Curate digital collections for your community

Reading may be a solitary act but it is one that makes you part of a community. It’s true that when diving into a new book you do so alone, but once you’e finished you’re part of a group of people who have discovered the same book. People who read the same genres and authors share a common bond. They have an immediate connection and conversation starter. You read alone but you get recommendations from librarians, friends and family who have read similar books to what you’ve enjoyed. As a librarian you have the power to create these unique groups within your community by curating specific digital collections on your OverDrive-powered website.  You can highlight read alike titles based off current bestsellers or you can create collections of titles you own large numbers of copies of that would be perfect for book clubs. You can even create collections for your summer reading programs based on age or grade or approach broader topics like, “Perfect books for your next vacation” or “Books to get your health and fitness on track.” To start curating collections, log into OverDrive Marketplace and select Switch to Curate from the SHOP drop-down menu (if you don't see theSwitch to Curate option, talk to your Marketplace administrator about getting you "Library site admin" permission). Once you've switched to curate in Marketplace, you'll be able to build collections of titles that you own and then publish them immediately to select locations on your public-facing website. If your public-facing site offers multiple languages, you'll be able to enter a translated name and description for each collection so that you can publish curated collections in every language you offer. You can find illustrated, step-by-step instructions for creating, editing, publishing, and removing curated collections in the "CURATE" section of the Marketplace User Guide (located in Marketplace under the SUPPORT tab).   Adam Sockel is a Social Media Specialist with OverDrive

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Welcoming our new CEO

Liz: As regular readers will know, Raspberry Pi is a charity. We’re split into two parts: the Raspberry Pi Foundation is the charitable body, and it owns Raspberry Pi Trading, the part of the organisation that develops the hardware you all buy. All the profit we make in Raspberry Pi Trading goes straight to the Raspberry Pi Foundation, where it’s spent on our charitable aims. Philip is the new Chief Executive Officer of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, working with Eben, who remains CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading. He’s been here for two weeks now, and he’s already got us all very excited about the direction he’s taking the organisation in. Here’s Philip to tell you what he’s been up to. Welcome Philip: we’re so glad you’ve joined us! As I come to the end of my first couple of weeks as the newest member of the Raspberry Pi team, I wanted to write a quick blog post to say a big thank you to everyone who has made me feel so welcome. Philip “please crop out my shorts” Colligan, mid-meeting. (He’s the one on the right.) In many ways, arriving at the Raspberry Pi Foundation feels more like joining a community than starting a new job. Ever since Liz announced my appointment on this blog at the end of April, I've been inundated with good wishes and offers of help from people from all sorts of backgrounds who have been inspired by Raspberry Pi. From volunteer activists to the CEOs of multi-national businesses, the openness and generosity I've experienced in these first few weeks has been humbling. Thank you. It's been a whirlwind of meeting people and learning as much as I can.  Some highlights: Joining the judges of Astro Pi – our competition for kids to run experiments on a Raspberry Pi that we're putting on the International Space Station (ISS).  It's all possible because of our friends at the UK Space Agency and the UK's first astronaut in 25 years, Major Tim Peake. Seriously though: a Raspberry Pi on the space station running experiments written by school kids. How cool is that? Attending Picademy – our teacher training programme – at Pi Towers in Cambridge. Not only did I get to see the Foundation team in action (and they are awesome by the way), but I got to join an amazing group of 30 primary and secondary teachers as they came up with creative ideas to bring digital making into the classroom. Brilliant. Hanging out at CamJam – the Cambridge Raspberry Jam – with my seven-year-old son. OK, this is cheating a bit because it happened a few weeks before I started, but it was a great introduction to the community of makers in Cambridge, and I am looking forward to meeting more of you at Jams across the UK and internationally.  My son loved it and can't wait for the Pi Wars robot competition later this year. And I'm already blown away by the incredible range of projects that are being powered by the Raspberry Pi. Nature cameras, weather stations, art installations, robot gardeners, beer brewing kits – I've heard stories of people all over the world using the Raspberry Pi to solve problems, have fun and learn new skills. I've also been out and about meeting the other organisations that are part of this growing movement to get young people involved in computing and digital making – Code Club, Apps for Good, Coder Dojo, Freeformers and Computing at School – hearing about the great work they're doing and cooking up plans for future collaborations. All that and I managed to find the toilets and only set off the office burglar alarm once.  A busy first couple of weeks, and a great start to my induction into the Raspberry Pi community. One of my main jobs over the next couple of months is to lead a process to map out the next stage of the Foundation's development. A bit like the Raspberry Pi itself, we're small but we've got huge potential. And in much the same way that the community has shaped the development of the hardware and software, I want to make sure that the community shapes the development of the Foundation and helps us realise that potential.  More to follow on that shortly. In the meantime, please get in touch and let me know what you think, show off your awesome projects or just point me at things I should see or read.  @philipcolligan The post Welcoming our new CEO appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

