luggage a breeze.

    Website: LINK

  • Driving just got more productive — and fun — with Gemini and moreDriving just got more productive — and fun — with Gemini and moreVice President, Android for Cars

    Driving just got more productive — and fun — with Gemini and moreDriving just got more productive — and fun — with Gemini and moreVice President, Android for Cars

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    For over a decade, we’ve been bringing people a safer, more helpful connected driving experience. We started with Android Auto as a way for your Android phone to display the most helpful apps on your car screen. This helps you navigate, communicate, enjoy entertainment and more, while staying focused on the road. We also worked with over a dozen car brands to launch next-generation cars with Google built-in, allowing drivers to enjoy the best of Google, all built right into the infotainment system (phone optional!).

    Today, there are over 250 million cars that support Android Auto, and more than 50 car models with Google built-in on the road. Whichever experience you choose, we’re always bringing the latest technology to make your drive more fun and productive. And the future of driving is getting a whole lot smarter with Gemini, your AI assistant from Google, coming to your car soon.

    Website: LINK

  • The Android Show: I/O EditionThe Android Show: I/O EditionPresident, Android Ecosystem

    The Android Show: I/O EditionThe Android Show: I/O EditionPresident, Android Ecosystem

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    Today, we kicked off this year’s Google I/O season with The Android Show: I/O Edition, where we shared some of the biggest news across the Android ecosystem.

    As the world’s most popular OS with more than 3 billion active devices in over 190 countries, it’s an exciting time for Android. We’re seeing a wave of flagship phones that are being recognized as the best globally, thanks to groundbreaking hardware, smartest software and beautiful designs — it’s the platform where you see the future first.

    Now is a great time to learn what’s new in Android. Check out everything we announced, including introducing the biggest redesign in years with Android 16 and Wear OS 6, bringing Gemini across all of your devices, helping you fight scammers and keeping you and your devices safe.

    Website: LINK

  • A billion RCS messages are sent every day in the U.S.A billion RCS messages are sent every day in the U.S.

    A billion RCS messages are sent every day in the U.S.A billion RCS messages are sent every day in the U.S.

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    Over the last few years, we’ve been focused on improving how people connect, no matter what phone they have. That’s why we helped make RCS the messaging standard for Android and iOS. Now, in the U.S. alone, there are more than a billion RCS messages sent every day (based on an average of the last 28 days). This means more people have been able to send high-quality photos and videos, and add someone to the group chat, without it breaking.* Learn more about RCS on our website.

    *RCS messaging must be turned on. Availability varies by region and carrier.

    Website: LINK

  • A new look at how Android XR will bring Gemini to glasses and headsetsA new look at how Android XR will bring Gemini to glasses and headsetsVP & GM

    A new look at how Android XR will bring Gemini to glasses and headsetsA new look at how Android XR will bring Gemini to glasses and headsetsVP & GM

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    Experiencing AI naturally with Android XR glasses

    Today on the Google I/O stage, we gave a deeper look at glasses with Android XR.

    For over a decade, we’ve been working on the concept of smart glasses. With Android XR, we’re taking a giant leap forward.

    Equipped with a camera, microphones and speakers, these glasses work in tandem with your phone, giving you access to your apps without ever having to reach in your pocket. And an optional in-lens display privately provides helpful information right when you need it. Pairing these glasses with Gemini means they see and hear what you do, so they understand your context, remember what’s important to you and can help you throughout your day.

    Today’s sneak peek showed how Android XR glasses will work in real-world scenarios, including messaging friends, making appointments, asking for turn-by-turn directions, taking photos and more. We even demoed live language translation between two people, showing the potential for these glasses to break down language barriers — giving you subtitles for the real world.

    Website: LINK

  • Locate your lost belongings in more ways with Find Hub on Android.Locate your lost belongings in more ways with Find Hub on Android.

    Locate your lost belongings in more ways with Find Hub on Android.Locate your lost belongings in more ways with Find Hub on Android.

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    Android’s Find My Device has been helping you locate your belongings for years. Now, with the evolution of Find My Device into Find Hub, we’re making it even easier to locate your belongings, family and friends — alongside a growing list of partners.

