Network security engineer “Richee” posted complete details about how to make a tiny Raspberry Pi computer look like a ordinary laptop power brick — and then give himself a physical backdoor into corporate networks.

Technically, the job is laughably easy.

The Pi is a tiny computer that could fit in the palm of your hand. But it’s got a 700 MHz processor, a half a gigabyte of RAM, and runs a custom version of Linux. It also has HDMI and USB ports and — critically — Ethernet. Kids, geeks, white-hat hackers, and case-modders buy the cheap $25-$35 computer and build beautiful cases for it, install apps from the Pi Store, and craft robotic bartenders with it.

With a little soldering and gluing, Richee fit the tiny Pi into an old power brick, hooked up a black Ethernet cord, and jimmied up a power supply out of a plug and a USB converter. Voila: an inconspicuous ET-phone-home hacker’s best friend.

Of course, the software is the critical part.

With a few lines of code, Richee built a little script that will phone home to his designated server over SSH (secure shell). Once the Pi phones home, he’s got an insider’s access to the network it’s on.

Of course, Richee doesn’t have nefarious intent — it’s simply a tool for remote support. In the wrong hands, however, it could go unnoticed for weeks, if companies have lax security oversight, and offer very tempting access to ostensibly-secure data.

There is one problem, of course: Laptop power bricks don’t normally have Ethernet cords hanging from them. Richee has a solution for that:

It looks weird when you stare at it, but put it behind a plant and nobody will ever notice it (except the guy who waters the plants).

And the guy who waters the plants is unlikely to know to much about network security.

Image credits: TunnelsUP

July 9-10, 2013
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Hardware hackers have been hankering for a Raspberry Pi camera, and they’re one step closer to getting it.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has posted some new photos of the final version of its hackable camera module, which was first demoed last November.

The device, which runs for an all-too-tempting $25, plugs into the existing Raspberry Pi, giving users the ability to use it in robots, custom security setups, baby monitors, and whatever other inventive things they can think of.

While the Raspberry Pi Foundation is still ironing out some of the device’s finer details, much of the spec sheet has already been finalized: The device has a 5-megapixel sensor and can record 1080p H.264 video at 30 frames per second. And while that’s not too bad for a camera of its size, the device’s designers are intent on improving it even further.

“The picture quality is ‘pretty good’ at the moment, but we’re hoping to get it to ‘bleedin’ marvelous’ before we release the hardware,” the Raspberry Pi Foundation said in a blog post.

So when can you get your eager hands on this fabulous piece of hackable optics? Not for at least another month, says the Foundation, which still has a bit of work to do before its ready to sell the module.

Raspberry Pi announced the Pi Store today on its blog, saying that the app store will make it easier for newbies to get into the Raspberry experience, and will also provide the ability to for people to share their creations … maybe even making a little money on the way.

The tiny computer from the non-profit Raspberry Pi foundation first shipped in April of this year, but only reached volume in July. The Pi is a tiny computer that fits in the palm of your hand, but contains a 700 MHz processor, 512 GB of RAM, and Ethernet, HDMI, USB, and audio ports. It runs a version of Linux — including one titled “Raspbian wheezy” — stored on a SD card, like one in your camera.

Raspberry Pi app store

Current apps on the store include Freeciv, an open source sim game, Iridium Rising, a 3-D space fighter game which is also free but not open source, and LibreOffice, a full Office-compatible productivity suite. 23 titles were announced this morning, and two more have already been added today.

Developers who want to submit apps or content to the Pi Store can upload compiled binaries, raw Python code, or simply pictures, audio, or video. Pi owners will find that the store’s recommendation engine will show them the best content that, over time, will become more customized to their likes and dislikes.

The Pi Store is visible online here, and is built into updated versions of the latest Raspberry Pi operating systems. Technically capable people can also add it to existing installs by jumping into the command line and typing a Debian-style command: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install pistore

Adding apps to Pi will definitely make it more usable and useful … and could make the operating system as beautifully functional as some have made their Raspberry Pi cases.