URL: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/welcoming-our-new-ceo/

Angry Birds 2 out on Android July 30

If you can’t get enough for our fowl weather friends, there is a new version of Angry Birds due out July 30th. The Angry Birds franchise has over 3 billion game downloads, millions of fans across the globe, multiple mashups and spin-offs, collaborations and cartoons. Rovio has not stated which app stores Angry Birds 2 is coming to on July 30th, but it’s safe to expect a fairly comprehensive, simultaneous launch across iOS, Android, Amazon and the Good e-Reader App Store. The big question is whether Angry Birds 2 can recapture the magic of the original, as well as the attention. Angry Birds is still a highly known franchise, but the reality is it's not nearly as popular as it once was and many players have switched to new franchises. Games like Monument Valley, Device 6, Minecraft, Crossy Road, Goat Simulator, or Five Nights at Freddy’s offers new experiences.

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/spotlight-on-android/angry-birds-2-out-on-android-july-30

e-Book Sales Plummet 7.5% in the First 3 Months of 2015

The Association of American Publishers has just released their annual data report and e-book sales are not doing that great. In the first three months of 2015 they have plummeted 7.5% from the same period last year. Meanwhile paperback sales have increased by 8.9% giving further credence that people are switching back to print in greater numbers than originally thought. Bookstores all over the world are starting to do brisk business when it comes to print, as the novelty of e-books have clearly waned.  The Kindle "has disappeared to all intents and purposes", said James Daunt the head of Britain's biggest book chain Waterstones. He also reported that print book sales lifted by 5% in December 2014. Meanwhile, Australian bookseller Jon Page of Page and Pages said "print sales were up 3% last year, which is fantastic because for the last three years we'd actually seen a decline in that time." Chapters Indigo, the largest bookseller in Canada reported during their Q2 2014 earnings call that they generated an extra $9.7 million, despite operating four fewer superstores. They reported double digit increases in print sales as customers are buying less e-readers and tablets. I think e-books are the modern equivalent of a Polaroid camera or LP record. There is a niche market that will always support it, and make it financially viable for publishers to produce digital editions.  The mass market though, experimented with e-books for awhile and decided that print is far more affordable and carries a true sense of ownership.

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/e-book-sales-plummet-7-5-in-the-first-3-months-of-2015

How Does Your Library Encourage Reading?

Many libraries are trying out new tactics in order to encourage people to read. Some are giving book recommendations on your checkout receipt based on the title you borrowed, while others track the number of books you read and if you read 1,000 before the child enters kindergarten (repeats are okay) they get a backpack, a certificate, and their name on the wall. One program I really like is displaying the yearly savings at the bottom of the checkout receipts. It gives you something tangible and one you see the figure rise to over $1,000 it is tremendously validating. If you regularly visit a library, you will inevitably forget to return a title on time and incur a fine. One library in the US has a program where one month a year, they let kids and families and individuals “read down” their fines. Fifteen minutes of reading in the library (any format) erases $1 from fines on your account! Meanwhile a Canadian library has “Christmas amnesty” where they waive all late fees on your account in exchange for cans of food. So the question is, how does your library encourage reading and what type of programs do you offer?

