Computers & Mobile Archives

A RISC-V REVOLUTION: The Rise of Free and Open-Source Silicon for Makers

Gareth Halfacree is the author of the Raspberry Pi User Guide and an expert in educational and embedded computing. A noted technology journalist and long-time tech author, Gareth also has an extensive background in computing education.

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November 4th, 2022November 3rd, 2022

Makers are well-used to the benefits of free and open-source hardware, from being able to study and iterate on designs by others, to the promise that if a design goes out of production you can always make replacements yourself. Open-source silicon, though, is not so well understood — but thanks to the success of the […]

Elecrow CrowPi L: Chromebook Killer for Creatives?

By David Groom

David Groom

David bought his first Arduino in 2007 as part of a Roomba hacking project. Since then, he has been obsessed with writing code that you can touch. David fell in love with the original Pebble smartwatch, and even more so with its successor, which allowed him to combine the beloved wearable with his passion for hardware hacking via its smartstrap functionality. Unable to part with his smartwatch sweetheart, David wrote a love letter to the Pebble community, which blossomed into Rebble, the service that keeps Pebbles ticking today, despite the company's demise in 2016. When he's not hacking on wearables, David can probably be found building a companion bot, experimenting with machine learning, growing his ever-increasing collection of dev boards, or hacking on DOS-based palmtops from the 90s.

Find David on Mastodon at @ishotjr@chaos.social and to a far lesser extent on Twitter at @IShJR.

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September 16th, 2022September 15th, 2022

When the Raspberry Pi first launched, it promised a $35 computer for the masses. But what does “computer” really mean? After HDMI cables, SD cards, power supplies, keyboards, mice, monitors – even if you already have some of that stuff – you’re probably looking at a several hundred dollar outlay, minimum. And in the early […]

DFRobot Launches LattePanda 3 Delta Pocket-Sized Hackable Computer

By David Groom

David Groom

David bought his first Arduino in 2007 as part of a Roomba hacking project. Since then, he has been obsessed with writing code that you can touch. David fell in love with the original Pebble smartwatch, and even more so with its successor, which allowed him to combine the beloved wearable with his passion for hardware hacking via its smartstrap functionality. Unable to part with his smartwatch sweetheart, David wrote a love letter to the Pebble community, which blossomed into Rebble, the service that keeps Pebbles ticking today, despite the company's demise in 2016. When he's not hacking on wearables, David can probably be found building a companion bot, experimenting with machine learning, growing his ever-increasing collection of dev boards, or hacking on DOS-based palmtops from the 90s.

Find David on Mastodon at @ishotjr@chaos.social and to a far lesser extent on Twitter at @IShJR.

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August 10th, 2022August 10th, 2022

When the first maker-focused single-board computers (SBCs) from BeagleBoard and Raspberry Pi started appearing, it felt like a tiny revolution. While makers had been hacking on microcontrollers for decades, the prospect of a Linux-capable device with ample GPIO and connectivity brought new possibilities, applications, and accessibility. And while current-generation boards are often based around powerful […]

Cyber Security Prep: Harden Your Digital Domain Against Disasters and Bad Actors

By David Groom

David Groom

David bought his first Arduino in 2007 as part of a Roomba hacking project. Since then, he has been obsessed with writing code that you can touch. David fell in love with the original Pebble smartwatch, and even more so with its successor, which allowed him to combine the beloved wearable with his passion for hardware hacking via its smartstrap functionality. Unable to part with his smartwatch sweetheart, David wrote a love letter to the Pebble community, which blossomed into Rebble, the service that keeps Pebbles ticking today, despite the company's demise in 2016. When he's not hacking on wearables, David can probably be found building a companion bot, experimenting with machine learning, growing his ever-increasing collection of dev boards, or hacking on DOS-based palmtops from the 90s.

Find David on Mastodon at @ishotjr@chaos.social and to a far lesser extent on Twitter at @IShJR.

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July 30th, 2022July 29th, 2022

Protect your online self with these basic cyber security tips.

Mighty Modules: Pluggable Boards To Get Your Project Built

By Tim Deagan

Tim Deagan

Tim Deagan (@TimDeagan) likes to make things. He casts, prints, screens, welds, brazes, bends, screws, glues, nails, and dreams in his Austin, Texas, shop. He's spent decades gathering tools based on the idea that one day he will come up with a project that has a special use for each and every one of them.

Tim likes to learn and try new things. A career troubleshooter, he designs, writes, and debugs code to pay the bills. He has worked as a stagehand, meat cutter, speechwriter, programmer, sales associate at Radio Shack, VJ, sandwich maker, computer tech support specialist, car washer, desk clerk, DBA, virtual CIO, and technical writer. He's run archeology field labs, darkrooms, produce teams, video stores, ice cream shops, consulting teams, developers, and QA teams. He's written for Make: magazine, Nuts & Volts, Lotus Notes Advisor and Databased Advisor.

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May 24th, 2022June 2nd, 2022

If you’re taking your microcontroller or SBC project to market, these pluggable boards might be what you need.

Lights… Camera… Make! Tips for Getting Started on YouTube

By Mike Senese

Mike Senese

Mike Senese is a content producer with a focus on technology, science, and engineering. He served as Executive Editor of Make: magazine for nearly a decade, and previously was a senior editor at Wired. Mike has also starred in engineering and science shows for Discovery Channel, including Punkin Chunkin, How Stuff Works, and Catch It Keep It.

An avid maker, Mike spends his spare time tinkering with electronics, fixing cars, and attempting to cook the perfect pizza. You might spot him at his local skatepark in the SF Bay Area.

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November 23rd, 2021November 23rd, 2021

These standout creators offer advice for putting your projects on YouTube.