Popular VPN provider TunnelBear jumps into password management with RememBear

Password management apps are becoming a necessity these days. We hear of a new security breach pretty much every week, and companies are slow to update their security flaws or even tell customers when they’ve occurred.

TunnelBear is a popular virtual private network (VPN) provider with a fun and accessible app that keeps your browsing sessions private. And now it’s expanding into password management with RememBear, a new privacy app currently in beta and available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. You can also get it as a Chrome browser extension, with support for Safari and Firefox coming soon.

The company claims to have more than 20 million users for its VPN apps, which feature cute animations, such as a bear tunneling its way across Europe to a new location. The app is aimed at the casual user who may not know exactly what a VPN is, but still want to keep their browsing and email information as private as possible.

“There are plenty of VPN services out there, but they tend to be targeted at technical users,” cofounder Ryan Dochuk told Venture Beat. “Our apps have always focused on just making our service fun, simple, and approachable for everyone. It’s all about unlocking the benefits of VPNs for the average person.”

RememBear doesn’t break any new ground with its password management services, but its fun, intuitive interface is designed around ease of use. “Less than 3% of people currently use a password manager and many of the existing tools are still complicated and frustrating to set up,” the company wrote on its site.

There are a lot of password management services out there, and we recently did a rundown of the most popular ones. RememBear encrypts and stores all your password and credit card information, and it can auto-fill the information as needed when you’re purchasing or browsing various retail websites.

It can also create incredibly random passwords for everything you sign into online, You can even designate how long the password is and how many are special symbols or numbers. Once you sign up for the service, you can easily add new devices from the main menu to synch the app across your entire online presence. If you’re using an existing password management service but want to switch, RememBear also allows you to import your passwords from 1Password and LastPass.

The app is currently in beta and it’s free to use, although a subscription model will be an option when the final version is released. With a fun, user-friendly design and a reputation for airtight security, RememBear may be the perfect solution for less tech-savvy users wanting to safeguard their information online.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Heated coats, folding ebikes, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the fidget spinners and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Ravean Rugged — durable heated jacket

A good, warm coat is a must for the colder months — but if you need more warmth than normal insulation can provide, you should check out Ravean’s newest gizmo on Kickstarter: Ravean Rugged. “Like its predecessors, Rugged features multi-zone, on-demand heat that can be directed when you need it and where you need it most,” Ravean co-founder Bryce Fisher claims. “But it also includes new features including the world’s first patented heated thumb-hole cuffs, designed to keep your hands warm while your fingers and thumbs are free to handle intricate work.”

This new jacket is heated in both the core and back (as well as the cuffs), so you’ll be enveloped in a cozy cocoon the moment you slip it on. Rugged features three different temperature settings, and depending on which one you choose, can provide heat for anywhere between 2.2 to 6.5 hours — all thanks to its built-in 10,050mAh battery. And if you ever run out of juice, the jacket is compatible with most major power tool batteries, so it should be pretty easy to find a replacement power pack.

Rubbee — ebike add-on

If you’re looking to upgrade your traditional bicycle to an ebike, then you generally have two options: either install a complicated retrofit kit, or ditch your analog bike altogether and buy a ready-made electric one. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easier option? Well, thanks to Austrian startup Rubbee, there finally is. Unlike most of other retrofittable ebike kits out there right now, the Rubbee is designed to be installed in just a few minutes. Using basic hand tools, the device can be affixed to just about any bicycle. Once you’ve got the mounts on, the electric drive module can be clipped on or off in seconds.

“Rubbee X works by providing electric assist directly to the rear tire via an electric friction roller,” Gediminas Nemanis, CEO of Rubbee, told Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl in an interview. “It has modular batteries to extend the rides, regenerative braking, and not a single wire. We track the pedaling pattern by attaching a small wireless sensor to the pedal crank. This way, we know when and how much additional support to provide to the rider in real time. There are no buttons to push; just pedal and your power will be multiplied 2 to 3 times. It’s a pure electric assist system.”