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-library-news/how-does-your-library-encourage-reading

Insignia Flex Elite 7.85″ Tablet has 326 ppi & Android 5.0 for $149

Best Buy recently started carrying a new Android tablet called the Insignia Flex Elite. The screen and overall design are reminiscent of the latest iPad Mini. I often highlight tablets with high resolution screens because they are the best tablets for ereading. The Insignia Flex Elite definitely fits that bill with its 7.85-inch 2048 x […]

URL: http://feeds.the-ebook-reader.com/~r/feedburner/cmWU/~3/k6N2bU2thZ4/

Go Set a Watchman Breaks Sales Records at B&N

Barnes and Noble has announced that the new Harper Lee title Go Set a Watchman has set a one day sales record for the number of copies sold at US chain.  The last book to have this much hype surrounding it was Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, which held the previous sales record  in 2009. Barnes & Noble executive Mary Amicucci predicts that “Watchman” will be the top seller for the year. She noted that it dislodged E.L.James’ “Grey,” the latest in the “Fifty Shades” series, from the No. 1 spot for sales as of Tuesday morning. In the UK, Go Set a Watchman racked up first-day sales of over 105,000 copies, across print and digital editions, according to publisher Penguin Random House. Meanwhile Waterstones’ own sales for the title are approaching 30,000, James Daunt told The Bookseller.

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/bookselling-3/go-set-a-watchman-breaks-sales-records-at-bn

Bookstore Sales Up 0.9% in May 2015

Brick and mortar bookstore sales are on the rise for the third straight month according to the US census Bureau.  In May 2015 sales across the board for books, stationary and magazines have increased 0.9%, to $776 million from the same period last year. "The rapid growth of e-book sales has quite dramatically slowed and there is some evidence it has gone into reverse," said Douglas McCabe of Enders Analysis. Though it's hard to say what exactly has caused the apparent slow-down of digital book sales, this does spell good news for fans of physical books.

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/bookstore-sales-up-0-9-in-may-2015

Jane Green on writing, libraries and cooking

On Wednesday afternoon, best selling author and Digipalooza keynote speaker Jane Green took some time out of her busy schedule to chat with us on Twitter about her career, her favorite books and what she'd be doing if she wasn't a writer. You can read the full conversation right here. Jane has written sixteen New York Times best selling novels, multiple cookbooks and even covered the royal wedding for ABC news. She releases a book for her fans nearly every year and never stops writing. Suffice to say she, literally, has a lot on her plate. Despite all that, she managed to spare a few moments to give some thoughts on her love of libraries as well as being considered one of the founders of the #ChickLit genre. Digipalooza attendees are sure to be treated to a wonderful keynote and we can't wait to hear Jane share her stories and insights into the world of writing. We hope you'll be joining us this August in downtown Cleveland for this great event!   Adam Sockel is a Social Media Specialist with OverDrive.

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DigitalDistributionBlogOverdrive/~3/bIG80yvU3uk/

Kobo Aura Price Drops to $99

I was checking out Kobo’s website today to see if they have anything new going on and I happened to notice that the Kobo Aura has received what appears to be a permanent price drop down to $99. The deal is even better over on the Chapters.Indigo website. They also have the Kobo Aura for […]

URL: http://feeds.the-ebook-reader.com/~r/feedburner/cmWU/~3/MZlRa26VbuA/

Reviewing Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

How often do we walk past people that might be in need of our help and do nothing? How often do we toss a few dollars or coins at someone that looks like they could use more? How much can we trust someone we don't really know? In Mary Kubica's Pretty Baby, Heidi Wood sees a young girl struggling with a baby on the platform of the train station one chilly day. For a few days after, Heidi keeps seeing that same girl, and wonders if there is anything she can do to help. When she can't stand it any longer, Heidi offers to take the girl, Willow, and her baby in and help get them on their feet. Heidi's husband, Chris, is less than welcoming to the thought of a homeless girl and her infant child staying in his home. As Chris and Heidi learn more and more about Willow and her history, they have to decide how far they're willing to go for a stranger. Things become complicated when people start to get attached. I must admit that I am already a fan of Kubica. Last year, I read The Good Girl and the suspense and plot twists of that story were amazing. I anticipated that the newest work from Kubica, Pretty Baby, would be just as psychologically thrilling and exciting and I was right. I won't give away any spoilers but I promise you, the ending is a crowd-pleaser. With each chapter, the reader gains more and more information on the fates of these people and what they might be hiding. A tangled web leads to a pretty large confrontation. If you're looking for a new summer read in the veins of Tana French, Paula Hawkins or Gillian Flynn then this is the book for you.

