Hacking a Raspberry Pi into a wireless airplay speaker
The raspberry pi is fully functional credit card-sized computer that is cheap enough ($25) that it can be used just for a single purpose. With this hack the computer imitates an airplay speaker, making it possible to send songs over to an old stereo wirelessly from your phone.
The Raspberry Pi generated massive hype in nerdy circles this summer when it came out and we’re beginning now to see some amazing hacks from this tiny computer now.
I’ve had mine for a few months now but I hadn’t got around to using it yet. So I’ve now decided to try to make something that I’ve wanted for a while: a product to bring my good but dated speaker system into the 21st century by enabling wireless streaming of music to it.
A possible way to do this would be to buy an Airport Express or an Apple TV and connect the audio out to the stereo. But then I would feel like overpaying for features like video streaming or wireless routing that wouldn’t be used. Besides, those products cost around £80. Airplay enabled speakers cost £200 at the low end. This raspberry pi creation should easily come in under £30.
Here’s a video of it in action.
Onion Pi
Feel like someone is snooping on you? Browse anonymously anywhere you go with the Onion Pi Tor proxy. This is fun weekend project that uses a Raspberry Pi, a USB WiFi adapter and Ethernet cable to create a small, low-power and portable privacy Pi.
Using it is easy-as-pie. First, plug the Ethernet cable into any Internet provider in your home, work, hotel or conference/event. Next, power up the Pi with the micro USB cable to your laptop or to the wall adapter. The Pi will boot up and create a new secure wireless access point called Onion Pi. Connecting to that access point will automatically route any web browsing from your computer through the anonymizing Tor network.
Google is donating thousands of Raspberry Pi computers to schoolchildren in the U.K.
- 15k Raspberry Pi computers will be donated to British children by Google, and the first batch has already been hand delivered by Google’s Eric Schmidt and Raspberry Pi co-founder Eben Upton. For those thinking, “who cares,” let us put it another way — Google just donated the brains of 15,000 semi-functional R2-D2 units to some lucky British kids. source
Minecraft Pi Edition Released!
The long awaited Minecraft Pi Edition has now been released! If you don’t know, it is a free version of Minecraft (similar to Minecraft PE) that runs on the Raspberry Pi computer. This computer is a insanely small, yet powerful computer that runs good ‘ole Linux. You have to do some downloading and tweaking to get it to work, but Mojang has supplied all the necessary steps to get it up and running. Going away from the game, the Raspberry Pi computer is insanely cool. It is only $35 and it runs its own flavor of Linux. Also, the company helps charities with the cheap computer and encourages kids/teens to have a cost effective way to learn Linux code, which is absolutely awesome.
If anyone has used this version, tell us how it runs and what you think overall!
http://mojang.com/2013/02/minecraft-pi-edition-is-available-for-download/
Maker spaces, LibraryBox, and the Alexandria Network: Libraries <3 Tech!
From redefining physical library spaces to teaching patrons how to build digital ones, libraries are excited to adopt new technologies and introduce them to their communities. Here are just some of the buzzworthy things libraries and librarians are doing, some of which we heard about at SXSW Interactive last week:
- Maker spaces, where patrons can get hands on experience in a variety of creative ways, ranging from sewing and crafts to 3-D printing. Many libraries will be participating in #MAYkerMondays, which promotes maker spaces in libraries by showing how their own libraries use maker spaces and programming.
- The adoption of technology like Raspberry Pi, a $35 minicomputer designed for experimentation, to replace older and more expensive machines. Raspberry Pi units are being used to run library catalog terminals and foster creativity in maker spaces.
- LibraryBox is an open source, digital distribution system that allows information to be shared despite access to a traditional internet connection. LibraryBoxen were distributed throughout Austin last week via pedicabs that served as little free libraries and volunteers who carried them to different panels.
- Arizona State University and the Arizona public libraries are collaborating on a project called the Alexandria Network, which aims to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs by providing fact checking services, ASU’s startup resources, and co-working spaces in one convenient space in several of the state’s public libraries. Could a library be home to the next great startup?
