The latest version of Ubuntu Linux version 10.04, codenamed Lucid Lynx was released at the end of April. As usual I upgraded my computers to the latest version, but took a phased and cautious approach just in case. At home I have three computers (plus one that my daughter uses) all of which run Ubuntu. [...]

I’ve recently being trying out the new Unity interface for Ubuntu. It’s in development at the moment so it’s not really ready for mainstream use yet, but it’s going to be the main interface to Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) in the next few months, so I thought I’d take a look. First – here is [...]

Amazon.co.uk Widgets I read a lot of technical books and magazines. My personal library consists of over 110 technical books and continues to grow (I have written book reviews of a small number of these technical books). My books vary from those aimed at the complete beginner to advanced programming books with various levels in [...]

There is a new version of the Processing programming language released version 1.1. Processing is an easy to use programming language designed for creating visual programs designed for use in creating computer art. For non-artists as well, I think it’s an ideal language for anyone learning programming, or that wants a easy way to create [...]

Today is World Book Day. Many schools and nurseries throughout the UK are celebrating with book related events to promote reading amongst children. It’s not just schools that should do something special for World Book Day, but it’s something all parents can involve their children with. As a parent I believe that reading with my [...]

I’ve recently been learning the Processing programming language. This is a programming language created for artists which is also the basis for the programming language used to program the Arduino. Processing includes an IDE called the Processing Development Environment (PDE), but the editor is quite basic. The IDE has an option to use an external [...]

I’ve now completed a major reorganisation of the PenguinTutor web site. This is the most significant change to the site since it was launched in 2006. The first reason for the change is to reorganise the content. Although it appeared to make sense at the time some of the categories were not as logical as [...]

Practical Arduino is not a book for complete beginners, but it still starts off quite gently. It does assume that you already have an Arduino and have figured out how to create a sketch and push it to the Arduino. This is not a huge step as most of the info is on the Arduino [...]

Dropbox provides a folder on your computer, which can be shared across multiple computers, across multiple operating systems, across the Internet or a LAN. If you ever need to access your files across multiple PCs then you need Dropbox! I was a little sceptical when I first heard of Dropbox. My first thought was that [...]

The Arduino is an open source electronics platform that has gained a huge following amongst hobby electronic enthusiasts. This book is by Massimo Bani who is co-founder of Arduino platform. The book is aimed at the complete beginner to both electronics as well as the Arduino assuming no former electronics or programming experience. The book [...]