Pluto — ultracompact SLA 3D printer

Back when 3D printing was just beginning to make its way into the mainstream, the only printers available to consumers relied on more or less the same technique to create parts — a process known as filament deposition modeling, or FDM. It’s the type of 3D printing you’ve probably seen before: a printer feeds a strand of plastic filament through a hot nozzle, then carefully deposits the molten goo onto a build plate, layer by layer, to create a 3D object. This is by far the most popular kind of 3D printer, but lately, a technology known as stereolithography has moved in to steal some of the spotlight.

Stereolithography, or SLA, creates objects by flashing a laser up into a pool of photo-reactive resin, which hardens when struck by UV light. Due to the precision of this technique, SLA printers typically create much better parts than FDM printers do. The only problem, however, is that these kinds of printers have been prohibitively expensive for the past few years, so most people haven’t had access to them — but that’s beginning to change. Right now, you can get the Pluto for around $800 on Kickstarter — which is pretty amazing.

Plankpad — gamified balance board

Let’s face it: for those of us not named Brock Lesnar or Arnold Schwarzenegger, working out can be kind of dull. That’s an issue that a new Kickstarter campaign hopes to solve. Hailing itself as “the world’s first interactive core trainer,” the Plank Pad is a home gym device that promises to sculpt you some killer abs by letting you play interactive fitness games on your smartphone. This should make the whole experience less of a drag, and hopefully make it easier to get in the habit of working out on a regular basis.

Here’s how it works. You start by downloading the accompanying Plankpad app on your smartphone and choosing a game. After that, just place your phone in the Plankpad’s recessed phone holder and start planking! As you play, you need to tilt and lean to move your character around, which helps target different muscles and provides a fuller workout. The board can also be used as a traditional balance board, allowing you to play games while standing up. You can even sync the app to your TV screen if you prefer to play games on a bigger display.

X1 Explorer — folding electric commuter bike

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: humanity is living in the golden age of rideable technology right now. In the past few years, electric motors have become smaller and more powerful, and batteries have begun to last longer — two trends that have coalesced and kicked off a renaissance in personal mobility devices. There are almost too many rideables to keep track of anymore, and they seem to get crazier and more advanced with each passing month. The latest addition to this burgeoning trend is the X1 Explorer — a folding, ultracompact electric bike designed for commuters.

Small and relatively lightweight, the X1 Explorer weighs just 44 pounds, making it more portable than most other ebikes on the market. In its standard riding mode, it resembles a compact bike with 10-inch wheels, a suspension system for smoothing out the ride, and a built-in LED light. Despite its svelte size, the Explorer boasts some admirable specs. The bike’s standard battery offers a range of up to 25 miles, while an optional larger battery pack can extend that distance out to as much as 37 miles. Both batteries allow the bike to cruise along at speeds approaching 19 miles per hour.  When the Explorer runs out of juice, you won’t have to wait long to get back out on the road, as the included wall adapter can allegedly recharge the bike in less than four hours.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Heated coats, folding ebikes, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the fidget spinners and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Ravean Rugged — durable heated jacket

A good, warm coat is a must for the colder months — but if you need more warmth than normal insulation can provide, you should check out Ravean’s newest gizmo on Kickstarter: Ravean Rugged. “Like its predecessors, Rugged features multi-zone, on-demand heat that can be directed when you need it and where you need it most,” Ravean co-founder Bryce Fisher claims. “But it also includes new features including the world’s first patented heated thumb-hole cuffs, designed to keep your hands warm while your fingers and thumbs are free to handle intricate work.”

This new jacket is heated in both the core and back (as well as the cuffs), so you’ll be enveloped in a cozy cocoon the moment you slip it on. Rugged features three different temperature settings, and depending on which one you choose, can provide heat for anywhere between 2.2 to 6.5 hours — all thanks to its built-in 10,050mAh battery. And if you ever run out of juice, the jacket is compatible with most major power tool batteries, so it should be pretty easy to find a replacement power pack.