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The super tiny, super cheap Raspberry Pi Model A is finally hitting the production line.

The Raspberry Foundation has posted the first image of its latest mini-computer, which should make it into eager tinkerers’ hands by early next year.

Stripped of an ethernet and equipped with only a single USB slot and 256MB of RAM, the Model A is meant to be a cheaper, less complex counterpart to the massively popular Model B. But that doesn’t make it less capable. Because it has fewer components, the Model A consumes less than half the power of the Model B, a feature that opens up a whole slew of new uses.

Scrapping those extra components also cuts the Model A’s price. At $25, it’s a full $10 cheaper than its predecessor. (Price has never been the biggest concern with the Raspberry Pi, but it’s even less of one now.)

The one big problem is supply, which has plagued the Pi since forever. With the Raspberry Foundation still unable to rapidly fulfill orders on the Model B, it’s fair to assume that the Model A will face the same problems.

“The Model A is something we wanted to produce months ago, but the crazy demand for the Model B has meant that we’ve not been able to build them, because to do so would mean that we have to cannibalize Model B parts – and that would mean that people who are experiencing the backlog would have to wait even longer,” Raspberry Foundation community head Liz Upton said in a blog post.

The $25 Raspberry Pi is a wallet-sized computer that is aimed at people who are learning programming or just want a small, basic computer. Mojang has ported a version of Minecraft: Pocket Edition to the platform, and it will be a free download.

“The possibilities are massive,” Mojang announced on its company site. “You could organize the cheapest LAN party of all time, or use the Pi to learn the fundamentals of programming on a miniscule budget. It’s like hacking your way into Minecraft and modifying the game world with code, a bit like being (Minecraft creator Markus Persson) Notch, Jeb, or Nathan, but arguably more fun and less stressful.”

The Minecraft Pi version will be more limited than the full PC version, which has sold more than 8 million copies. But it may be enough to get kids interested in programming. The Raspberry Pi (second edition) is a stripped-down computer with 512 megabytes of dynamic random access memory. Minecraft is already available on the PC, Xbox 360, Android, and iOS.

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July 9-10, 2013
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While the $35 Raspberry Pi computer gets a lot of kudos for being a cheap way to get into hardware hacks, Texas Instruments’ $13 Stellaris LaunchPad could soon steal the spotlight.

The LaunchPad is an ARM-based single-board kit that will let you tinker with hardware and coding at an incredibly low price. Even if you’re an amateur hacker, there’s nothing wrong with trying this out because it’s only 13 freaking dollars.

Check out the Stellaris LaunchPad’s specs:

The evaluation LaunchPad board comes with a USB cable. For software, documentation, and more, simply check out Texas Instruments’ Wiki to get started.

For more on Stellaris LaunchPad, check out the video below:

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The delightfully simple and surprisingly powerful Raspberry Pi computer has upgraded its Model B machine and kept the price at a stunning $35.

The Raspberry Pi project, run by the non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation, started shipping its first orders in April and then shipped in volume in July. The credit-card computer runs the Linux OS and includes a 700-MHz processor and ports for Ethernet, HDMI, USB, and audio — enough oomph to play Quake 3.

Now the more powerful Pi Model B gets even better, with double the RAM at no extra cost. The upgrade makes the machine more versatile and could enable it to run apps simultaneously.

“One of the most common suggestions we’ve heard since launch is that we should produce a more expensive “Model C” version of Raspberry Pi with extra RAM,” Raspberry Pi foundation trustee Eben Upton said in a blog post. “This would be useful for people who want to use the Pi as a general-purpose computer, with multiple large applications running concurrently, and would enable some interesting embedded use cases (particularly using Java), which are slightly too heavyweight to fit comfortably in 256MB.”

If you’d like to order a Raspberry Pi, you can do so from RS Components or element14.

