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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.

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    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    Well it has eventually turned up with one UK power supply, and an EU one but no memory card.
    Now I knew there was a reason that I stopped buying from RS several years ago.

    Shall go looking for a card tomorrow and a lead for the graphics card.
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    It's just an SD card innit? Nick one from a camera or an MP3 player?
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    Yes, I am sure I have one kicking about, not so sure about the lead for the monitor though.
    • CommentAuthorrhamdu
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    I guess we can wait to hear how you propose to use the thing. But you still haven't told us the one thing that everyone in this forum wants to know.

    How many watts does it use on standby ?:wink:
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    At the moment, none :sad:
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    Posted By: rhamduou still haven't told us the one thing that everyone in this forum wants to know
    What is it?
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    Tom
    Where have you been the last few months.
    It is a tiny, cheap computer.
  1.  
    I got one of the new Android Mini PC on a stick thingy's this week, don't know why or what I am going to use it for but I got it!

    Have to wait for some decent custom roms to be available for it as app support is poor due to failing the compatibility check for almost every app I want to use on it. :sad:
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    I intend to make mine into an energy datalogger that can be accessed remotely, but I struggle with Linux something terrible still.
  2.  
    HI,

    Most importantly do you apply the custard hot or cold

    Cheers

    Large slice please
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    Got some apple pi in the fridge with some cold custard, may just deal with that tonight.
    • CommentAuthorborpin
    • CommentTimeJun 7th 2012
     
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012 edited
     
    Right
    Apart from the UK power supply (good job RS sent a continental one instead of the memory card) not seeming to work, the Pi is up and running

    Put the power meter on it and it is flicking between 1 and 2 W.
    Connected to the interweb with no problems, need to find something to allow it to play the iPlayer now.

    Couple of pictures for you all.
      The Pi.jpg
      First Screenshot.jpg
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    Posted By: SteamyTea
    Connected to the interweb with no problems, need to find something to allow it to play the iPlayer now.


    What distro are you running on it? To stream off the site you'll need Flash, or if you want to download and play locally you should find get_iplayer available to you in your repos.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    They recommend Debian6 'Squeeze'. So shall stick with that for time being.

    Need to get a USB hub that works with it so that I can connect more than the keyboard and mouse.
    Think I may go down the Bluetooth route with it to same all the spaghetti.
    But time to play outside now as it has stopped raining.
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    Actually now that I think of it I don't think you can get proper Flash for ARMv6 so get_iplayer is probably the best bet. It's command line only and a bit clunky, but it works. You could try one of the "free" Flash alternatives like Gnash but last time I tried that it sucked badly. YMMV.
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012 edited
     
    get-iplayer works fine on my Debian ARM Pogoplug. I generally leave it to download programs overnight then rsync them to my Ubuntu laptop to watch later with vlc. “apt-cache search vlc” finds the program on the Pogoplug so I assume it'd work fine on the Pi but installation on the Pogoplug would be a bit pointless as it's headless (i.e., doesn't have a monitor or keyboard).

    (Hyphen rather underscore in the Debian repo version of get_iplayer's name, by the way. I know the original was underscore.)
  3.  
    I dont really get the point of this RP thing. By the time you have bought all the bits needed to make it run and connect to other things as you want, you may as well have just bought a cheap computer.

    Or even a smart phone

    My smart phone runs on Linux/Android. can be programmed in Java to create apps. comes with built in GPS (running on US and Russian satellite systems), Wifi, Blue tooth, USB, head phone jack, large Hi-def colour screen, phone, 3G/ internet connection, 16gb storage, upgradable to 50gb with a sd card, metal detector/magnetic field sensor, 10 megpix camera with flash and auto focus. temp sensor, highly sensitive electronic barometer, etc etc all for 100 euros.... I just dont see the point of RP

    I dont want to come down on RP but I just dont see what the big deal is for something so basic that it needs addons to make it do anything interesting, negating the low cost angle.
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    Posted By: bot de pailleI just dont see the point of RP


    Short version: it's cheaper than some of it's competitors, and better than the ones that are around the same price.

    It's an open hardware board that's cheaper than an Arduino with the same ports but is immensely more powerful and can run a desktop OS. That means there's already a vast library of software available for it, unlike the Arduino where you have generally have to write your own.

    Connecting a keyboard, monitor, etc to it are just one of the possible ways to use it. Even if you do want to use it as a mini-desktop, how many other ultra low powered ARM boards are there? And why are they all four times the price of a Raspberry Pi?

    Smart phone based systems are an interesting development though. Surrey Satellites are actually about to put some phone-powered cubesats into orbit to see what they can do.
  4.  
    "Connecting a keyboard, monitor, etc to it are just one of the possible ways to use it"

    How would you use it without either keyboard, monitor etc?? it needs to be programmed first to use it no?
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    Nope. You can do everything through a network connection. You can get the SD cards ready-to-go or you could just do the setup on another machine then bung the card into the Pi.

    Lots of machines are run "headless" like this and administered remotely. Servers, for example.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    Like the fanless SheevaPlug that is now my primary Internet server for mail, Web sites, etc, and that sits quietly on a corner of my desk and runs completely off-grid. But uses a whole 4W.

    Rgds

    Damon
  5.  
    Ok, so you need a PC up and running somewhere, plus a network, that you then connect the device too.
    • CommentAuthorborpin
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012 edited
     
    Posted By: bot de pailleOk, so you need a PC up and running somewhere, plus a network, that you then connect the device too.
    Or your smart phone.....
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    Posted By: bot de pailleOk, so you need a PC up and running somewhere, plus a network, that you then connect the device too.


    Yes, but that describes over 75% of the population. I can't imagine anybody would buy a Raspberry Pi as a first computer.
  6.  
    so, what is the point of RP??

    you need a PC, running with a monitor and keyboard, network setup, network cable.

    why do you need the RP?

    just trying to work out what the fuss is about
  7.  
    <blockquote><cite>Posted By: borpin</cite><blockquote><cite>Posted By: bot de paille</cite>Ok, so you need a PC up and running somewhere, plus a network, that you then connect the device too.</blockquote>Or your smart phone.....</blockquote>

    Or just programme/use your smart phone, why do you need RP? Smart phone comes witha battery and a protective case so it can be taken out anywhere in the field and used.
    I can be out in the back of beyond and still functioning,connected to GPS and internet
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    You don't need it. It's a tech toy, you can do what you like with it. People will likely build some cool stuff with them, just like they don with Arduinos now. Others will use them as tiny, low-powered servers running all sorts of stuff.

    The people who designed them would like to see them picked up by education and given out in large numbers to kids (sort of like OLPC). I'm not sure that'll really work myself, but they'll be popular enough with grown ups to be a success.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeJun 8th 2012
     
    Bot: if you want to leave something running all the time, such as the monitoring that ST wants to do, and don't want to suck the constant 10W--100W that an always-on laptop or desktop implies, but want to do reasonably clever data manipulation and comms, these devices hit the spot.

    Once the RP or SheevaPlug is running no other PC need be, nor indeed network if you don't want it for the application in hand.

    For me this flavour of device has allowed me to enormously cut power consumption while running an office and Internet services from home. All of that and still under half the typical for a UK house now as opposed to 2x to 3x higher before.

    Rgds

    Damon
  8.  
    Yeah, I can see the low power consumption side of it. Also looked at a few vids of people building robots with thses kinds of boards, looks like fun.
   
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