David Hunt is an Irish programmer, photographer and maker who loves tinkering with Raspberry Pi. He started thinking about building a Raspberry Pi-based smartphone when he came across a DIY “digital camera” prototype that combined the modifiable microcomputer with a TFT touchscreen.
He realised that simply adding a GSM module could transform the image-capturing contraption into a rudimentary phone. The clincher, though, was the name: “As I came up with the name ‘PiPhone’, I said to myself, ‘I’ve really got to build this’,” Hunt says. “I think the name is so cool… And yes, it does sound similar to a famous smartphone that I won’t mention.”
WIRED would not advise you to swap your handset for the PiPhone, but here is how to try your hand at building this vaguely cyberpunk-styled device. It is also much cheaper than its competitors: Hunt swears that it can be put together for just £110.
PiTFT 2.8″ TFT 320×240 + Capacitive Touchscreen – Raspberry Pi Model B: Our best-selling PiTFT 2.8″ display just got a fancy upgrade, now we have a version with a capacitive touchscreen! That’s right, instead of a resistive touchscreen, which requires a fingernail or stylus, you can now use a fingerpad. The screen looks much nicer, with a black bezel and glass overlay. Read more.
Adafruit FONA – Mini Cellular GSM Breakout – SMA Version – v1: Ring, Ring! Who’s that callin’? It’s your breadboard! Introducing Adafruit FONA MiniGSM, an adorable all-in-one cellular phone module that lets you add voice, text, SMS and data to your project in an adorable little package. Read more.
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!
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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.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: CircuitPython 8.1.0 and 8.2.0-beta0 out and so much more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
Adafruit IoT Monthly — AI Teddybear, Designing Accessible IoT Products, and more!
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!