Rubbee — ebike add-on

If you’re looking to upgrade your traditional bicycle to an ebike, then you generally have two options: either install a complicated retrofit kit, or ditch your analog bike altogether and buy a ready-made electric one. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easier option? Well, thanks to Austrian startup Rubbee, there finally is. Unlike most of other retrofittable ebike kits out there right now, the Rubbee is designed to be installed in just a few minutes. Using basic hand tools, the device can be affixed to just about any bicycle. Once you’ve got the mounts on, the electric drive module can be clipped on or off in seconds.

“Rubbee X works by providing electric assist directly to the rear tire via an electric friction roller,” Gediminas Nemanis, CEO of Rubbee, told Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl in an interview. “It has modular batteries to extend the rides, regenerative braking, and not a single wire. We track the pedaling pattern by attaching a small wireless sensor to the pedal crank. This way, we know when and how much additional support to provide to the rider in real time. There are no buttons to push; just pedal and your power will be multiplied 2 to 3 times. It’s a pure electric assist system.”

Pluto — ultracompact SLA 3D printer

Back when 3D printing was just beginning to make its way into the mainstream, the only printers available to consumers relied on more or less the same technique to create parts — a process known as filament deposition modeling, or FDM. It’s the type of 3D printing you’ve probably seen before: a printer feeds a strand of plastic filament through a hot nozzle, then carefully deposits the molten goo onto a build plate, layer by layer, to create a 3D object. This is by far the most popular kind of 3D printer, but lately, a technology known as stereolithography has moved in to steal some of the spotlight.

Stereolithography, or SLA, creates objects by flashing a laser up into a pool of photo-reactive resin, which hardens when struck by UV light. Due to the precision of this technique, SLA printers typically create much better parts than FDM printers do. The only problem, however, is that these kinds of printers have been prohibitively expensive for the past few years, so most people haven’t had access to them — but that’s beginning to change. Right now, you can get the Pluto for around $800 on Kickstarter — which is pretty amazing.

Plankpad — gamified balance board

Let’s face it: for those of us not named Brock Lesnar or Arnold Schwarzenegger, working out can be kind of dull. That’s an issue that a new Kickstarter campaign hopes to solve. Hailing itself as “the world’s first interactive core trainer,” the Plank Pad is a home gym device that promises to sculpt you some killer abs by letting you play interactive fitness games on your smartphone. This should make the whole experience less of a drag, and hopefully make it easier to get in the habit of working out on a regular basis.

Here’s how it works. You start by downloading the accompanying Plankpad app on your smartphone and choosing a game. After that, just place your phone in the Plankpad’s recessed phone holder and start planking! As you play, you need to tilt and lean to move your character around, which helps target different muscles and provides a fuller workout. The board can also be used as a traditional balance board, allowing you to play games while standing up. You can even sync the app to your TV screen if you prefer to play games on a bigger display.

X1 Explorer — folding electric commuter bike

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: humanity is living in the golden age of rideable technology right now. In the past few years, electric motors have become smaller and more powerful, and batteries have begun to last longer — two trends that have coalesced and kicked off a renaissance in personal mobility devices. There are almost too many rideables to keep track of anymore, and they seem to get crazier and more advanced with each passing month. The latest addition to this burgeoning trend is the X1 Explorer — a folding, ultracompact electric bike designed for commuters.

Small and relatively lightweight, the X1 Explorer weighs just 44 pounds, making it more portable than most other ebikes on the market. In its standard riding mode, it resembles a compact bike with 10-inch wheels, a suspension system for smoothing out the ride, and a built-in LED light. Despite its svelte size, the Explorer boasts some admirable specs. The bike’s standard battery offers a range of up to 25 miles, while an optional larger battery pack can extend that distance out to as much as 37 miles. Both batteries allow the bike to cruise along at speeds approaching 19 miles per hour.  When the Explorer runs out of juice, you won’t have to wait long to get back out on the road, as the included wall adapter can allegedly recharge the bike in less than four hours.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Heated coats, folding ebikes, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the fidget spinners and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Ravean Rugged — durable heated jacket

A good, warm coat is a must for the colder months — but if you need more warmth than normal insulation can provide, you should check out Ravean’s newest gizmo on Kickstarter: Ravean Rugged. “Like its predecessors, Rugged features multi-zone, on-demand heat that can be directed when you need it and where you need it most,” Ravean co-founder Bryce Fisher claims. “But it also includes new features including the world’s first patented heated thumb-hole cuffs, designed to keep your hands warm while your fingers and thumbs are free to handle intricate work.”