    There will soon be even more personalized styles, too. Whether it’s built-in luggage finding from July and Mokobara, keeping your skis safe on the mountain with Peak integration, or adding a touch of fun with Disney-themed Bluetooth tags from Pixbee, there’s something for everyone. Later this month, we’re also bringing you new nearby finding capabilities with ultra-wide band (UWB) enabled tags, first available on moto tag.

    Later this year, Find Hub will take safety even further with the integration of satellite connectivity, helping you stay connected with friends and family even when you don’t have cellular connectivity.

    And traveling is about to get even smoother. Thanks to our partnerships, you’ll be able to easily share your Bluetooth tag’s location with some of your favorite airlines early next year, making recovering your lost luggage a breeze.

    Website: LINK

  • New AI and accessibility updates across Android, Chrome and moreNew AI and accessibility updates across Android, Chrome and moreDirector, Product Management

    New AI and accessibility updates across Android, Chrome and moreNew AI and accessibility updates across Android, Chrome and moreDirector, Product Management

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    Improving speech recognition around the world

    In 2019, we launched Project Euphonia to find ways to make speech recognition more accessible for people with non-standard speech. Now we’re supporting developers and organizations around the world as they bring that work to even more languages and cultural contexts.

    New developer resources

    To improve the ecosystem of tools globally, we’re providing developers with our open-source repositories via Project Euphonia’s GitHub page. They can now develop personalized audio tools for research or train their models for diverse speech patterns.

    Support for new projects in Africa

    Earlier this year we partnered with Google.org to provide support to the University College London in their creation of the Centre for Digital Language Inclusion (CDLI). The CDLI is working to improve speech recognition technology for non-English speakers in Africa by creating open-source datasets in 10 African languages, building new speech recognition models and continuing to support the ecosystem of organizations and developers in this space.

    Expanding accessibility options for students

    Accessibility tools can be particularly helpful for students with disabilities, from using facial gestures to navigate their Chromebooks with Face Control to customizing their reading experience with Reading Mode.

    And now when you use your Chromebook with College Board’s Bluebook testing app (which is where students can take the SAT and most Advanced Placement exams) you’ll have access to all of Google’s built-in accessibility features. This includes ChromeVox screen reader and Dictation, along with College Board’s own digital testing tools.

    Making Chrome more accessible

    With more than 2 billion people using Chrome each day, we’re always striving to make our browser easier to use and more accessible for everyone with features like Live Caption and image descriptions for screen reader users.

    Access PDFs more easily on Chrome

    Previously, if you opened a scanned PDF in your desktop Chrome browser, you wouldn’t be able to use your screen reader to interact with it. Now with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Chrome automatically recognizes these types of PDFs, so you can highlight, copy and search for text like any other page and use your screen reader to read them.

    Read with ease with Page Zoom

    Page Zoom now lets you increase the size of the text you see in Chrome on Android without affecting the webpage layout or your browsing experience — just like how it works on Chrome desktop. You can customize how much you want to zoom in and easily apply the preference to all the pages you visit or just specific ones.

    Website: LINK

  • How well do you know our I/O 2025 announcements?How well do you know our I/O 2025 announcements?Contributor

    How well do you know our I/O 2025 announcements?How well do you know our I/O 2025 announcements?Contributor

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    No, but you can still be an I/O pro. Originally, the name I/O was based on the first two digits in a googol (a one, followed by 100 zeroes), the number that lends our company its name. According to lore, I/O has evolved to also nod to “input / output,” referencing the computational concept of interfacing between a computer system and the outside world, and “innovation in the open.” Pretty fitting, don’t you think?

    Website: LINK

  • Watch how our Android XR glasses work with Gemini in the real world.Watch how our Android XR glasses work with Gemini in the real world.

    Watch how our Android XR glasses work with Gemini in the real world.Watch how our Android XR glasses work with Gemini in the real world.

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    At I/O 2025, we shared a major update on our work on Android XR, a new platform for headsets and glasses. We also showed a demo of how Android XR glasses work. Paired with Gemini, they can see and hear what you do, so they understand your context, remember what’s important to you and provide information right when you need it.

    These glasses are equipped with a camera and microphones, giving Gemini the ability to see and hear the world while speakers let you listen to the AI, play music or take calls. And an optional, in-lens display privately shows you helpful information. The glasses also work with your phone, letting you access your apps while keeping your hands free.

