And now for something different.. the Rayuelomatic by Roni Bandini. This is a device built around a Raspberry Pi which is used to read the experimental novel "Hopscotch" by Argentine writer Julio Cortázar.
The novel was written in a way that allows for the reader to choose the sequence of chapters to be read, and this is facilitated by the Rayuelomatic - it will select a chapter for you to read and also keep track of your progress in the book - for example:
For more information on this project and others that mix literature and technology, visit Roni's project page. And for more, we're on facebook, Google+, and twitter - so follow us for news and product updates as well.
A neat way to interface your Raspberry Pi with external hardware such as inexpensive LCDs and other devices is to use an Arduino-compatible board - and one neat example is the Freetronics PiLeven board:
The PiLeven is an Arduino-compatible board based on the Arduino Uno, but with a few changes. Obviously it's a bit of a strange shape! The PiLeven fits right on top of a Raspberry Pi (either model B or B+) using the Raspberry Pi expansion headers.
The PiLeven also has a high-current switchmode power supply, so you can plug in anything from 7V to 18Vdc using the standard 2.1mm jack. The PiLeven can power the Raspberry Pi, so you don't need a regulated 5V USB connection anymore.
Serial communications on the PiLeven is linked through to the Raspberry Pi, so your Pi can upload new sketches straight to the PiLeven or send/receive data and commands. We've included level shifters so the 3.3V Pi can talk safely to the 5V PiLeven. And you can plug standard Arduino shields right into the PiLeven, giving your Raspberry Pi access to the huge range of shields already available. For more information about the PiLeven, including our tutorials - and to order yours today, visit the PiLeven webpage.