This new jacket is heated in both the core and back (as well as the cuffs), so you’ll be enveloped in a cozy cocoon the moment you slip it on. Rugged features three different temperature settings, and depending on which one you choose, can provide heat for anywhere between 2.2 to 6.5 hours — all thanks to its built-in 10,050mAh battery. And if you ever run out of juice, the jacket is compatible with most major power tool batteries, so it should be pretty easy to find a replacement power pack.

Rubbee — ebike add-on

If you’re looking to upgrade your traditional bicycle to an ebike, then you generally have two options: either install a complicated retrofit kit, or ditch your analog bike altogether and buy a ready-made electric one. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easier option? Well, thanks to Austrian startup Rubbee, there finally is. Unlike most of other retrofittable ebike kits out there right now, the Rubbee is designed to be installed in just a few minutes. Using basic hand tools, the device can be affixed to just about any bicycle. Once you’ve got the mounts on, the electric drive module can be clipped on or off in seconds.

“Rubbee X works by providing electric assist directly to the rear tire via an electric friction roller,” Gediminas Nemanis, CEO of Rubbee, told Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl in an interview. “It has modular batteries to extend the rides, regenerative braking, and not a single wire. We track the pedaling pattern by attaching a small wireless sensor to the pedal crank. This way, we know when and how much additional support to provide to the rider in real time. There are no buttons to push; just pedal and your power will be multiplied 2 to 3 times. It’s a pure electric assist system.”

Pluto — ultracompact SLA 3D printer

Back when 3D printing was just beginning to make its way into the mainstream, the only printers available to consumers relied on more or less the same technique to create parts — a process known as filament deposition modeling, or FDM. It’s the type of 3D printing you’ve probably seen before: a printer feeds a strand of plastic filament through a hot nozzle, then carefully deposits the molten goo onto a build plate, layer by layer, to create a 3D object. This is by far the most popular kind of 3D printer, but lately, a technology known as stereolithography has moved in to steal some of the spotlight.

Stereolithography, or SLA, creates objects by flashing a laser up into a pool of photo-reactive resin, which hardens when struck by UV light. Due to the precision of this technique, SLA printers typically create much better parts than FDM printers do. The only problem, however, is that these kinds of printers have been prohibitively expensive for the past few years, so most people haven’t had access to them — but that’s beginning to change. Right now, you can get the Pluto for around $800 on Kickstarter — which is pretty amazing.

Plankpad — gamified balance board

Let’s face it: for those of us not named Brock Lesnar or Arnold Schwarzenegger, working out can be kind of dull. That’s an issue that a new Kickstarter campaign hopes to solve. Hailing itself as “the world’s first interactive core trainer,” the Plank Pad is a home gym device that promises to sculpt you some killer abs by letting you play interactive fitness games on your smartphone. This should make the whole experience less of a drag, and hopefully make it easier to get in the habit of working out on a regular basis.

Here’s how it works. You start by downloading the accompanying Plankpad app on your smartphone and choosing a game. After that, just place your phone in the Plankpad’s recessed phone holder and start planking! As you play, you need to tilt and lean to move your character around, which helps target different muscles and provides a fuller workout. The board can also be used as a traditional balance board, allowing you to play games while standing up. You can even sync the app to your TV screen if you prefer to play games on a bigger display.

X1 Explorer — folding electric commuter bike

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: humanity is living in the golden age of rideable technology right now. In the past few years, electric motors have become smaller and more powerful, and batteries have begun to last longer — two trends that have coalesced and kicked off a renaissance in personal mobility devices. There are almost too many rideables to keep track of anymore, and they seem to get crazier and more advanced with each passing month. The latest addition to this burgeoning trend is the X1 Explorer — a folding, ultracompact electric bike designed for commuters.