    We’ve started gathering feedback on our prototype with trusted testers. For now, you can sign up for our newsletter for updates on device availability and watch our I/O demo of how helpful Android XR glasses can be in the real world.

    Website: LINK

  • 6 new Android features that are tailored to you6 new Android features that are tailored to youDirector, Product Management

    6 new Android features that are tailored to you6 new Android features that are tailored to youDirector, Product Management

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    Today, we’re sharing six new Android features designed to be made your own. From a daily AI-generated audio show based on your interests, to customized Google Home Favorites across your devices, these personalized features travel with you whether you’re at home or on the go. Here’s what’s new.

    Website: LINK

  • Android 16 is hereAndroid 16 is hereVP and GM of Android Platform

    Android 16 is hereAndroid 16 is hereVP and GM of Android Platform

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    Today, we’re bringing you Android 16, rolling out first to supported Pixel devices with more phone brands to come later this year. This is the earliest Android has launched a major release in the last few years, which ensures you get the latest updates as soon as possible on your devices.

    Android 16 lays the foundation for our new Material 3 Expressive design, with features that make Android more accessible and easy to use. Let’s take a look at what’s new:

    Streamlined and up-to-date notifications

    Waiting for your food delivery to get to your house? Instead of opening your delivery app every 5 minutes, live updates keep you informed in real-time. These live updates are starting with compatible ride-share and food delivery apps. We’re working together with these app partners to bring this capability to the Android ecosystem, including in Samsung’s Now Bar and OPPO and OnePlus’ Live Alerts.

    Website: LINK

  • The latest AI news we announced in MayThe latest AI news we announced in May

    The latest AI news we announced in MayThe latest AI news we announced in May

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    General summary

    Google is investing in AI to improve everyday life. Recent updates include AI features in Search like AI Mode and Deep Search. Also, check out the new Android XR glasses and the redesigned Android and Wear OS.

    Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.

    Shakespeare-ish

    Attend, and hear of Google’s AI might,
    Where models bloom, and futures take their flight.
    New tools for search, with answers deep and vast,
    And shopping smarts, that hold your budget fast.

    On glasses now, AI will lend its grace,
    While Gemini finds its helpful place.
    For filmmakers too, a tool is made with care,
    And marketers find AI beyond compare.

    A subscription new, for those who crave the best,
    AI Ultra grants access, putting skills to the test.
    So use these tools, and let your visions soar,
    For Google’s AI unlocks a boundless door.

    Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.

    Website: LINK

  • Astro Pi 2024/25: Another stellar year of space education concludes

    Astro Pi 2024/25: Another stellar year of space education concludes

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    We’re thrilled to celebrate yet another incredible year of young people reaching for the stars, as the European Astro Pi Challenge 2024/25 draws to a close. Teams from across Europe and ESA Member States are now receiving their well-deserved certificates and data from the International Space Station (ISS). It’s been a truly inspiring year, showcasing the phenomenal talent and dedication of young coders and scientists.

    A photograph of a young learner coding on a computer for Mission Zero

    The European Astro Pi Challenge is an ESA Education project run in collaboration with us here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It offers young people the amazing opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space by writing computer programs that run on Raspberry Pi computers on board the ISS, called Astro Pis.

    There‘s a lot to celebrate from this year’s Astro Pi, so let’s take a look at some of the highlights for each of our inspiring Missions: Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab.

    A selection of images taken by Mission Space Lab teams
    Figure 1: A selection of images taken by Mission Space Lab teams

    Mission Zero: Inspiring coding, creativity, and inclusion

    Mission Zero reached more young people than ever before in 2024/25, with 25,405 young people participating in 17,285 teams. After passing the rigorous testing and moderation processes, an amazing 17,109 teams (25,210 young people) were successful in getting their programs to run on the ISS. 

    One of the great things about Mission Zero is that we see a good gender balance in participation. This year, 44% of participants identified as “female” and 4% as “prefer to self-describe”, “prefer not to say”, or “other”. This means that Mission Zero has achieved a more balanced gender representation than is typically seen in computing subjects, where the ratio is around 20:80 girls to boys.

