My NATO Workshop

I have been organising a NATO workshop entitled 'Cross-Domain Integrated System Health Management Capability' that will take place on 16th and 17th October in Brussels. We have just finalised our programme and enrolment has just been opened on NATO's public website. It is tremendously exciting to see the official announcement and the awesome set of papers and speakers.

Android Hello World App

App Inventor for Android is an open-source web application originally provided by Google, and now maintained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This post is a step-by-step guide to creating a 'Hello World' app with App Inventor.

App Inventor allows newcomers to computer programming to create software applications for the Android operating system (OS). It uses a graphical interface, very similar to Scratch and the StarLogo TNG user interface, which allows users to drag-and-drop visual objects to create an application that can run on Android devices. In creating App Inventor, Google drew upon significant prior research in educational computing, as well as work done within Google on online development environments.

This step-by-step guide walks you through setting up App Inventor, explores the development environment and gets your app running on any Android device. This is the first of a series of posts introducing key App Inventor features.

Finding the perfect workspace

When you are self-employed, where you choose to work is very important. Social engagement relieves some of the stresses of work, networking can open unexpected doors. I have tried working at home and hot desking in London's Silicon Roundabout. Since moving in to Iliffe Yard, South London I really feel I've found my perfect workspace.

Pullens Yards Open Studios

Install node.js on Raspberry Pi

I decided to run a version of a node.js web app I'm developing on a Raspberry Pi. This post describes how to install node.js on a Raspberry Pi. It also services as one way to get node.js up and running on any Linux box.

When Testing Goes Wrong

This is a reminder to self and warning to others to make sure your testing environment is as similar as possible to the real environment as possible. This doesn't just go for computing either...

Build a node.js bootstrap site in 30 minutes

Bootstrap is 'The most popular front-end framework for developing responsive, mobile first projects on the web'. In English this means it is a pile of pre-defined cool aesthetics to apply to your webpage that automatically adjust for viewing on different screen sizes to always look good.

This post shows how to build a simple website using a node.js + express and play around with some of the bootstrap styles and layouts all in half an hour.

Add Existing Project to Github

I often start work on a project on my own but end up having to work with another developer as the project grows. I find Git to be the best way to share and control code and use Github or Bitbucket for central repositories. This post explains how to add Git control to a local project and create a central repository for easy sharing.

Self-employed and living the dream

Being self-employed is a roller coaster full of dizzying highs and anxious lows. I have find it essential to record the highs as a resource to battle the lows. After 2 years of self-employment it seems to be paying off and I'm a little more relaxed when I hit a slow period or suffer a setback.

This is a post about the previous 24 hours that have been one of the many highs that remind me that being self-employed is my way of 'Living The Dream'.

Raspberry Pi Interface Board: Part 1

Through the meetup I organise, RaspberryPint, I received a Raspberry Pi Interface board and an I2C Port Expander Kit from Quick2Wire.  These kits are self-assembly and enable lots of cool possibilities for control of the real world and protect the Raspberry Pi in case of wrong connections which could otherwise burn out your Pi - eek.

I have written a series of blog posts about assembling and using these Quick2Wire kits.

Part 1: Assembling Quick2Wire's Raspberry Pi Interface Board
Part 2: Assembling Quick2Wire's I2C Port Expander Kit
Part 3: My first project with my expanded Pi (yet to be written)

Raspberry Pi Interface Board: Part 2

Through the meetup I organise, RaspberryPint, I received a Raspberry Pi Interface Board and an I2C Port Expander Kit from Quick2Wire.  These kits are self-assembly and enable lots of cool possibilities for control of the real world and protect the Raspberry Pi in case of wrong connections which could otherwise burn out your Pi - eek.

I have written a series of blog posts about assembling and using these Quick2Wire kits. This is Part 2: Quick2Wire I2C Port Expander Kit assembly

Part 1: Assembling Quick2Wire's Raspberry Pi Interface Board
Part 2: Assembling Quick2Wire's I2C Port Expander Kit
Part 3: My first project with my expanded Pi (yet to be written)

Renaming multiple files

Have you got a folder full of files that you want to rename in the same way? If you are using Linux or Mac you can do it with one line of commands.

Raspberry Pi 6 Operating Systems

Like any computer a Raspberry Pi requires an operating system - software that allows you to do computery stuff with the hardware. Phones, laptops and even some washing machines have operating systems.  Windows is an operating system and so is Android, Mac OSX, Linux - there are hundreds of different operating systems out there.

This post describes how to install 6 different operating systems for your Raspberry Pi.

The Raspberry Pi can use a number of the operating systems available - all for free. You just need to download one and write it to an SD Card to plug in to the RPi. The SD Card is much like a hard-disk on a computer, just like Windows is installed on a laptop's hard-drive, Raspberry Pi Operating systems must be installed on the SD Card.