Raspberry Pi Official Magazine #122

Retro gaming is part of Raspberry Pi that needs no introduction. We all grew up with video games and characters we know and love. Creating a retro computer with Raspberry Pi is a rite of passage for new owners, and one of the best ways to rediscover the classics of years gone by. Retro gaming with Raspberry Pi Pico, however, is a much newer concept. The RP2040-based microcontroller development board is increasingly capable of powering retro gaming and computer projects. This month, we tasked KG Orphanides to put their considerable retro gaming expertise into squeezing the most out of Raspberry Pi Pico W for retro gaming (page 34). Meanwhile, Rob has built a vacuum direct from Luigi's Mansion with Pico (page 58), and Phil has built a Mood Light with…

Raspberry Pi has just released the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS. This time around, it is a wrapping-up of all the bug fixes and new versions of the software that have been released since the previous image in April. There are a few small tweaks to the user experience that are worth knowing. New searchable main menu For people who would rather type than move the mouse, Raspberry Pi has modified the main menu plug-in on the taskbar to allow text searching. Just hit the Raspberry key on your keyboard (which is usually the Windows key on a non-Raspberry Pi keyboard) to open the main menu, and start typing the name of the application you want to launch. When you start typing, a search box appears, along with a…

MAKER Brick Experiment Channel Software engineer BEC has a Lifelong passion for designing builds using LEGO Technics parts. Raspberry Pi has proved invaluable to their most recent projects. magpi.cc/brickexperiment This LEGO builder extraordinaire is a “middle-aged guy from Finland” who dreams up, and then painstakingly creates, working models that address complex physics and mathematical challenges. His latest build, LEGO Submarine 4.0, runs off a LEGO EV3 motor and Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Like all his builds, the Submarine project is thoroughly documented on his YouTube channel, Brick Experiment Channel (magpi.cc/becyoutube), where his methodical approach to construction and problem-solving have earned him more than 2.7 million subscribers. This is the fourth LEGO submarine design he has completed. The first three variously used propellers to add or reduce buoyancy (“gravity and…

01 As well as a food syringe and LEGO gear wheels, you'll need a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W with 16GB microSD card, a LEGO EV3 Medium motor with tachometer, and a 27MHz radio controller. 02 A motorised LEGO gearing system adjusts the ballast syringe. A hose sucks in water and draws water into the syringe chamber. Buoyancy remains constant while the extra weight of water increases the gravitational pressure. 03 A radio board and controller culled from a cheap toy provide a user-friendly remote control, powered by Raspberry Pi, with no need for a dedicated battery.…

MAKER Grgo Mariani Grgo is a software developer working for IBM in Böblingen, Germany, and a huge Raspberry Pi fan. magpi.cc/picopocket While reminiscing about a retro electronic game called Lights Out (a puzzler with a grid of lights), Grgo Mariani realised he could make his own updated version with an unused Raspberry Pi Pico. “I remember how I used to play it while visiting my family and think about working out a perfect strategy to solve each new puzzle. Since I recently became a father, I wanted my son to have this experience as well, but unfortunately, I could not find a shop where I could buy this product anywhere,” he recounts. This was the push he needed to start creating, and the result is a rather fun little games…

MAKER Matt Edmondson Digital forensics specialist for the US Department of Homeland Security and keen maker and tinkerer. digitalforensicstips.com Even spooks get spooked if their Spidey sense tells them they're being followed. A conversation with an intelligence handler concerned for their client's safety led US government digital forensics expert Matt Edmondson to put together a Raspberry Pi 3-based alert system to warn of a potential tail. In true espionage style, the Chasing Your Tail device fits inside an anonymous black briefcase and silently flags an issue, should a tracker be identified. It looks for smartphones and other Bluetooth or WiFi-enabled devices that are actively scanning for connections – essentially any modern phone, laptop, or tablet – and lets the anxious ‘mark' know that the same device has been in close…