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DigitalDistributionBlogOverdrive/~3/_6xTGyQFzzk/

Boombox Blaster

Now, I often reflect to myself smugly that Pi Towers is a really cool place to work. We’ve got an arcade machine, a fake hamster (Emma has forbidden all pets of the higher orders) in a real cage, brine shrimp (Emma’s OK with those), a Portal Turret, Pac-Man dress-up gear, juggling clubs, about fifty Rubik’s cubes, Biscuits the Robot, a drone whose whirling blades we use to keep Eben’s remaining hair short, a cupboard full of ramen, many remote-control cars, a Hornby train set, Cake Tuesdays, a hydroponic windowsill garden, a Tardis that’s been to space, and Gordon. Sadly, I think we’ve been out-cooled by an outfit called Neo-Pangea (even their name is cooler than ours). These guys have standing desks. And ceilings made from scaffolding and pallets. And an office dog. And nerf guns. And a much cooler name than ours. They play music in the offices all day long (try that round here and James will likely come over and bludgeon you to death with the base of the soldering station). They are a Digital Boutique. We’re not quite sure what that is, but it sounds cool. And they’ve used a Raspberry Pi to make office music selection much, much cooler. Pi Towers: we need to get a Mexican wrestling mask. Neo-Pangea say: We turned our pressure-sensitive target into a tiny house that is carried into the clouds by a hot air balloon. Now, when those dreaded tunes pollute our atmosphere, Neo-Pangea's residents can take aim to do something about it. After being hit by a Nerf projectile, the floating house lights up to acknowledge the successful hit. The balloon lights up with LED flames and is reeled into the clouds by a servo. This luminous aerial ballet is a physical representation for the signal traveling to the Sonos API on our Raspberry Pi that skips the player to the next song. The Boombox Blaster now resides in the very heart of the office and in the hearts of those dedicated, slightly mad team members who labored for countless hours to transform this music-fueled fever dream into a useful, blastable reality. You’ll find a build diary, along with some Node JS script to control Sonos via your Pi, over at Neo Pangea’s blog. I have just noticed that they also have a guy with a top hat. Pi Towers, we need to up our game. The post Boombox Blaster appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

URL: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/boombox-blaster/

Amazon Kindle Voyage Not Available in Canada Due to a Patent

The Amazon Kindle Voyage e-reader first became available at the tail end of 2014. This device is really exciting because it features a high resolution display and innovative technologies such as Haptic feedback. Many Canadians have wanted to buy this device in the retail environment or online, but it hasn’t become available yet. This is primarily due to an outstanding patent that the Federal government has yet to approve. Amazon originally filed Patent 2750759 in 2010 and it has never been approved or disapproved by the Canadian government. In January 2015 Amazon filed for a reexamination in the hopes that they could secure a definitive answer to make the Voyage available. There hasn’t been any movement yet regarding this issue and likely this iteration of the Kindle will never come to Canada. So what exactly is Haptic feedback? Haptic technology, haptics, or kinesthetic communication, is tactile feedback technology which recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. Most people who had an old Android phone four or five years ago experienced this when they clicked on the home or settings buttons and felt a little buzz. Amazon incorporated this technology at the expense of eliminating physical page turn buttons. The Seattle company dubbed the experience Page Press. Likely the main reason why the government has not approved this patent is because many old phones and tablets use Haptic feedback and it may set a bad prescient for future innovation if Amazon repackages it and gives it a different name.