Check out Upton’s blog post below for more:

One of the most common suggestions we’ve heard since launch is that we should produce a more expensive “Model C” version of Raspberry Pi with extra RAM. This would be useful for people who want to use the Pi as a general-purpose computer, with multiple large applications running concurrently, and would enable some interesting embedded use cases (particularly using Java) which are slightly too heavyweight to fit comfortably in 256MB.

The downside of this suggestion for us is that we’re very attached to $35 as our highest price point. With this in mind, we’re pleased to announce that from today all Model B Raspberry Pis will ship with 512MB of RAM as standard. If you have an outstanding order with either distributor, you will receive the upgraded device in place of the 256MB version you ordered. Units should start arriving in customers’ hands today, and we will be making a firmware upgrade available in the next couple of days to enable access to the additional memory.

I’d like to thank our partners, RS Components and element14/Premier Farnell, and the suppliers, particularly Samsung, Sony and Broadcom, for all their help in delivering a smooth transition to the 512MB. I’m looking forward to seeing what you all get up to with your shiny new Pis.

Raspberry Pi photo via Cesar Cardoso/Flickr

Here are a few that we’ve found that would make you the coolest computer user since Linus Torvalds created Linux.

The cigarette computer

Alas, this case already sold on eBay. But it was made from recycled materials (!) and included a special “foil backed paper lining” which may or may not “stop your weirdly small computer from bursting in to flames.”

Suggestion: don’t give this to your smoker friends.

The Lego computer

Not everyone can say they have a computer built by a 12-year-old kid.

Biz is a young German girl with mad computer skillz and serious Lego talent.

She’s even provided the instructions so that you can make your Raspberry Pi computer actually … look … like … a Raspberry.

Far, far too cool.

Going very, very pro

If lego is not your style and the cigarette case is just a little too James Dean … you can hardly beat this Apple-esque case by Marco Alici.

Alici made this virtual prototype with design tools Blender and Yafaray, and is getting a prototype 3D-printed by Shapeways … after which he intends to make it available to others.

Alici is an Italian design engineer, and it shows.

All fruity colors of the rainbow

ModMyPi has come out with a colorful array of cases that users can mix and match.

The case comes in two parts that snap together, and they’re both fully tested and fully shipping … unlike some of the other cases in this gallery.

ModMyPi touts that they are “made of highly robust, drop and splash resistant ABS plastic.”

Not quite (Product) RED

This case, featured by Wired magazine, looks both sleek and functional … even professional.

There’s no cost or ordering information, or any sourcing of the image itself, so it’s possible this image exists only in the mind of Wired designers … and you.

Until you 3D print it, of course.

The original gumdrop iMac see-through version

This case mod by AdaFruit reminds me of the the original iMacs.

But instead of Bondi blue, these are clear as ice, revealing the hardware beneath in all its gorgeous electronic complexity.

The top opens and snaps back into place, and — a bit of a shocker in the case mod world — the ports are actually labelled.

Uber-industrial chic

Looking like a filing cabinet or a mini rack-mounted server, this Built to Spec laser-cut acrylic case looks like serious business.

You can order the components for only $12.50, and the same case is available in translucent purple for a few dollars more.

Some assembly will be required, but it’s an incredibe looking case.

Poetry in wood

This might be the most beautiful of all the cases.

Stephen at Single Lens Reflections hand-crafted this wooden case  from 3 millimeter layers of plywood sandwiched together and trimmed with a scroll saw.

The Pi fits neatly inside the sandwich, and the ports peek out the sides. This case makes the Pi almost look like a miniaturized concert grand piano.

Honorable mention: ugly but geektastic

This is ugly but it is also undeniably cool: modding the brains of the PC right into its fingers, in a sense.

Ben Heck took a Raspberry Pi home from a Maker Faire and decided to create this: an all-in-one computer (well, minus the screen).

More details on how to do it here.

