Tag Archives: Raspberry Pi

mintyPi: Handheld Gaming Inside Altoid Tins

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Portable DIY gaming units have been popular for a long time, and with the launch of the tiny, wireless-capable Raspberry Pi Zero W, it seems like a great time to get back to making these small handhelds. Warner Skoch revisited this concept with the mintyPi 2.0, a gaming device in an Altoids tin.

This is the second version. The first was basically a prototype. This model is so good that it looks like a professionally-produced system. He used 3D printing to cover up the messy guts inside, and switched to a USB-based audio module for better sound too. Thanks to the new RPi Zero W, it has Wi-Fi now too.

The creator says that he will provide instructions and 3D blueprints soon so you can build one too. It looks like a fun project for playing retro games on the go.

[via Sudomod via SlashGear]

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DIY Pocket Linux Computer: Nintendo LX

Zelda Fan Controls His House With an Ocarina

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Are you a Legend of Zelda fan? Nah. You thought you were, but you haven’t seen Allen Pan’s crib yet. His entire house is ocarina-powered. That’s a true Zelda fan. Your countless hours of devotion suddenly mean nothing.


Allen built a Raspberry Pi-based system that can recognize several tunes from the Zelda games, and they each correspond to different actions like unlocking the front door, turning up the thermostat, flipping the lights on, or watering some house plants. It’s basically every Legend of Zelda fan’s dream.

There are Wi-Fi-enabled modules all around the house, so the Song of the Sun will fill the house with light no matter where it is being played from. I admire this man’s dedication to a life filled with Zelda.

[via Sploid]

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Deal: Learn Raspberry Pi Full Stack Web Development

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One of the most versatile and useful tools in any DIYer’s toolbox is the Raspberry Pi. This tiny, inexpensive computer is a great way to run applications in really small spaces, and hide a computer inside of just about anything. Now learn how to get the most out of this sub-$50 computer with this series of great online lessons.

You’ll learn everything you need to know to build web-based applications for Raspberry Pi, from its operating system and hardware, to an application server, web server, database server, and the Python programming language. Along the way, you’ll learn to connect your apps with external APIs to extend their capability, and build a virtual development environment using Flask, uWSGI, and Nginx, and how to integrate sensor data into your apps using Plotly.

In all, there’s more than 50 lessons here, and at just $13(USD), it’s quite a deal. Drop by the Technabob Shop to sign up and start building your Raspberry Pi skills today!

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Pay What You Want: DIY Hardware & Internet of Things eBooks

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3D printers, robots, the “Internet of Things” – the future is truly upon us, and the barriers to building and operating incredible technologies are lower than ever. The 9 ebooks in this bundle are packed with information and projects to explore a wide range of exciting hardware, from Raspberry Pi to Arduino and more.

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You’ll build your skills in a wide variety of hardware and software to help you build your own smart devices using inexpensive, open source technologies to bring your ideas to life.

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There’s over $300 worth of eBooks here, and you can pay what you want for the whole set at the Technabob Shop.

Pi Cart Crams a Retro Gaming Emulator Inside the Carcass of a NES Cartridge

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I have very vivid memories of schlepping around the local Target store back in the ’80s and coming across the Nintendo Entertainment System display with the robot that moved the spinning thingies around to open doors in some lame ass game on the screen. I thought it was awesome and begged my mom long enough that she put it in layaway, and my brother and I got the system and a single game for Christmas that year.

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The robot was perhaps the worst bit of game engineering in history; it always dropped the spinny thingies and generally pissed me off. I also recall blowing on the cartridges every time something went wrong. Now a gaming geek named Zach has taken one of those old Nintendo cartridges, gutted it and crammed a Raspberry Pi Zero and USB hub inside.

The Pi Zero runs RetroPie, and can play over 2,000 different retro games. I think we had like 25 games to choose from in the early days of Nintendo gaming.

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You can build your own quite easily by following the step-by-step instructions over on Howchoo. Check out the video to see what it’s all about.