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-kindle-voyage-not-available-in-canada-due-to-a-patent

How to Install the Kindle Bookerly Font on your Kobo

A few months ago Amazon released a new font called Bookerly and it is a big step towards better typography. It is the first typeface designed for the Kindle for scratch and solves a longstanding problems with text justification, kerning, drop caps, image positioning, and more. The big problem though, its only on limited devices, such as the Kindle Paperwhite. So how do you get the font file and install it on your Kobo? In order to install the Bookerly font on your Kobo e-reader you need to download the file from the Good e-Reader Forum. Next you want to unzip the file using WINZIP or your favorite file extracting program.  There should be four files in the extracted folder. Plug the Kobo into your computer  via the USB cable and use Windows Explorer to open up the device.  You want to then create a directory called  "fonts" if none exists.  This folder must NOT be created inside any other folder such as in the .Kobo folder.  It must be created in the main area where all your eBooks and welcome guides are. Copy and paste all of the files into the Kobo Font folder, you don’t need to make a directory within a directory. Simply just drag and drop all four files into the font folder you created. Eject your Kobo and wait for it to finish processing.  Then turn it off and back on.  Now you should be able to choose from your selection of new fonts when you open up an e-book and access the font menu.

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/how-to-install-the-kindle-bookerly-font-on-your-kobo

People Turn to Facebook and Twitter for Daily News

Do you visit dedicated websites anymore or are you reading the daily news on Facebook and Twitter? If you are turning to social media you are not alone, Pew has just released a new report that states 63% of US Facebook and Twitter users rely on the social networks as news sources, which is a  11% increase from two years ago. These findings come at a time when the two social media platforms are increasing their emphasis on news. Twitter is soon set to unveil its long-rumored news feature, "Project Lightning." The feature will allow anyone, whether they are a Twitter user or not, to view a feed of tweets, images and videos about live events as they happen, curated by a bevy of new employees with "newsroom experience." And, in early 2015, Twitter purchased and launched the live video-streaming app Periscope, further highlighting their focus on providing information about live events as they happen. Meanwhile, in May, Facebook launched Instant Articles, a trial project that allows media companies to publish stories directly to the Facebook platform instead of linking to outside sites, and, in late June, Facebook started introducing its "Trending" sidebar to allow users to filter by topic and see only trending news about politics, science and technology, sports or entertainment. I think the crux of this report is that more people are using social media more than ever for their daily news fix. The Pew report highlights that people tend to read individual articles from magazines or newspapers on Facebook, where Twitter is more indicative to breaking news coverage and following individual journalists.

URL: http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/people-turn-to-facebook-and-twitter-for-daily-news

Celebrating #JimmyV: Raising awareness for cancer research

Every year in the middle of July ESPN host's their annual award show, the ESPY's. The show honors the best athletes and athletic moments of the year but the most meaningful awards of the night are The Arthur Ashe Courage Award and the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. The Arthur Ashe award is given to a person whose actions transcend sports. The first recipient was Jim Valvano, the coach who the Jimmy V award for Perseverance was named after. Coach Valvano's acceptance speech is perhaps the most famous in recent history and certainly the most meaningful as it launched The V Foundation for cancer research. ESPN now considers the day of the ESPYs as #JimmyV day where they auction off prizes and experiences to raise money for the V foundation. Valvano's motivational words to make sure you "Don't give up, don't ever give up." have touched millions. Someone else who Jimmy V inspired was Stuart Scott, who received the Perseverance Award for the way he battled cancer until the final days of his life. Stuart also left a lasting legacy and memory during his acceptance speech when he reminded the world that, "When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live. Fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight, lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you." Shortly before he passed away Stuart Scott wrote his memoirs, a love letter to life itself, inspiring the world to keep fighting or, as Jimmy V would put it, "Don't ever give up." You can view Stuart's book and many others like it here. Today may be #JimmyV day but these moving stories of battling cancer can raise awareness about the fight of this disease all year long. These books will make you laugh, make you think and very likely, make you cry. But Jimmy V wouldn't have it any other way. As he would put it, "That's a full day."   Adam and Jason Sockel are brothers who work at OverDrive together. Jimmy V is an idol to them both.