Small and relatively lightweight, the X1 Explorer weighs just 44 pounds, making it more portable than most other ebikes on the market. In its standard riding mode, it resembles a compact bike with 10-inch wheels, a suspension system for smoothing out the ride, and a built-in LED light. Despite its svelte size, the Explorer boasts some admirable specs. The bike’s standard battery offers a range of up to 25 miles, while an optional larger battery pack can extend that distance out to as much as 37 miles. Both batteries allow the bike to cruise along at speeds approaching 19 miles per hour.  When the Explorer runs out of juice, you won’t have to wait long to get back out on the road, as the included wall adapter can allegedly recharge the bike in less than four hours.

Distracted ‘Pokémon Go’ players may have caused billions in damages

Last summer, Pokémon Go brought the Pokémon franchise a level of popularity and media attention it had not seen since its debut in the 1990s. Unfortunately, that level of popularity also had some unintended (and dangerous) consequences. A new study, titled Death by Pokémon Go, shows that the popular augmented reality game was partially responsible for an increase in traffic accidents and traffic-related deaths.

Economists at Purdue University analyzed traffic accident reports from Tippecanoe County, Indiana during the game’s first 148 days and found an increase in traffic accidents related to the game. Mara Faccio and John McConnell found that during the months in which their study took place, Tippecanoe County had two-traffic related deaths and an increased number of accidents and injuries valued between $5.2 million and $25.5 million. From there, the two researchers estimated that if you apply this data to the U.S. as a whole, you’d find that the country lost between $2 billion to $7.3 billion.

An increase in traffic accidents doesn’t necessarily mean that it due to people playing Pokémon Go while driving. It is possible that the higher number of accidents stemmed from the increased traffic the game brought. When looking at the number of crashes in close proximity to Pokémon Gyms and Pokéstops, the team found something rather interesting, however.

First of all, it’s important to understand what Gyms and Pokéstops are used for. In short, Pokéstops are businesses or other locations that players can stop by to get free items and gyms are where players do battle. Pokémon Go is designed around players walking to these locations. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is going to do that. Some players, especially those outside of larger cities, were more likely to drive to those locations. That, in and of itself, is fine, but it turns out that some people were playing the game while driving or recklessly or getting out of moving cars.

In order to prevent the rather obvious accidents this could have caused, Niantic disabled the ability for the game to be played if you were moving at high speeds. However, this wasn’t implemented universally. The team found that the high-speed restrictions were not in place for some Pokéstops and they noticed that accidents were much higher in areas close proximity to Pokéstops. This is how the researchers determined that Pokémon Go was, in fact, contributing to traffic accidents.

iOttie’s car mounts start at $13, UPS systems drop to $36 and more

These prices are good for one day only!

Amazon’s latest Gold Box deals of the day include up to 30% off popular smartphone accessories from well-known brands like iOttie, mophie, APC and more. This drops some of the items down to as low as $12.99, so be sure to check out everything that’s included and grab what you want before the prices jump up tomorrow.

• iOttie Easy One Touch 2 Car Mount – $12.99 (Was $19.95)
• iOttie iTap Car Mount – $14 (Was $24.95)
• iOttie iTap CD Slot Car Mount – $16.50 (Was $24.95)
• iOttie iTap Wireless Qi Car Mount – $48.50 (Was $79.95)
• APC Back-UPS 850V UPS – $59.99 (Was $99.99)
• CyberPower Standby UPS System – $36 (Was $51.95)

Be sure to pick up what you want before the sale ends tonight!

After Math: Here turkey, turkey, turkey

Black Friday’s annual madness capped off a holiday week jam packed with more major news breaks than you can stuff in a 10-pound bird. Uber was caught covering up a security breach impacting 57 million of its customers while the FCC revealed its plan to end net neutrality. We also saw the DOJ indict the HBO hacker and the Engadget Experience roll through LA. Numbers, because how else will you wager on presidential turkey pardons?

