Raspberry Pi — I you are looking for an idea for Hack Augusta 2.0, take a look at Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi is a single board computer the size of a credit card. The idea for Raspberry Pi came from Eben Upton and his colleagues at Cambridge University as they observed a decline in the skill level of students entering the computer science program. They remembered the 1990s, during which time students entered school as experienced hobbyist programmers (folks of my generation… I know you remember coding for your TRS80 and Commodore 64). Today, students have only a little bit of web programming experience, if anything. Home systems no longer allow the tinkering and experimentation that was available with the first generation of desktop systems. Upton and his colleagues desired to create a low-cost platform that would provide a programming environment that would capture the interest of this generation. Given the advances in mobile computing and inexpensive graphics processors, we now have Raspberry Pi.
The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. This very capable PC can be used to perform many of the same tasks a desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. The device also plays high-definition video. Roughly, the graphics capabilities are equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance, and the real world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium 2, only with much swankier graphics.
Not impressed? The price is about $40 each.
Currently, Raspberry Pi forms the computer core for everything from model airplane drones, robots, media centers, network appliances and more. So if you are involved in a project developing hardware that needs a low cost but sophisticated computer core, you might want to check out Raspberry Pi. Visit raspberrypi.org.
Level Playing “Surface” — Microsoft recently released its entry into the tablet market. This marks a significant departure for Microsoft, as it is manufacturing the tablet in-house and not working through a third party OEM. The device, called the Microsoft Surface, will be released in the fall and is drawing a number of favorable comments from the tech media. Two versions of the Microsoft Surface have been announced. The first will run Windows RT, a light version of Windows 8. This device won’t have a full desktop version of Windows and will run only the Metro apps available through the Windows app store. It will include a version of Microsoft Office in its base configuration.
The second version of the tablet running a full version of Windows 8 Pro will be released a few months after the first. The Pro version will be slightly thicker, possess a better battery, have better peripheral support (USB 3.0, DisplayPort and an SDXC expansion slot), and have twice the storage capacity. (From what I can tell, think Windows Surface RT equals iPad, and Windows Surface Pro equal MacBook Air.)
The defining feature of the Surface is its ability to quickly convert into a laptop-like configuration, aka ASUS Transformer Prime. Unlike the Prime, however, no third-party attachments are required. A kickstand is discretely built into the tablet to prop up the device. Also, in an ingenious design worthy of Apple, the keyboard is built directly into the cover.
In addition, expect Microsoft to integrate its Skype service into the tablet, aka FaceTime, with both front and rear facing cameras. Look for the Windows Surface later this fall, synchronous with the general release of Windows 8.
Until next time, I’m off the grid @gregory_a_baker.You Might Also Like:
Hack Augusta
Hackathon! — A shout out goes to Josh Bolin and the entire crew of folks who pulled together the first Augusta Hackathon last weekend. Hackathon events, made famous by Facebook, pull together software coders and designers in a rapid-development effort focused on a specific short-term goal. The Augusta Hackathon was no different. The Hack Augusta team set out with the goal to create an actual company within a 24-hour time period. The result: the online service singlesemail.com. Singlesemail is an entertainment email that profiles 20 singles and one advertiser. Consumers subscribe to receive the email. Everyone should get something out of the 20 seconds it takes to read the email, whether that is a deal on coffee or a possible date for your kid. It’s a solid business model and, more importantly, it’s a historic first for the local technology community! Check out their website at augustahackathon.com.
Raspberry Pi — I you are looking for an idea for Hack Augusta 2.0, take a look at Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi is a single board computer the size of a credit card. The idea for Raspberry Pi came from Eben Upton and his colleagues at Cambridge University as they observed a decline in the skill level of students entering the computer science program. They remembered the 1990s, during which time students entered school as experienced hobbyist programmers (folks of my generation… I know you remember coding for your TRS80 and Commodore 64). Today, students have only a little bit of web programming experience, if anything. Home systems no longer allow the tinkering and experimentation that was available with the first generation of desktop systems. Upton and his colleagues desired to create a low-cost platform that would provide a programming environment that would capture the interest of this generation. Given the advances in mobile computing and inexpensive graphics processors, we now have Raspberry Pi.
The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. This very capable PC can be used to perform many of the same tasks a desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. The device also plays high-definition video. Roughly, the graphics capabilities are equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance, and the real world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium 2, only with much swankier graphics.
Not impressed? The price is about $40 each.