Bundle Deal: Raspberry Pi 3 Complete LCD Display Kit

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Get everything you need to create useful projects using the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B with this special hardware bundle. Of particular note is the 7″ SainSmart LCD touchscreen, and on-board Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

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Here’s a full list of the included hardware:

  • Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Quad-Core 1.2 GHz CPU w/ 1GB RAM
  • SainSmart 7″ LCD display touch screen
  • Board controller for Raspberry Pi 2/3
  • SainSmart USB power supply
  • Specially designed Micro USB cable
  • ABS black case
  • 3 premium quality heat sinks
  • 8 GB SD card
  • HDMI cable

Head on over to the Technabob Shop, and grab the Raspberry Pi 3 Complete LCD Display Kit for just $114.99.

This Hamster-Powered Machine Draws Pictures of Hamsters

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Hamsters would be great at powering machines since they can run forever on those hamster wheel things. Forget nuclear or solar power. In the future, everything will be powered by these chubby little furballs with limitless energy.

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This hamster-powered machine that actually draws pictures of hamsters is just the beginning. I’m glad Robotics artist Neil Mendoza stopped there and didn’t make one that draws pictures of hamsters, drawing pictures of hamsters, and so on…

Hamsters are the future. Just accept it. They have the power. We have the innovation. An amazing hamster-powered future is coming.

[Prosthetic Knowledge via Laughing Squid]

DIY 3D Printed Apple III Raspberry Pi Case: Palm-sized Flop

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YouTuber Charles Mangin is a big fan of Apple’s classic computers, even the apocalypse in a box known as the Apple III. Last year, Charles designed a Raspberry Pi case based on the disastrous PC. It may not look like much, but it’s actually a physical representation of Charles’ love for Apple (and making).

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Charles wanted to have the case 3D printed, but he didn’t have an Apple III on hand, so he designed the case from scratch. First he made outlines of the case using patent drawings and photos that he got online. Then he turned those outlines into 3D models, with tons of refining and adjusting in between. It took him about 20 hours of drawing, plotting and refining to make sure that his replica case was accurate. Then he uploaded his 3D models to Shapeways and ordered a print. You can skip to 14:52 in the video below to see the finished case, but you really should at least skim through the video to see Charles hard at work and play.

If only the Apple III team was as obsessive as Charles.

[via Hack A Day]

Save 63% on the Complete Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit

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Want to get started using the compact Raspberry Pi computing platform? While you could piece together what you need by yourself, this bundle gets you up and running fast, and packs a ton of training materials too.

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For just $99, you’ll get all the hardware you need: a Raspberry Pi 3 computer, along with all needed cables, power supply, a Wi-Fi adapter, microSD card for storage, as well as numerous online courses which cover everything from basic programming for the Raspberry Pi to building robots, developing Internet of Things devices, and even a cluster of Raspberry Pi servers.

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There’s nearly $300 worth of items in this special Raspberry Pi 3 bundle, so head on over to the Technabob Shop now and grab it before it’s gone.

AppGameKit for Raspberry Pi: Emulate Developers

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The Game Creators’ AppGameKit is an affordable cross-platform development software that lets you make games and other programs for both desktop computers and mobile devices. Now the company is lowering the barrier to software development even further with the free AppGameKit for Raspberry Pi.

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AppGameKit for Raspberry Pi lets you make games and other apps for any version of the Pi using any version of the Pi, from the original to the Pi Zero. It lets you access the Pi’s GPIO pins for both input and output, so your software can support controllers, LEDs and more.

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You won’t be able to export the apps to other platforms, but you can stream them to Android and iOS devices using the AppGameKit player apps. You probably won’t make Angry Birds money with your creation, so you’ll be happy to know that you can distribute and sell the software you make without paying any royalties to The Game Creators. Register on The Game Creators’ website to download AppGameKit for Raspberry Pi for free.

[via Lifehacker]