Andre Yoskowitz
11 Jul 2015 16:10
The BBC has unveiled the final design for their mini PC, the "Micro Bit," which will be given out to one million UK students in October to help them learn to program from an early age.
"We all know there's a critical and growing digital skills gap in this country and that's why it's so important that we come together and do something about it," said BBC's director general Tony Hall.
Of note, the final design has removed the slot for a thin battery, thus killing the device for wearables, but it has added two buttons and a built-in motion sensor along with its 25 LED array. To use the Micro Bit as a standalone product you will need to try the AA battery-powered add-on power pack.
Children given the device will be encouraged and taught to code on the Micro Bit website. The code can be saved and tested and then transferred to the device via Bluetooth or USB.
The Micro Bit can be coded to make its 25 LEDs flash in different patterns and if the child would like to code more complex tasks the Micro Bit can be connected to the Raspberry Pi or Arduino, mini PCs that sell for $30-$50 and are remarkably tiny and powerful.
Source:
BBC