Posts by UglyMike

Gamers in a flap as Vietnamese dev pulls Flappy Bird

Flappy bird in Blender

It's sad this commercial success did not translate in greater happyness for its creator. Nobody will begrudge a small developer hitting it big. Too bad in this case it had an adverse effect.

Here's someone who creates a Flappy Bird knockoff in Blender's much maligned Game Engine:

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blendernation/~3/7c1av9mP0Us/

Raspberry Pi used as flight computer aboard black-sky balloon

Re: Daft Question Time

Indeed, several things are 'missing' from the Pi if one wants to be pedantic. There is no input/output device included, there is no storage provided, not even for the boot image (ie the SD card), the Pi doesn't even come with a power supply etc.

However that is more or less by design. The object was to get a functional computer out there at a ridiculous low price point for the education market. Yes, you have to provide a keyboard/mouse and a micro usb power adaptor at the minimum (we'll assume you have a TV...) but these things are very easy to get from a number of sources, if you don't have them already. Most people will likely already have them. As for the SD card, if they'd include the SD card, they would probably have to offer several packages with different sizes and classes, included the one YOU want or you'd be peed at having to buy an SD card not to your likeing Now you can get exactly the one you want (which, yes, costs extra). Of course , if you want the full blown system with Rasberry Pi + case, large and fast SD card, powered hub, Wifi dongle, wireless keyboard/mouse, separate power adapter, hell even an external USB drive (and all this kit new of course) and have it shipped to your doorstep, then yes, you'll be pay quite a bit more than the 35$ bare pcb board. However, with a second-hand keyboard/mouse, a TV/monitor, a wired ethernet connection, an old/dual use phone charger and a basic 2gig SD card (most of which will be already present or are dirt-cheap), the 35$ bare pcb (+shipping & VAT) will do very well for its target audience. That audience might not include you however.