Pi with hint of Pinocchio
The Piper Computer Kit mixes hi-tech and old-school woodwork looks, writes
One of the most valuable lessons you can teach your kids or grandchildren in this day and age is how a computer works. Even if you have no idea yourself, you can give them the wherewithal to find out. Raspberry Pi mini-PCs have been around for some years now. They can do much of what a full-sized machine can accomplish but they are aimed at hobbyists and classrooms, as an aid to learning the dark arts of writing code.
They don’t look much like computers because they have no cases, unless you choose to buy one separately; they are just matchbox-size circuit boards with wires coming from every corner.
You need only a basic knowledge of what goes where to set one up though, and a PC monitor, mouse and keyboard completes your system. But why even buy those off the shelf when you can make your own?
The Piper Computer Kit does for electronics what Meccano did for engineering by combining all the components needed to build a basic PC and play Minecraft on it. If you don’t know what that is, ask an eight-year-old, for it is children of that age at whom the product is aimed.
At the heart of the kit is a Raspberry Pi but it sits within a wood-and-plastic case that opens up to reveal a nine-inch screen, rechargeable battery and other
It’s not cheap at around £280, but as a present for an inquisitive youngster,
it might be priceless.
Rotating USB kaleidoscope light: This compact refracting night lamp and party light has two settings – a rotating refracting party light that will make beams of red, blue and green light dance across your walls and a static white light, ideal for lighting up your laptop workspace or as a reading lamp. £10.45, from www.YellowOctopus.com.au