$100,000: That’s how much Uber allegedly paid a pair of hackers to cover up a massive security breach that compromised 57 million user accounts. The kicker: this breach happened nearly a year ago. You might want to start changing your passwords again. Especially if you live in Colorado.

200 pages: That’s the length of the FCC’s proposal to revoke the net neutrality protections which was unveiled on Tuesday. It effectively eliminates government oversight of ISPs and could drastically change how (and which) Americans access the internet. The FCC will vote on this proposal on December 14th, call your congress rep at (202) 224-3121 and tell them you don’t want this to happen.

$6 million: That’s how much an Iranian hacker allegedly tried to extort from HBO after absconding with unreleased episodes of popular series — not to mention scripts, employee information and online credentials. He’s been indicted but doesn’t reside in the US and therefore remains outside of the DOJ’s jurisdiction… soooooo, shrug emoji?

1 brushstroke: That’s all a new AI-powered counterfeit art detection system developed by Rutgers University needs to spot even the most convincing fake. Trained on 80,000 individual strokes, this system can easily tell a Picasso from a Matisse.

$500,000: That’s how much Engadget gave five rising artists to help realize their visions at the Engadget Experience in LA.

$50 million: That’s how much money Tesla saved by cobbling its gigantic Powerpack battery array in South Australia together in under 100 days. The new system will be charged by renewable solar and wind sources and provide power to 30,000 area homes.

126 million: That’s how many Facebook users Russian-backed political ads reached during the 2016 election who should visit the company’s explanatory page as soon as it comes online.

UK bill would give police the power to seize drones

The UK doesn’t just want to institute rules governing how you fly your drone — it wants to give police more power to take drones out of commission. A newly unveiled Drone Bill would give law enforcement the authority to order pilots to not only order operators to ground drones, but to seize drone parts if needed to prove that the machine was used to break the law. If someone’s caught flying a drone over a prison, officers could both force the robotic flier down and confiscate it to illustrate what happened.

The proposed law would also codify the rules brought up during the summer. You would have to register any drone weighing over 250g (0.55lbs) and take a safety awareness test. The law would forbid flying too close to airports or above 400 feet, and you’d be required to use apps that show whether or not your planned flight is legal.

The draft bill should be published in spring 2018, when it will be open to amendments and consultation. Police are already using other rules (such as that from the Civil Aviation Authority) to act on drone-related crimes in the meantime, but the measure would theoretically give them a clearer legal basis for whatever they do. And the UK’s effort to explicitly tackle drone crime is relatively unique. While there are certainly drone regulations elsewhere, this suggests that rogue drones are enough of a problem in British airspace that they need special legislation.

Via: BBC

Source: Gov.uk

Arduino vs. Raspberry Pi: Mortal enemies, or best friends?

You may have never used Raspberry Pi or Arduino, but chances are you’ve heard of them. Raspberry Pi has been the best-selling British computer for years now and Arduino has been transforming the DIY community one board at a time. There’s no shortage of options designed to provide you with a little electronic control over your projects, but the budget-friendly Raspberry Pi and the plethora of solutions under the Arduino brand are certainly two of the most popular.

But comparing the two can be like judging a lineup of cats and dogs. They’re both animals — they both lick themselves — but they each dig holes for very different reasons.

So lets pit Arduino vs. Raspberry Pi to help you identify what to purchase for your next project.

Say Hi To Raspberry Pi

For all intents and purposes, the Raspberry Pi is a fully functional computer. It has all the trappings of a computer, with a dedicated processor, memory, and a graphics driver for output through HDMI. It even runs an optimized version of the Linux operating system called Raspbian. Most Linux software is easy to install, and lets you use the Raspberry Pi as a functioning media streamer or video game emulator with a small amount of effort.

Though the Raspberry Pi doesn’t offer built-in on-board storage, you can use microSD cards to store whatever operating system you choose, whether its Raspbian, Ubuntu Mate, or even the Internet of Things version of Windows 10. You can essentially install different operating systems on different microSD cards for swapping platforms, testing updates, and debugging software. And because the card includes Wi-Fi and Ethernet-based connectivity, you can also set it up for access via SSH, or transfer files to it using FTP.