    Mission Space Lab: More teams have their programs run in space

    Mission Space Lab gives young people the opportunity to calculate the speed of the ISS in orbit using sensor and camera data collected from the Astro Pis on board the ISS. This year, 1859 young people in 552 teams participated in Mission Space Lab. Notably, 309 Mission Space Lab teams, or 95% of submissions, ran their programs on the ISS and are now analysing the data they collected. That’s 73 more teams achieving flight status than in 2023/24, and a total of 1084 young people receiving unique data sets from space and certificates. 

    Running a program in space is very different from testing it on the ground. It’s always interesting to see how well your program has performed and how accurate the final output is. Below, you can see a scatter graph of the team estimates produced by their programs. The actual speed of the ISS is no secret: it’s travelling about 7.67 kilometres per second. How have teams performed with the ISS speed task?

    Mission Space Lab teams’ speed estimates graph
    Figure 2: Mission Space Lab teams’ speed estimates graph

    Inspiring and impactful

    Another highlight from this year has been seeing how impactful participation can be for young people and mentors facilitating the activity. We receive lots of valuable feedback from the Astro Pi community each year, and it’s always heartwarming to hear what your experience has been and how we can improve the challenge. Here are a couple of quotes from the community who took part this year:

    Mission Zero mentor: “Having their programs run in space really motivated them to take part because it was an exciting reward and something they wanted to talk about with their friends.”

    Parent of a Mission Zero participant: “I was completely inexperienced in Python, but easily managed to help my 7-year-old.”

    More Code Clubs participating in 2024/25

    It has been great to see lots of Code Clubs taking part in Astro Pi this year, both for Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab. This year, 986 young people from 700 teams did Mission Zero at their Code Club: that’s double the number from 2023/24. Plus, 43 Mission Space Lab teams from Code Clubs took part. That’s 143 young people, or almost double the number compared to the year before. 

    We ran two code-alongs for the Code Club community this year, and it is encouraging to see increases for both missions. We will continue to support young people from all settings who want to take part in Astro Pi next year, whether it’s at school, Code Club, or other venues.

    An educator helps young learners with a coding project

    Conclusion

    In summary, it’s been a great year for Astro Pi. We’ve reached lots of young people through the challenge, met many inspiring mentors, and seen some really positive trends. Plus, all the operations on the space station that make Astro Pi possible went smoothly: when you are running programs in space, that isn’t always the case! 

    None of it would have been possible without the tireless efforts of the teachers, mentors, and educators who help run Astro Pi in your communities. From everyone here at Mission Control, thank you. 

    If you’d like to tell us how we can provide more support to help you run Astro Pi, please email contact@astro-pi.org.

    We’ll be back for more stellar space adventures in coding in September 2025.

    Website: LINK

  • Toss-launching drones is hard — this automatic launcher does it better

    Toss-launching drones is hard — this automatic launcher does it better

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    Typically, consumer drones take off from the ground or some other solid surface. But that isn’t very cinematic and toss launches — when the pilot throws the drone up into the air — are a lot more interesting to watch. Sadly, NickFPV isn’t very good at tossing his drone and that invites ridicule in his videos’ comment sections. To redeem himself, he built this automatic drone launcher triggered by an Arduino.

    When developing the launching mechanism, NickFPV found inspiration in his kitchen. Or more accurately, he found inspiration in the kitchens of cartoons, where toasters rocket charred bread to comical altitudes. He figured that if it works for toast, it could work for a micro drone. He just needed more stored kinetic energy.

    As with a toaster, NickFPV’s mechanism stores kinetic energy in a spring. When released, that spring pulls up a platform riding on hardened steel rods. The spring and rods attach to a 3D-printed frame and a pin latch holds the platform in place until the launch. The drone sits on that platform and when the platform reaches the top, it stops while the drone continues skyward. 

    NickFPV could have tugged a string to pull out that pin, but the launcher is pretty small and that pin requires some force to pull. Doing that while standing safely a few feet away would inevitably drag the entire launcher. To solve that problem, NickFPV added an Arduino to trigger the launch.

    That is an Arduino UNO R4 WiFi board and it controls a servo motor mounted on the launcher. At the press of a button, the servo yanks the string that pulls the latch pin. Power comes from a portable USB battery pack, so any location can become a launch pad.

