Raspberry Pi and Silicon Chips...

Many years ago, more than I care to recall – hint, microcomputers had just come into general use – I did my first computer course. We learned the tenets of programming under the auspices of Basic, COBOL and RPG II – then a hot language. There was another module called Data Processing, which involved an overview of all systems, old and new, that were used in processing data. At the end of it all, I emerged with an RSA certificates in Data Processing and was proud of my achievement. I left the course feeling that I knew about computers, rather than just how to use a clutch of software applications, as computer courses today seem to leave grads feeling. I also felt that I could move into any employ involving a computer, master it, and climb to the top. That last ambition was a trifle vain, but I believe that it is a far better perspective to occupy than that of even experienced users today who see computers and computing as shrouded in mystery.
Now, a company called Premier Farnell has released a delightful little gadget called a Raspberry Pi, a credit-sized ‘computer’ that can plug into a keyboard. It is programmable, can run applications and show videos. It doesn’t come in a fancy box emblazoned with a gilded raspberry, however. The chipboards are au naturel, designed to demonstrate to students what a computer actually is and how it works. On TV recently, I saw how an entire new generation of would-be programmers is emerging from among the ranks of youth delighted with the Raspberry Pi. The heart warms to those young people who are obsessed with a project above and beyond carrying about the latest, coolest branded gadget…

http://downloads.element14.com/raspberryPi1.html?CMP=KNC-GUK-FUK-GEN-SUP-OSP

Sound Bites: The Masterchef Challenge

The heat is on, the steam is rising, and the pressure mounting as this year’s cocktail of contestants go head to head in the ultimate culinary challenge. Masterchef is appetizing as ever; a suspenseful sandwich of disastrous dips, calamitous quiches, triumphant trifles and moments stickier than Eamonn’s banana, custard and sponge dessert. Wherein lies the fascination in watching a bunch of levelheaded adults growing tearful over the texture of a slab of meat, and murderous over a mouthful of overly-salted sauce?
It’s a question of getting the mixture right. Sweet praise and sour criticism must be balanced so as not to leave an unpleasant after-taste. The show must be light as a sponge cake, fluffy as a flan, and leavened with enough fun so that the result will not be flat, dull and damp the way through; a pan of deep-frying mushrooms bursts into flames; a tub of mango sorbet tumbles and splashes in a yellow tide across the shiny floor.
Overall, Masterchef is an indication of our fascination with adults who, in these post-industrial times, have the guts to quit careers in management and marketing, and carve out creative careers instead of swallowing the pre-packaged offerings on sale in every supermarket. Yup, without mincing words, I’ll say Masterchef is definitely to my taste.