The Evolution of the Raspberry Pi Computer into a Mainstream Wearable Computer - How to teach Computer Programming using Flying Sword of Dragon Gate

The Raspberry Pi computer is growing strong in a class of its own, starting out as a USB Mini Stick Computer and expanding into Portable or Wearable Computers. This is icing on the cake for the Raspberry Pi Foundation; albeit the development of Portable or Wearable Computer was not their intention, that’s what’s gonna happen.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation’s drive to develop a love for Computer Programming in the Developing and Third World where computers are very expensive just a boost. The Raspberry Foundation has now opened their Pi Store, an online App Store featuring Free and Paid Apps posted by developers using the Raspberry Pi Computer as noted in “Raspberry Pi App Store launches with games, tutorials, more”, published December 17, 2012 9:08 AM PST by Eric Mack, CNET News. The App store has a complementary Donation button for the Developers who wrote the apps, should you feel inclined to tip

The gradual Development of the Raspberry Pi Computer is the fulfillment of the vision of Britain Based Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Founder Eben Upton’s quest. This quest was to bring low cost computer Hardware to practice Computer Programming to anyone with a TV that can act as a screen as noted in my blog article entitled “Raspberry Pi US$25 computer coming in November 2011AD - Post PC Survival and PC Revolution for the Masses”.

It also provides a partial answer to the criticism by Google CEO Eric Schmidt of the British Education System as it relates to introducing Computer Programming as a standard curriculum requirement for High School students. That is to say, on par with Math, English and learning a Foreign Language (my opinion) as stated in my blog article entitled “Computer programming and the coming 4G Explosion - Post-PC Era is Hyperventilating”.

Unintentionally, as mentioned above, the Raspberry Pi’s creating whole new class of computing device; the Portable or Wearable Computer. This type of Computer can easily be mistaken for a Thin Client due to its small footprint and BYOMKD (Bring Your Own Mouse, Keyboard and Display) design. Despite its diminutive size, it makes up with processors that pack a powerful Computing punch powered by Open Source Software.

It may come in a USB Stick format as is the case of the Cotton Candy USB Stick Computer as described in my Geezam Blog article entitled “FX Tech debuts Cotton Candy – Sweet Android Gingerbread USB Stick Mini PC” and functions primarily by interfacing with peripherals that the user has to supply themselves. Finally, it has to be Open Source for it to gain Traction or if Proprietary, be open to suggestions via a strong Social Network connected Network of users that can vote and have influence on what gets added into the product.

The gradual Development of Portable or Wearable Computers, if I’m observing the arrangements of the Tarot Cards right, is in keeping with the way in which the Netbook was a step-child of the One Laptop Per Child Program. That’s to say, before the Apple iPad unceremoniously killed it off in 2010 as noted in the Geezam Blog article entitled “How the Apple iPad killed Ultrabooks, Printing and the Mouse as the World Rediscovers Tablets”.

It’s now been a year since the first pre-order of Raspberry Pi Mini Computers went on sale for US$35 in February as stated in “Raspberry Pi $35 mini system start shipping”, published April 16, 2012 7:04 AM PDT by Eric Mack, CNET News. Ten Thousand Units (10,000) Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), with distributors RS Components and Allied Computing gearing for demand for the Programming product worldwide as their Servers were overwhelmed by the demand for the Raspberry Pi project boards as noted in “Raspberry Pi retailers swamped by demand”, published February 29, 2012 1:38 PM PST by Vincent Chang, CNET News.

Since then, the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Founder Eben Upton has announced at the Raspberry Jam festival in Cambridge, England of the availability of a 5 megapixel Camera add on for an additional US$20-US$25 as stated in “Raspberry Pi to get camera add-on by October”, published July 16, 2012 10:44 AM PDT by Vincent Chang, CNET News.

But back to basics! The Raspberry Pi comes in two sizes (flavors are redundant here, folks):

1.      Model A – US$25

2.      Model B – US$35. Same thing, excepts it features an Ethernet Port and 2 USB 2.0 Ports

The specs are well worth it and are as originally promised with a few changes:

1.      700MHz ARM11

2.      256MB of SDRAM

3.      OpenGL ES 2.0

4.      1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode

5.      Composite and HDMI video output

6.      USB 2.0

7.      SD/MMC/SDIO memory card slot

8.      General-purpose I/O

9.      Open Source Software and Operating System support e.g. Ubuntu, Iceweasel, KOffice, Python Programming language

 

The Raspberry Pi’s, which look like a mini circuit board roughly about the size of a smaller 3.5” screen smartphone, had been promised for shipment since August 2011 as noted in “Raspberry Pi $25 computer now in early production”, published AUGUST 16, 2011 12:24 PM PDT By Eric Mack, CNET News – Crave. These are not the USB Stick versions, thus the price increase is most likely to cover additional design expenses.