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OverdrivesDigitalLibraryBlog/~3/zX4hzZnlwjA/

Check out the latest titles coming from Penguin Random House

In just a few short week hundreds of librarians will be joining Team OverDrive in Cleveland for Digipalooza for three days of education, networking and fun. We're excited to say that our friends at Penguin Random house will be joining us as well as one of the conferences great sponsors. Whether you can make it to Cleveland or not for the celebration we wanted to share with you the great titles they have coming out in the near future. You can add all of these titles to your collection by adding this list to your cart in Marketplace. City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg A big-hearted, boundary-vaulting novel that heralds a remarkable new talent: set in 1970s New York, it is a story outsized in its generosity, warmth, and ambition, its deep feeling for its characters, and its exuberant imagination. The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young From a unique new author comes a fast-paced debut, introducing a heroine whose dark visions bring to light secrets that will heal or destroy those around her… The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra From the author of National Book Award longlist selection and New York Times bestseller A Constellation of Vital Phenomena come these dazzling, poignant and lyrical interwoven stories about family, sacrifice, the legacy of war and the redemptive power of art. Slade House by David Mitchell "Sharp, fast, flat-out spooky, Slade House is such a hypnotic read that you are likely to miss your subway stop in order to keep reading. And by you, I mean me."–Daniel Handler, New York Times bestselling author of We Are Pirates and the Lemony Snicket series These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly A mystery about deadly secrets and dark truths, These Shallow Graves is set in a gritty 1890s New York and tells the story of a strong young woman and how much she is willing to risk for love, revenge and to uncover the truth. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman First, survive. Then tell the truth. The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that's little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. Check out this intense book trailer! http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/illuminae/ Voyagers: Project Alpha by D. J. MacHale Earth is about to go dark. Without a new power source, life as we know it will be toast. A global competition is under way to determine who will join the secret mission that might just save us all. The Voyagers will venture to the far reaches of space, farther than anyone's ever gone before, and they must be prepared to face anything. The Rose Society by Marie Lu From New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes the second book in the exhilarating Young Elites series. Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all. Appleblossom the Possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan Fans of E.B. White and Dick King-Smith will adore this heartwarming and funny animal adventure by the award-winning author of Counting by 7s . The audiobook will be narrated by Dustin Hoffman! We'd like to thank Penguin Random House for sponsoring this great event and showing their support for libraries!

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What Would Make You Want to Buy a Kindle Voyage 2?

Now that Amazon has released the Kindle Paperwhite 3, a lot of people don’t think there’s enough extra features on the Kindle Voyage to justify the premium price of $199 and up, especially now that the Paperwhite 3 has the same high resolution 300 ppi E Ink screen as the Voyage, and for $80 less […]

URL: http://feeds.the-ebook-reader.com/~r/feedburner/cmWU/~3/Dcz_x2DHzhQ/

The Kindle Voyage isn’t Sold in Canada for a Good Reason

Ever since the Kindle Voyage was released back in October 2014, Canadians have been wondering when they would be able to purchase Amazon’s premium ebook reader. Then when the Kindle Paperwhite 3 was released last month and it’s been available in Canada since the get-go, people are wondering what’s the deal? Is the Voyage ever […]

URL: http://feeds.the-ebook-reader.com/~r/feedburner/cmWU/~3/1-r2i4FsXhg/

PatternCraft

Carrie Anne looked over my shoulder when I was researching this post. “I love kids with tools.” These particular kids with tools are using traditional wooden mallets and punches to make a very special set of punchcards, which they’re reading with a Raspberry Pi that creates a CSV file of 0s and 1s, and then interprets that data in the Minecraft universe. This workshop project is the work of Gemma May Latham, a collaborative maker, and David Whale, who, with Martin O’Hanlon, wrote the most excellent Adventures in Minecraft. Gemma has a particular interest in the Jacquard loom and punchcard technology, and worked with David to make a Pi-based card reader for kids to import data from a piece of paper into the Minecraft world. Gemma says: Housed in a laser cut plywood box, and built using a Pro Micro Arduino, IR LEDs and Phototransistors, the reader is set up to read rows of holes with an additional registration hole at the end for patterns where a row has no punched hole. The reader is then attached to a Raspberry Pi via the USB port allowing for the input of designs into Minecraft Pi via Python. You can build your own reader; Gemma will be putting instructions online soon (we’ll update this post when she does), and all the code you’ll need is available at David’s GitHub. There are no words for how much we approve of programming that involves hammers. The project was a big hit at Liverpool MakeFest – Gemma and David will be running the workshop again on a bigger scale at MOSI MakeFest in Manchester in August, so head along if you’d like to have a play yourself.   The post PatternCraft appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

URL: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/patterncraft/