The indie project, run by the non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation, first shipped in April after getting tens of thousands of pre-orders. But supply has been constrained, limiting hobbyists and others to single orders. Now the foundation has increased manufacturing capacity and announced the ability to buy in bulk.

Some had been so desperate to get their hands on the popular device that they’ve paid over $200 — almost 10 times the list price — to snap up a Pi on eBay.

“This is of special importance to those of you who are using the Raspberry Pi in your businesses, and to people looking to buy classroom sets for schools and universities,” Liz Upton, community manager for the Raspberry Pi Foundation, said in a blog post.

The Pi is tiny, about the size of a credit card, and easily fits in the palm of your hand. But it packs a 700 MHz processor and 256 megabytes of RAM, plus a variety of ports: Ethernet, HDMI, USB, and an audio jack. The minuscule PC runs the Linux operating system off an SD card … the kind of memory you’d ordinarily find in your digital camera.

With that kind of power, the Pi can play full HD video and run video games like Quake 3. Or it can complete ordinary business tasks such as working with spreadsheets, word-processing documents, and more.

You can place an order online at RS Components or  element14.

The tiny $35 Raspberry Pi set off a surge of demand for tiny Linux computers earlier this year. But a Korean hardware manufacturer called Hardkernel is launching a high-end computer board that measures just 3.5 inches by 3.7 inches. The new board could be another favorite among hobbyists computer users.

The new Odroid-X board has a Samsung Exynos quad-core ARM-based central processing unit that runs at 1.4 gigahertz. It has a quad-core Mali ARM-based graphics processing unit, 1 gigabyte of random access memory, six universal serial bus ports, an Ethernet adapter, headphone and microphone jacks, and an SDHC memory card slot for storage.

It has four times more RAM than Raspberry Pi. The Hardkernel board uses the Cortex-A9 core from ARM, based on the ARM7 architecture. It can run the latest version of Ubuntu Linux as well as the Android operating system.

You thought a $35, palm-sized computer was pretty good? Take a look at Intel’s response to the Raspberry Pi: a palm-sized computer running its own Sandy Bridge processor.

Extremetech has a nice overview of Intel’s compact computing platform, called the Intel Next Unit of Computing, or NUC for short, and we’ve got a gallery of photos below, courtesy SWEClockers.com, a Swedish overclockers’ site.

Although we haven’t seen any proof of this yet, it’s a good bet that this computer, with a Core i3/i5 slot, will be able to run Quake. Yes, the Ivy Bridge processor family that Intel unveiled last week will have more powerful integrated graphics processing, but compared to the Raspberry Pi’s 700MHz ARM processor, Intel’s offering will be like a racecar next to a recumbent bicycle.

Intel’s platform is just a prototype at this point, whereas the Raspberry Pi is shipping now (finally). But let’s just compare the two platforms, shall we?

Intel’s NUC is meant for use in kiosks and digital signage, but we can already hear the sound of enthusiasts rubbing their hands over the many other uses for a tiny, powerful computer like this: set-top boxes, home media servers, car stereo computing system, Barbie dollhouse-sized server racks, surveillance systems, robots, UAVs, and more.

Do we want one? Is Steve Wozniak a geek?

Via Extremetech

Photos courtesy of SWEClockers.com

The first Raspberry Pi computer, which costs just $35, is finally shipping after a long wait.

Engineer Eben Upton and programmer David Braben began talking about their stripped-down computer, which can play Quake 3 Arena, last May. At the time, it was the size of a flash drive, but was still able to run the Linux open-source OS with its 700-MHz ARM processor and 128MB of RAM. Since then, it became larger in size and split off into two versions — the $25 Model A and $35 Model B. The devices have seen huge demand via pre-orders.

RS Components and Allied Electronics have begun to mail the computers to those who pre-ordered them. The Model B is now available in the U.K. for £31.86 or in the U.S. for $35.

However, only the Model B started shipping today. The Model A is heading into production in the next few weeks.

