Raspberry Pi has just unveiled the Pi Zero , a programmable computer that costs only $5 — about as much as a cup of coffee.
Available from today, the Pi Zero is the charity organization’s smallest computer ever and packs enough power and components to match up to other offerings in the Pi family. In fact, it’s half the size of the Model A+ released last year , but offers twice the power.
For a measly $5, you get a Broadcom BCM2835 application processor that’s 40 percent faster than the Raspberry Pi 1 and 512MB RAM. There’s also a microSD memory card slot, a mini-HDMI socket for video output at Full HD resolution and 60 frames per second, and Micro-USB sockets for data and power.
That makes it perfect for electronics projects that require small components, such as this hacked Dash button that can help find your phone and this semi-autonomous drone .
Raspberry Pi Founder Eben Upton said that the organization worked to develop a low-cost computer to remove the barriers that kept people from learning about programming and tinkering with electronics.
If you’d like to get your hands on one, you can head to the charity’s online store to order the latest copy of The MagPi , the official Raspberry Pi magazine; the December issue includes a Pi Zero as a free cover gift.
The Pi Zero is also available in the UK from element14 , The Pi Hut and Pimoroni . If you’re in the US, you can get one from Adafruit or find it in Micro Center stores.
➤ Raspberry Pi Zero: The $5 computer [Raspberry Pi Blog]
Google is starting its own hardware division to handle Nexus, Pixel and its other consumer gadgets
Google is creating an internal hardware division, and is bringing back an old executive to lead the charge.
Rick Osterloh, who departed Google when it sold Motorola to Lenovo, is returning to the company to lead this new hardware division. According to Re/Code (which received confirmation from Google of this news), the aim is to bring all of Google’s various, disparate hardware initiatives (Nexus, OnHub, Chromebook Pixels, etc.) under one roof.
Oddly, Google’s major consumer hardware brand, Nest, is left completely out. Glass, which was under Nest chief Tony Fadell’s watch, will be included in this new division.
In addition to Nexus and Chromebook Pixel, this still unnamed hardware branch within Google will oversee Chromecast, Pixel C (and any new consumer hardware devices), OnHub and ATAP, Google’s experimental hardware lab.
There will also be a suite of products called ‘living room,’ which suggests Google is hard at work on even more connected home stuff.
It’s a smart move for Google, especially if they’re still considering internalizing Nexus hardware. Handling a supply chain should also be a bit easier with a single division leading the charge.
LG is betting on battery life to win the tablet war
LG believes that tablets are still a thing; it’s unveiled the G Pad II 10.1 to take on the few tablets still doing the rounds, with a large display, decent specs and a massive battery to keep it in the running.
The latest in the G Pad series runs Android 5.1.1 and comes with a 10.1-inch 1920×1200 pixel screen, a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage and a 7,400mAh battery.
There’s also a MicroSD slot to expand storage space, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel camera on the front. One variant will bring LTE support too.
The G Pad II comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office and 100GB of free OneDrive cloud storage, good for two years.
Will it be enough to impress tablet users? Besides the large battery, LG hopes you’ll be interested in the G Pad II for its price, which the company says will be the same as its predecessor (the original G Pad 10.1 went for $250 at launch).
The device will be on show for the first time at the IFA 2015 trade show in Berlin next month. LG will announce prices for both Wi-Fi and LTE variants when they launch across North America, Europe and Asia.
➤ LG delivers the perfect multimedia companion with G Pad II 10.1 [LG Newsroom]