Technically, there are six versions of the Raspberry Pi board you can purchase right now, but overall there are only two form factors: full-size and miniature. The most recent Raspberry Pi boards are the full-size third-generation Model B for $35, and the miniature Raspberry Pi Zero for a mere $5. For the latter, you can purchase a version with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for $10. The other three Raspberry Pi boards on the market are older-generation full-size models: Gen2 Model B ($30), Gen1 Model B+ ($25), and Gen1 Model A+ ($20).

Here’s a comparison between the two major models with built-in Wi-Fi:

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
Raspberry Pi Zero W
Processor:
Broadcom BCM2837
Broadcom BCM2835
Processor cores:
4
1
Processor speed:
1.2GHz
1.0GHz
Memory:
1GB
512MB
Storage:
MicroSDHC
MicroSDHC
Connectivity:
Wireless N
Bluetooth 4.1
Wireless N
Bluetooth 4.1
Ports:
4x USB-A 2.0
1x HDMI 1.3
1x Micro USB
1x stereo/composite video
1x 40-pin GPIO
1x CSI camera port
1x DSI display port
1x Mini HDMI
1x Mini USB OTG
1x Micro USB
1x 40-pin GPIO
1x CSI camera port
1x Composite video header
1x Reset header
Dimensions:
3.370 x 2.224 x 0.669 inches
2.56 x 1.18 x 0.20 inches
Price:
$35
$10

As shown, Raspberry Pi products are the brain of your project. For instance, the Piper Computer Kit we reviewed last year is a Linux-based laptop powered by the Raspberry Pi 3, as is Kano’s Computer Kit Complete that kids can assemble to create a Linux-based all-in-one PC.

Those are two examples of kits you can purchase, but there’s a large community that can steer you in the right direction to build projects from scratch, such as Game Boy Zero, a working miniature Macintosh, Pip-Boy from Fallout 4, and more.

Meet Arduino

Unlike Raspberry Pi, Arduino boards are micro-controllers, not full computers. They don’t run a full operating system, but simply execute written code as their firmware interprets it. You lose access to the basic tools an operating system provides, but on the other hand, directly executing simple code is easier, and is accomplished with no operating system overhead.

The main purpose of the Arduino board is to interface with sensors and devices, so it’s great for hardware projects in which you simply want things to respond to various sensor readings and manual input. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s actually a very sophisticated system that allows you to better manage your devices. It’s great for interfacing with other devices and actuators, where a full operating system would be overkill for handling simple read and response actions.

But because Arduino isn’t the “brain” of your project, solutions aren’t locked to a handful of boards. Instead, there are more than 50 solutions for entry-level products, advanced devices, Internet of Things projects, education, wearables, and 3D printing. Of course, they all have processors, memory, and in some cases storage, but they’re designed to serve as controllers, not miniature computers.

Great examples of Arduino projects can be found here. One project is the Arduino Servo Catapult that fires off a bowl full of food when a cat walks onto a pressure sensor mat seated under its dish. Another project transforms a Nerf Vulcan gun into a sentry turret that can track its enemies. Arduino devices can even be used to add a fingerprint scanner onto a garage door opener. As we reported earlier, many robot kits for kids you can buy on Amazon are based on the Arduino software and hardware platform.

Arduino vs. Raspberry Pi: Power

The two systems have very different power requirements. For starters, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B board uses 1.5 watts when idle, and up to 6.7 watts when a monitor, keyboard, and mouse is connected. The smaller Raspberry Pi Zero W consumes 0.5 watts of power when idle, and 1.75 watts when a monitor, keyboard, and mouse is attached.

Both Raspberry Pi boards require five volts to remain on, so you need a wall adapter or rechargeable battery pack with a higher voltage. For instance, both Raspberry Pi-based kits we reviewed provided an internal rechargeable battery that connected directly to the board. These batteries included an additional Micro USB port for recharging via a wall adapter, or using the device like any other electrically tethered PC.