    The launcher proved to be a success and it throws the drone a good six feet up, where its motors can take over to achieve flight. Now, NickFPV’s viewers won’t see his poor throws.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdWmJkuHe_Y?start=1&feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The post Toss-launching drones is hard — this automatic launcher does it better appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Discover the incredible impact of Code Club: The Code Club annual survey report 2025

    Discover the incredible impact of Code Club: The Code Club annual survey report 2025

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    We’re pleased to share highlights from the 2025 Code Club annual survey report today, showcasing another year of incredible achievements and the positive impact of the global Code Club community. 

    children at computers in a classroom.

    Code Club is a global movement of free coding clubs where school-aged young people — called creators — develop the confidence to create with digital technologies. Code Clubs take place in schools and community venues like youth clubs, libraries, and maker spaces and are run by teachers, educators, and volunteers from all walks of life — known as mentors. These incredible mentors make Code Clubs possible and we are so grateful for their hard work.

    About the 2025 survey report

    This Code Club annual survey report presents key responses from 775 mentors gathered via surveys and feedback from partners.

    This year, 7,494 Code Clubs have confirmed they have been active in the last two years, with clubs in 102 countries. We estimate 257,000 creators are involved in clubs and 43% of creators are female. As one UK Code Club mentor put it: “Girls who didn’t think it was for them now have confidence”.

    Three learners laughing at a laptop in a Code Club.

    Code Clubs have a positive impact on young creators

    In 2024, an independent evaluation by the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education provided evidence of positive outcomes for young people attending Code Clubs. We are continuing to build on this evidence, with 96% of mentors responding to our surveys agreeing that creators have increased skills in computing and digital making, as well as increased confidence to engage with technology as a result of attending a Code Club. 

    Here are a few of the examples mentors gave of the impact Code Club has on creators: 

    • Confidence: “[Creators become] more confident using technology and making friends. Some really come out of their shell compared to when they started.” – Code Club mentor, UK  
    • Skill development: “They come into the club with no coding skills (some barely know how to use a computer) and leave as competent, literate, coders.” – Code Club mentor, Canada
    • Enjoyment: “One of our core principles is that coding should be fun… we give them creative ways to expand on the task. They learn to push themselves a bit beyond a task, and look for more things.” – Code Club mentor, the Netherlands  
    • Social skills: “One great outcome has been the socialization that occurs. Kids in our club are definitely making friendships and improving their soft skills.” – Code Club mentor, USA  
    • Continued participation: “It has increased their passion for tech and how to create new things to solve problems.” – Code Club mentor, Ghana
    Learners in a computing classroom.

    Increasing access to technology

    Code Club also plays an important role in increasing access to technology for creators who would otherwise not have access. We work with partners across the world to run clubs in areas of educational disadvantage to ensure that Code Clubs are available to creators from all backgrounds to address this need.

    Kenyan children work on a physical computing project.

    In some regions, Code Club provides creators with their first significant encounter with digital making. A mentor in Kenya told us that Code Club ensured that creators in his area were not “left behind”. A Code Club mentor in Tunisia told us  “[…] access to coding is very limited, our club contributes to reducing this inequality”.

    Next steps

    Read the full report to dive deeper into the data and stories from the Code Club community!

    We are an impact-focused organisation and are always looking to understand how we can improve and increase the impact we have on the lives of children and young people. Over the coming weeks we will be reviewing the feedback we have received to understand how we can support the Code Club community even better.

    Website: LINK

  • Join our free data science education workshop for teachers

    Join our free data science education workshop for teachers

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    Are you a teacher who is interested in data science education for key stage 5 (age 16 to 18)? Then we invite you to join our free, in-person workshop exploring the topic, taking place in Cambridge, UK on 10 July 2025.

    Teachers at a workshop.

    You will be among the very first educators to see some of our first test activities for teacher training to build data science concepts, and your contributions will feed into our future work. Sign up by 20 June to take part.

    Data science: What do we need to teach school-age learners?

    Current artificial intelligence (AI) methods, especially machine learning (ML), rely heavily on data. While young people learn mathematics, and some statistics, at school, data science concepts are not commonly taught.

    Teachers at a workshop.

    To complement our work on AI literacy, we have been investigating what data science teaching resources and education research are currently available.