Currently, Raspberry Pi forms the computer core for everything from model airplane drones, robots, media centers, network appliances and more. So if you are involved in a project developing hardware that needs a low cost but sophisticated computer core, you might want to check out Raspberry Pi. Visit raspberrypi.org.
Level Playing “Surface” — Microsoft recently released its entry into the tablet market. This marks a significant departure for Microsoft, as it is manufacturing the tablet in-house and not working through a third party OEM. The device, called the Microsoft Surface, will be released in the fall and is drawing a number of favorable comments from the tech media. Two versions of the Microsoft Surface have been announced. The first will run Windows RT, a light version of Windows 8. This device won’t have a full desktop version of Windows and will run only the Metro apps available through the Windows app store. It will include a version of Microsoft Office in its base configuration.
The second version of the tablet running a full version of Windows 8 Pro will be released a few months after the first. The Pro version will be slightly thicker, possess a better battery, have better peripheral support (USB 3.0, DisplayPort and an SDXC expansion slot), and have twice the storage capacity. (From what I can tell, think Windows Surface RT equals iPad, and Windows Surface Pro equal MacBook Air.)
The defining feature of the Surface is its ability to quickly convert into a laptop-like configuration, aka ASUS Transformer Prime. Unlike the Prime, however, no third-party attachments are required. A kickstand is discretely built into the tablet to prop up the device. Also, in an ingenious design worthy of Apple, the keyboard is built directly into the cover.
In addition, expect Microsoft to integrate its Skype service into the tablet, aka FaceTime, with both front and rear facing cameras. Look for the Windows Surface later this fall, synchronous with the general release of Windows 8.
Until next time, I’m off the grid @gregory_a_baker.You Might Also Like:
Raspberry Pi — I you are looking for an idea for Hack Augusta 2.0, take a look at Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi is a single board computer the size of a credit card. The idea for Raspberry Pi came from Eben Upton and his colleagues at Cambridge University as they observed a decline in the skill level of students entering the computer science program. They remembered the 1990s, during which time students entered school as experienced hobbyist programmers (folks of my generation… I know you remember coding for your TRS80 and Commodore 64). Today, students have only a little bit of web programming experience, if anything. Home systems no longer allow the tinkering and experimentation that was available with the first generation of desktop systems. Upton and his colleagues desired to create a low-cost platform that would provide a programming environment that would capture the interest of this generation. Given the advances in mobile computing and inexpensive graphics processors, we now have Raspberry Pi.
The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. This very capable PC can be used to perform many of the same tasks a desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. The device also plays high-definition video. Roughly, the graphics capabilities are equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance, and the real world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium 2, only with much swankier graphics.
Not impressed? The price is about $40 each.
Currently, Raspberry Pi forms the computer core for everything from model airplane drones, robots, media centers, network appliances and more. So if you are involved in a project developing hardware that needs a low cost but sophisticated computer core, you might want to check out Raspberry Pi. Visit raspberrypi.org.
Level Playing “Surface” — Microsoft recently released its entry into the tablet market. This marks a significant departure for Microsoft, as it is manufacturing the tablet in-house and not working through a third party OEM. The device, called the Microsoft Surface, will be released in the fall and is drawing a number of favorable comments from the tech media. Two versions of the Microsoft Surface have been announced. The first will run Windows RT, a light version of Windows 8. This device won’t have a full desktop version of Windows and will run only the Metro apps available through the Windows app store. It will include a version of Microsoft Office in its base configuration.
The second version of the tablet running a full version of Windows 8 Pro will be released a few months after the first. The Pro version will be slightly thicker, possess a better battery, have better peripheral support (USB 3.0, DisplayPort and an SDXC expansion slot), and have twice the storage capacity. (From what I can tell, think Windows Surface RT equals iPad, and Windows Surface Pro equal MacBook Air.)
The defining feature of the Surface is its ability to quickly convert into a laptop-like configuration, aka ASUS Transformer Prime. Unlike the Prime, however, no third-party attachments are required. A kickstand is discretely built into the tablet to prop up the device. Also, in an ingenious design worthy of Apple, the keyboard is built directly into the cover.
In addition, expect Microsoft to integrate its Skype service into the tablet, aka FaceTime, with both front and rear facing cameras. Look for the Windows Surface later this fall, synchronous with the general release of Windows 8.
Until next time, I’m off the grid @gregory_a_baker.You Might Also Like:
Tagged with: augusta, augusta tek, csra, evans, georgia, Greg Baker, gregory baker, grovetown, hack augusta, hackathon, martinez, metro spirit, north augusta, south carolina
Posted in Augusta Tek
Posted in Augusta Tek