Remote-Control the Raspberry Pi

IT’S FAIRLY EASY to attach wireless peripherals to the Raspberry Pi, and most should work without special drivers. Just plug in the USB portion and go, or use sudo apt-get install

bluetooth bluez blueman to install Bluetooth management tools on the Raspbian GUI, then connect your devices from “Menu > Preferences > Bluetooth Manager.” There’s a command-line Bluetooth interface, which can be a bit more reliable, but it’s tricky to get started with. If you’re setting up your Pi to use as a living room media box, a combined mini keyboard and trackpad, such as the second-generation backlit Aerb (available for $17) is a great choice.

What if you want to get a bit more granular and old-school—not to mention technophobe-friendly—with your remote controlling? MSL Digital’s RemotePi Board ( http:// msldigital.com) sits on top of a few of your Pi’s GPIO pins, and is fully configurable to accept commands from whatever IR remote you point at it. MSL paints the RemotePi primarily as a power control board, fixing the key problem with the Pi’s design, and letting you gracefully switch your media box on and off with a remote.