    Our goals for this work are:

    1. To figure out what data science concepts may need to be taught in schools, initially with a focus on key stage 5
    2. To develop related teacher professional development and classroom resources

    Join us to discuss data science education

    If you are interested in data science education for young people, and maybe even have experience of teaching it to learners aged 16 to 18 in your school (in any subject, including computer science, social sciences, mathematics, statistics, and ethics), please join our free workshop on Thursday 10 July in our office in Cambridge. We are able to reimburse some travel expenses.

    At the workshop:

    • We would love to hear about your experience of teaching any elements of data science
    • We will share some exploratory concept building activities with you and discuss them together

    You’ll be the first group of working teachers we will share these activities with — your feedback will be invaluable, and you’ll have the chance to shape our work going forward.

    If you are interested, please fill in this form by Friday 20 June:

    You will then receive more information from us by 27 June. Spaces in the workshop are limited, so please do not book any travel until we confirm your space.

    We’re looking forward to shaping the future of data science education with you.


    PS In our current seminar series, researchers from around the world are presenting their latest work on teaching about AI and data science. You can catch up on past sessions and sign up for upcoming ones on our website.

    Website: LINK

  • This robotic tongue drummer bangs out all the ambient hits

    This robotic tongue drummer bangs out all the ambient hits

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    If you like to listen to those “deep focus” soundtracks that are all ambient and relaxing, then you’ve heard a tongue drum in action. A tongue drum, or tank drum, is a unique percussion instrument traditionally made from an empty propane cylinder — though purpose-built models are now common. Several tongues are cut into one end cap and weighted to produce specific notes when struck. As with all instruments, playing a tongue drum is an art. To simplify that, Jeremy Cook built a robot capable of playing a small tongue drum.

    When robotizing a percussion instrument, it is common to use solenoids and that is what Cook did here. Solenoid actuators like these move linearly and can strike with pretty decent force, which makes them a good choice. Cook’s drum has eight tongues, so his robot has eight solenoids held by flexible friction arms mounted onto a C-shaped laser-cut MDF frame. PVC pipes actual as the vertical structural supports on that frame.

    An Arduino Opta Lite micro PLC sends power to the solenoids through an Arduino Pro Opta Ext D1608S solid-state relay expansion module, which contains eight SSRs that can each handle 24VDC at 2A.

    To tell the robot what tunes to play, Cook added a MIDI input that comes through an Opta-compatible I2C and serial adapter of his own design. That adapter is available for sale on Tindie if you want one. 

    The MIDI input can come from a something like a keyboard for real-time manual control, or it can come from a PC for playing pre-written (or algorithm-generated) ambient hits. If you attended the Orlando Maker Faire last year, you may have had a chance to try this robotic tongue drummer for yourself.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK5F8mKTI4w?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The post This robotic tongue drummer bangs out all the ambient hits appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Using an Arduino Nicla Vision as a drone flight controller

    Using an Arduino Nicla Vision as a drone flight controller

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    Drone flight controllers do so much more than simply receive signals and tell the drone which way to move. They’re responsible for constantly tweaking the motor speeds in order to maintain stable flight, even with shifting winds and other unpredictable factors. For that reason, most flight controllers are purpose-built for the job. But element14’s Milos Rasic was building his own drone from scratch and found that the Arduino Nicla Vision board makes a great flight controller.

    To perform that critical job of keeping the drone stable, the flight controller needs precises information about the orientation of the drone and any movement in three-dimensional space. Luckily, the Nicla Vision has an integrated six-axis motion sensor that is perfect for the job. It has also a powerful STM32H7 microcontroller, a built-in camera for machine vision and learning tasks, onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and more. And because it is very small (22.86×22.86mm) and very light, it is a good choice for a drone.

    Rasic designed and made the entire drone from zero, using 8520 brushed DC motors and a 3D-printed frame. That is cool, but it isn’t uncommon. The Nicla Vision-based flight controller is what stands out the most.

    Rasic developed a custom PCB for the Nicla Vision that acts like a breakout board and contains a few other useful components, such as for regulating and boosting power. But it didn’t need much, as the Nicla Vision already has most of the necessary hardware. 

    While he could have turned to existing flight controller firmware, Rasic chose to develop his own and that is the most impressive part of this project. That necessitated the creation of three PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controller algorithms for balancing pitch, roll, and yaw. Those work with control inputs to let the drone hover and move stably. The control signals come from a PC over Wi-Fi, with the pilot providing input through a USB flight stick.

