Do you want to be able to receive satellite images using nothing but your computer, an old TV antenna, and a $20 USB stick? Now you can. At last, the technology exists to turn your computer into a super radio receiver, capable of tuning in to FM, shortwave, amateur "ham," and even satellite frequencies, around the world and above it. Listen to police, fire, and aircraft signals, both in the clear and encoded. And with the book's advanced antenna design, there's no limit to the signals you can receive. Combine your desktop or laptop computer with easy-to-find, Software Defined Radio (SDR) equipment, and tune in a wide range of signals in no time at all. Then, go one step further by converting a Raspberry Pi into your own dedicated SDR device. SDR USB dongles are usually designed to receive and decode high-definition digital television broadcasts, but the rising popularity of SDR has led to several of these devices being specifically made for - and marketed to - the software radio crowd. With step-by-step instructions, you'll have no problem getting everything up and running on both Windows and Linux. The antenna is the final piece in the SDR puzzle: Which antenna do you use? What shape do you need? How big does it have to be? And where do you point it? Get all the answers you need and learn what's possible when it comes to picking out or building an antenna. And if you're not particularly handy, don't worry. You can use an old-school set of rabbit ear antennas without too much modification. Discover the fun of this growing hobby and then open your ears to the hidden signals that surround you. What You Need: You will need a relatively recent computer or laptop, running either Windows or Ubuntu Linux. You can also use a Raspberry Pi. All of the software necessary is free and open-source, and the book describes in detail where to get it and how to install it, depending on your operating system.

The Raspberry Pi is a credit card-sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It is a capable little computer which can be used in electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word processing, browsing the internet, and playing games. It also plays high-definition video. This book takes you step-by-step through many fun and educational possibilities. Take advantage of several preloaded programming languages. Use the Raspberry Pi with Arduino. Create Internet-connected projects. Play with multimedia. With Raspberry Pi, you can do all of this and more.

Learn how to program your nifty new $35 computer to make a web spider, a weather station, a media server, and more. This book explores how to make a variety of fun and even useful projects, from a web bot to search and download files to a toy to drive your pets insane. Even if you're completely new to programming in general, you'll see how easy it is to create a home security system, an underwater photography system, an RC plane with a camera, and even a near-space weather balloon with a camera. You'll learn how to use Pi with Arduino as well as Pi with Gertboard, an expansion board with an onboard ATmega microcontroller.Learn Raspberry Pi Programming with Python has been fully updated in this new edition to cover the features of the new boards. You'll learn how to program in Python on your Raspberry Pi with hands-on examples and fun projects. What You'll Learn Set up your new Raspberry Pi Build unique projects across a range of interests Program basic functions and processes using Python Who This Book Is For Readers who want to learn Python on a fun platform like the Pi and pick up some electronics skills along the way. No programming or Linux skill required, but a little experience with Linux will be helpful. Readers familiar with the 1st edition will enjoy the updated information in this new edition.

Make a Raspberry-Pi Controlled Robot teaches you how to build a capable and upgradeable personal robot for around $100. You'll learn how to control servos, respond to sensor input, and know where your bot is using GPS. You'll also learn many ways to connect to your robot and send it instructions, from an SSH connection to sending text messages from your phone.

Jumpstarting books provide an avenue for makers to quickly master topical knowledge! Each book starts with instructions on how to install or initialize the hardware or software needed to reach the "Hello, World" stage of getting started! The second project in the book builds on the first to use more of the hardware or software's capabilities. Later projects expand the user's knowledge into lesser-known aspects of the topic. All Jumpstarting projects are for Makers -- they provide hands-on, real-world experience in making the hardware or software do what you want it to do!

The micro:bit, a tiny computer being distributed by the BBC to students all over the UK, is now available for anyone to purchase and play with. Its small size and low power requirements make it an ideal project platform for hobbyists and makers. You don't have to be limited by the web-based programming solutions, however: the hardware on the board is deceptively powerful, and this book will teach you how to really harness the power of the micro:bit. You'll learn about sensors, Bluetooth communications, and embedded operating systems, and along the way you'll develop an understanding of the next big thing in computers: the Internet of Things.