Already the Raspberry Pi Foundation are in the process of adding Google Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich as an alternative OS to operate on the Raspberry Pi Mini Computer as stated in “Android 4.0 to flavor Raspberry Pi”, published August 1, 2012 8:18 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News.  Thus this makes it possible for budding Developers to test and possibly develop apps for the now hugely popular Android Operating System.

Despite this, it’s well with affordability and is comparable to the Government of India subsidized Second Generation US$20 Aakash Tablet as stated in the article “India unveils new version of 'world's cheapest tablet'”, published November 12, 2012, PhysOrg made by the British Tablet maker DataWind’s. Unlike the Raspberry Pi, whose focus is on fostering Computer Programing in the Third World, the Aakash Tablet aims to introduce Computing to India’s poor as well as College students with the most likely aim of reducing the cost of textbooks.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation’s dreams seem to be on course for making programming go mainstream, as Programing Projects are popping up all over the place ever since the Raspberry Pi model A and B units went on sale. One Developer turned the Raspberry Pi into an Apple TV as noted in “Developer turns $35 Raspberry Pi PC into an Apple TV”, published January 20, 2012 10:57 AM PST by Rick Broida, CNET News.

Another Developer, Greg Holloway, began working on a project that the calls Fish Pi; a solar powered mini- Boat powered by the Raspberry Pi with the intention of using it to travel across the Atlantic Ocean as stated in “Raspberry Pi to cross Atlantic in solar-powered dinghy”, published June 30, 2012 9:00 AM PDT by Eric Mack, CNET News an article worth of a future follow-up.

And yet another enthusiast, a Mr. Will Powell, who specializes in Adobe Flex and AS3, went ahead and used the computing power of the Raspberry Pi and created  working Real-Time Translator Glasses that translates languages in real-time and displays them as subtitles as stated in the article “Raspberry Pi smart glasses subtitle foreigners in real time”, published July 23, 2012 11:14 AM PD by Nick Hide, CNET News.

But possibly the biggest endorsement of the Raspberry Pi computer thus far has got to be by the University of Southampton in Britain, which built an entire Supercomputer, dubbed the Iridis-Pi, out of Legos and  sixty four (64) rack mounted Raspberry Pi’s as described in the article “Supercomputer clicked together from Legos and Raspberry Pi's”, published September 14, 2012 10:30 AM PDT by Amanda Kooser, CNET News.

It’s my hope that along with the planned GOJ (Government of Jamaica) initiative to introduce Tablets into the Primary, Junior and High School System as a means of Reducing the cost of Textbooks as stated in my blog article entitled “UWI Medical Sciences Students get deal on JL Mobile SmartTab Tablets and cheaper ebook versions of Textbooks - From Gross Anatomy to Islandwide Push towards Tablet Adoption”, Computer Programming may eventually become a standard in Jamaican High Schools alongside Math, English and Spanish or French as a Foreign Language.

This would making them on par with UWI Med Sci Students receiving Tablets for the same reasons and thus acquainted with Tablet Computing and Programming, even fostering a desire for achieving Tertiary Level Education.  A desire that’s slowly fading as Call Centers proliferate and competing lower Cost Colleges offer more Internationally Accredited Diplomas and Degrees as argued in my blog article entitled “UWI opens Call Center to employ Students - Call Center Work before Six Degrees of Hell in the Working World”.

I hope dearly that this project succeeds and thrives in 2013. This as its continued development may spinoff into a practical development of wearable computers as prognosticate in my Geezam Blog article entitled “AR Contact Lenses tested successfully on Rabbits”.

A passion to learn Computer Programming must also be kindled in the minds of Students that live in Developing and Third World countries as well. It helps to actively demonstrate how to teach Computer Programming using Flying Sword of Dragon Gate(2011). The Raspberry Pi gives the basic tools needed by Students that live in Developing and Third World countries empowering them with the idea that they too can contribute to the Global Villages Programming Talent pool via a powerful yet miniscule US$25 slice of Raspberry Pi.