    The drone isn’t yet flying well, as PID tuning is a challenge for even the most experienced drone builders. But the foundation is there for Rasic to build on.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CI2XqS5YiA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The post Using an Arduino Nicla Vision as a drone flight controller appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • KIWI digital KVM review

    KIWI digital KVM review

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Plug ‘n’ play

    There is a little bit of noticeable lag when working over KIWI. The mouse cursor feels a little bit like it’s being dragged through mud, although keyboard inputs feel more responsive. It’s faster than Raspberry Pi Connect at least, but we wouldn’t want to be doing any twitch FPS gaming using it.

    It also provides several very useful functions for this kind of screen capture – sending some basic key commands, allowing you to paste from your host computer and even do a screen recording. The interface for this is all very customisable, even allowing for a random ‘mouse jiggle’ to keep a screen alive.

    Debugging a Snake game with KIWI KVM

    Extra functions

    A fairly unique ability in its PRO version is the ability to (physically) uncover some extra GPIO ports on the device and control them via the interface, which also have UART. They’re marketed at IT professionals, allowing for debugging and control of ATX power, and there’s even an extra function of turning the input cable into a virtual serial cable. It’s quite impressive.

    With the myriad ways you can connect to a Raspberry Pi from another device, we did wonder if this would be superfluous. However, due to the speed of getting it working, no need for any local networking, and its fairly small footprint, it’s a great alternative to Connect and other network-based remote connection tools. These network tools also only work once a system has fully booted up, whereas KIWI’s physical connection allows you to see the boot process, which means you can troubleshoot any misbehaving Raspberry Pi without plugging it into another monitor.

    If you use Raspberry Pi a lot, this is definitely worth considering adding to your arsenal of add-ons. 

    Controlling the desktop of Raspberry Pi

    Verdict

    9/10

    A surprisingly functional and full-featured digital KVM and screen capture device, and much smaller than even a Raspberry Pi.

    Specs

    I/O: USB-C (host connection), USB-C (input connection), HDMI, 6 × GPIO (PRO version)

    Dimensions: 46 × 46 × 15 mm

    Connectivity: 1080p video, human input devices, virtual serial connection, UART, ATX

  • MIDI Blaster

    MIDI Blaster

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    Sony Watchman cyberdeck

    From 1982 to 2000 Sony also made a line of pocket TVs, which didn’t catch on as much in the UK (who wants to walk around glued to a tiny portable screen, eh?). These devices, collectively called the Sony Watchman, came in many, many variants as screen technology evolved over 18 years of production. What’s […]

  • This DIY standing desk controller provides luxury car-style memory settings

    This DIY standing desk controller provides luxury car-style memory settings

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    One of the best features you’ll find on a fancy luxury car is seat position memory. Typically, there are at least two profiles that “save” the position of the seat. When switching drivers, the new seat occupant can simply push the button for their profile and the seat will automatically move to their saved position. Tired of adjusting it manually, Andy of Yeah Nah DIY implemented a similar memory function into the controller he built for his standing desk.

    There are a lot of motorized, adjustable standing desks on the market and some of them do have memory settings. But the model Andy owns didn’t have the functionality. Instead, it just had two buttons to raise or lower the desk. His DIY controller solves that problem, making the desk far more convenient to use from day to day.

    The original controller was very simple, with two buttons to activate the motor (one with reversed polarity). Basic limit switches disconnected power to prevent collisions.

    The new controller, controlled by an Arduino Nano Every board on a custom PCB, has similar buttons, but also three memory positions. To find those positions, the Arduino needs to know how high the desk is at any given time. Andy added an encoder to the elevation screw to count revolutions, which are then used to calculate distance and therefore height. With that feedback the Arduino controls power to the desk’s motors via relays and also monitors the limit switches.

    The Arduino and custom PCB fit into a nice, minimalist enclosure that mounts onto the front of the desk within easy reach. All of the 3D models and the Arduino sketch file are available for download if you have a similar desk and want to upgrade it in the same way.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGp0JSYM98Q?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The post This DIY standing desk controller provides luxury car-style memory settings appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK