A huge number of hardware startups are emerging all over the place at the moment, so where have they come from and what do they mean for us?
We hear about software startups no end, with the latest apps and social networks grabbing the headlines with hackneyed platitudes such as ‘the next Facebook?’ before disappearing into the ether. But bubbling under the software hyperbole, there’s a volcanic rise of hardware startups that will change the face of consumer electronics forever.
The development of third-party software exploded with the advent of the internet. It was, and still is, easy for skilled individuals to make their own software and even start a software company. The initial costs will always be relatively low, needing only a computer, time, a particular skill set and some staff.
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
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