If you haven't already heard, the Raspberry Pi computer is changing the world. The Raspberry Pi is a stripped down, bare bones computer that is about the size of a credit card. It is extremely powerful however when it comes to its utility. The Raspberry Pi computer can be used for anything. Running a modified version of linux (raspbian), the Pi is something you NEED to buy if you are at all interested in computers, programming, and do it yourself make cool shit projects. The beauty of this device is that it is only $35 and is nearly impossible to ruin. Even if you do break it, it was only $35. The Raspberry pi has gone through a few updates over the last few years and has sold over 9 million units. People do everything from using it as a home computer to making their own home automation systems with it. It can be used to make a Pi-rate radio station (Not condoned by the FCC), or to build a media player. People have even made giant cluster computers and networks of Pis.
I have personally been teaching myself python on my Raspberry Pi. It is fairly easy to learn, and the Pi comes with a great environment to learn Python in and has a few free games which you can play around with. The Raspberry Pi is the ultimate tool for making imagination reality. If you can imagine a machine, chances are you can make it with the Pi. I would highly recommend buying it as it is very inexpensive and is a great learning tool for children, teens, and adult who are interested in learning a little bit more about computers.
The 3rd generation Pi comes with 4 USB ports, an HDMI port, a 40 GPIO pin bar, and a micro USB for power input. There is also a standard ethernet jack and a port for audio video. The Pi has onboard wifi and bluetooth compatibility as well. There are also optional modules such as a camera module and a sensor set for DIY robotics or other electronics projects.
After a little more research, I plan to build a home automation system similar to Google Home or Amazon Echo, but better. The Burt Box. I'll keep you all updated and share how I built it in a tutorial when it is complete.
My Raspberry Pi
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--Aaron