Meanwhile, Arduino devices begin executing code when turned on, and stop once you pull the plug. To add functionality, you either wire directly into the pins on the Arduino board, or stack chips called “shields” on top of the base unit. There are hundreds of shields, each of which is designed to perform a different task, interface with certain sensors, and work with one another to build a complete control unit.

Thus, for Arduino, you merely need a battery pack that keeps the voltage above a certain level, along with a basic shield to manage the power. Even if the power drops on the Arduino, you won’t end up with a corrupt operating system or other software errors: it will just start running code when it’s plugged back in. For Raspberry Pi, you must shut it down within the operating system like any other computer, or else risk corruption and software problems.

Arduino vs. Raspberry Pi: Networking

The Raspberry Pi 3 has both a built-in Ethernet port and Wireless N connectivity, which allows easy access to any network with little setup. Once you’re connected, you can use the operating system to connect to web servers, process HTML, or post to the internet. You can even use it as a VPN or print server.

Unfortunately, Arduino devices typically aren’t built for network connectivity directly out of the box. Though it’s possible, they require a bit more tinkering to set up a proper connection. You’ll need an extra chip outfitted with an Ethernet port, and you’ll need to do some wiring and coding to get everything up and running just right, which is enough of a process in itself that some vendors sell comparable Arduino devices with a built-in Ethernet component.

Arduino vs. Raspberry Pi: Sensors

While Raspberry Pi and Arduino devices have a number of interface ports, connecting analog sensors to Arduino devices is an easier process. The micro-controller can easily interpret and respond to a wide range of sensor data using the code you put on it, which is great if you intend to repeat a series of commands or respond to sensor data as a means of making adjustments to servos and devices.

Raspberry Pi boards, on the other hand, require software to effectively interface with these sorts of devices, which isn’t always what you need if you’re just trying to water plants or keep your beer at the right temperature. Using both in a project isn’t all that uncommon, as the Arduino device could act as a control board that executes commands issued by the Raspberry Pi’s software before the sensor information is fed back for recording or acknowledgement.

Match made in DIY heaven?

So which solution is right for you? The answer will depend heavily on your project.

You should take the Arduino route if the main task involves reading sensor data and changing values on motors or other devices. Given the low power requirements and upkeep of Arduino devices, they’re also a good choice if your project will continuously run, and require little to no interaction.

You should go with a Raspberry Pi board if your project involves a task you would otherwise accomplish on a personal computer. Raspberry Pi boards make a slew of operations easier to manage, whether you intend to connect to the internet to read and write data, view media of any kind, or connect to an external display.

But given the two devices accomplish different tasks, using both in some instances is ideal. As one optional example, Raspberry Pi could give you client-side access to the settings and code, while the Arduino gadget could handle the actuation of devices, and gather data from the sensors. There are a number of ways to go about making the connection, whether you prefer USB, a local network, or by running some of the I/O ports on the Arduino device into the Raspberry Pi board.

Quantum encryption is now fast enough for voice calls

Quantum encryption is theoretically a dream for security, as you can’t even inspect the data without altering it. However, it’s currently several times slower than the conventional kind, which makes it impractical for voice calls or streaming video. Science may have come to the rescue, though: researchers have developed a quantum encryption key distribution system that promises to be five to 10 times faster than existing methods, or roughly on par with conventional encryption when run in parallel. The trick was to cram more data into each photon.

Normally, you can only encode one bit per photon by using a weak laser. The team discovered that it could encode two bits by tweaking the release time of photons and using high-speed photon detectors to track these changes. Effectively, they’re giving photons properties they couldn’t have before.

There’s a lot of effort left before this becomes practical, not the least of which is the size: a transmitter/receiver combo would be about as large as a computer. It’s more realistic than you might think, mind you. All the parts beyond the single-photon detector are readily available, and it could even be used for “free space” (read: over the air) transmissions. Eventually, there may be a time when you could hold a secure voice chat knowing that even the most determined spy couldn’t listen in.

Via: Phys.org

Source: Science Advances