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With home automation being all the rage these days, it was only a matter of time before Siri got her little, occasionally holier-than-thou claws into the action. All it took was YouTube user Elvis Impersonator, a Raspberry Pi, and enough trust in Siri’s goodness to believe she won’t devolve into a Hal 9000 wannabe. More »

The Raspberry Pi has been taking the DIY world by storm lately with it’s $35 credit card-sized computer. Now, users will be able to tack on a camera for $25 more very soon. The folks behind Raspberry Pi have announced that they’ve finalized the design of the camera module are “at least a month away” from releasing it to the public.

The camera module will connect directly to the Raspberry Pi and will give hobbyists and DIYers the ability to build vision-based applications. Spec-wise, the camera is an OV5647 with a 5MP sensor that’s capable of recording HD video. The ribbon cable below the module connects directly to the Raspberry Pi’s mainboard. No other connections are needed.

Unfortunately, the camera doesn’t feature interchangeable lenses, filters, or even a zoom, but for only $25, you can’t really complain. The Raspberry Pi devs say that the camera module can be used for applications focused on robotics, home automation, and even aerial functions, where taking an expensive camera up into the sky is risky business.

The camera module will cost the same as the just-released Model A board, which is a European exclusive right now. The camera module was first announced back in July of 2012, around the same time that the Raspberry Pi board became generally available. Hopefully we’ll see the camera module sooner than later, but we’re looking at least a month, so you’ll definitely want to be patient.

Raspberry Pi camera module finalized, priced at $25 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Model A Raspberry Pi, a stripped version of the Model B, is now available for purchase in Europe, following “very soon” in other parts of the globe. Because it’s stripped down, the price tag is only $25 versus $35 for the Model B, and it uses less power for those with energy-sensitive needs. Check out a picture of the unit and its specs after the jump.

The Model A is said to use only 30-percent of the power of the Model B, making it a better choice for those using solar power sources. According to the announcement, software is currently in development that will further lower this number. Unlike the Model B, the Model A does not offer Ethernet, offering instead one USB port and 256MB of RAM.

The units are available from RS Components and Premier Farnell. Those located outside Europe can order the Model A now from RS Components, but won’t get the unit for a bit because of a “short delay” caused by paperwork processing. Those who want to order from Farnell will have to wait until the paperwork goes through before they can order the unit.

Back on October 15, the Model B Raspberry Pi got a RAM boost to 512MB as a follow up to Turbo Mode, which overclocks the board to 1GHz for those who need a bit more performance. For those unfamiliar, the Raspberry Pi is a wildly popular miniature (by miniature, we mean tiny) computer that is ultra-low cost and can be used for a variety of nifty things, including setting up a media center for the living room.

[via Raspberry Pi]

Model A Raspberry Pi now available in Europe is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The affordable Raspberry Pi microcomputer just got even more affordable: the slated $25 Model A Raspberry Pi board has now gone on sale in Europe. The Raspberry Pi Foundation, which created the Pi on a mission to get more kids learning to code, announced the Model A’s arrival and said sales are being restricted to Europe initially but will be opened up to the rest of the world “very soon”.

The Foundation’s Pi distributors, RS Components and Premier Farnell/element14, are both selling the board. All Model A Pis are being made in Wales — presumably at Sony’s Pencoed factory, which has been producing an average of 4,000 Model B Pis per day to-date.

The Model A pie is $10 cheaper than the $35 Model B, which has sold more than a million units to date (15,000 of which are being bought by Google to give away to U.K. schoolkids). Being cheaper, Model A is slightly stripped back — there’s no Ethernet, only one USB port and just 256MB RAM (rather than 512MB). Model A also consumes around a third less power than Model B — making it suited to projects powered by a battery or solar cells. The board will still run XBMC, according to the Foundation — so can also be used to make a $25 media centre.

The Foundation said RS customers outside Europe (Allied in the US) can order a Model A now but noted there will be “a short delay” in processing their order — owing to waiting for compliance paperwork. “Farnell customers outside Europe (Newark in the US) will see Model A appear on their local sites when this paperwork has been filled,” it added.

“We are very, very pleased to finally be able to offer you a computer for $25. It’s what we said we’d do all along, and we can’t wait to see what you do with it,” the Foundation added.

It’s not every day your class gets a visit from a tech bigwig like Eric Schmidt. Google’s executive chairman paid a visit to a UK school, alongside Raspberry Pi co-founder Eben Upton. The duo were there to talk code, an appearance that coincided with the announcement that a grant from Google Giving will be bringing 15,000 Raspberry Pi Model Bs to kids in that country. The companies will be working alongside six educational partners to decide precisely whose hands those little computers will end up in. More info on the program can be found in the source link.

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Source: Raspberry Pi