The $35 Model B is about the size of a credit card, measuring 85.6mm x 53.98mm x 17mm. It features a Broadcom 700-MHz ARM11 processor, 256MB of RAM, Ethernet port, HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, 3.5mm audio jack, and runs Linux operating system off an SD card. It can play 1080p HD video and run Quake 3 Arena.

Orders for the Model B were taken through Premier Farnell and RS Components, but those sites have since changed pre-order forms to just be forms letting the companies know you’re interested in the product.

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GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

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After the Raspberry Pi’s pre-order launch through two resellers caused temporary website crashes, VentureBeat caught up with Eben Upton, Director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. He is thrilled that “demand has been absolutely enormous.”

The Pi is available internationally through outlets Premier Farnell and RS Components. There are no plans to increase the number of distributors for the foreseeable future as “these companies are in a position to build a very large number of devices,” adds Upton. He believes that the backlog of “many, many tens of thousands” orders will be addressed by late April.

That’s a lot of excitement for a new hardware platform from a non-profit organization. The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a UK registered charity that wants to foster programming skills among students and promote the study of computer science.

Eben Upton clarifies: “Remember that our priority goal isn’t to build computers. Our priority goal is to encourage people to learn to program. Building computers is like a side effect. We have to do it because we don’t believe there’s a good platform for teaching available. It’s a necessary step — and a good source of money to help us to achieve that goal.”

Upton assures us that North Americans ordering a Raspberry Pi don’t have to feel bad about taking something away from British school children. “To be honest, I think our first orders will mostly go to middle-aged guys, because these are the people who already know about computers and are in a position to make use of what is currently a very bare-bones platform.” Upton is counting on “the hackers” to support the new platform with software that will help the Pi become a good classroom product.

Both Raspberry Pi models are equipped with 256MB RAM, an 700MHz ARM processor and a VideoCore IV GPU capable of Blu-ray quality (1080p) video playback. The hardware architecture is not too different from smartphones, which should help software developers: “It has a lot of graphical performance. It is a really good platform to port iOS or Android apps onto,” says Upton. “We already have some early developers out there who have taken apps from a mobile device [to the Raspberry Pi], and found it performs very well.” So does the Foundation have any plans for an app platform? “That’s an interesting question. I think we would like to do something in that area, but we haven’t had a chance to do it.”

Regarding additions to the product portfolio, Upton responded, “I have no comment about future products. Read into that what you will”.  And even if the Raspberry grows into a big computer brand, he doesn’t envision the charity turning into a regular corporation: “It’s nice to be free of the pressure that comes with running a commercially funded startup. There’s always pressure to do things because they make money rather than they’re the right things to do. [The Raspberry Pi Foundation] will make money, but that money goes back into supporting what our primary goals are.”

In his day job Eben Upton is a technical director at semiconductor company Broadcom. His employer is very supportive: “Broadcom has a long track record of supporting initiatives in science, technology and engineering education. So it’s a good alignment between what Broadcom likes and what the [Raspberry Pi] Foundation is trying to do.”

Broadcom also supplies the BCM2835 system on a chip for the Raspberry Pi boards. Although the non-profit status makes it easier for the Foundation to negotiate discounts with parts suppliers, Upton emphasizes that his employer is not cutting Raspberry a sweetheart deal: “Broadcom is making money. All of the components are purchased on commercial terms, we’re not subsidized.”

This also means that the Foundation is not receiving any money from the British government, though it has been cultivating a fanbase in high places: “Senior levels of government in the UK are aware of what we’re doing and I understand that they are very enthusiastic about it. Education secretary [Michael Grove] in the UK is a fan, he mentions us a lot. My understanding is that George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is also aware of what we’re working on. So we certainly have a certain amount of passive support,” says Upton.

We couldn’t help asking Eben Upton whether fellow Foundation trustee David Braben is secretly working on a Raspberry Pi version of his landmark space game Elite. “I see him maybe every few weeks at trustee meetings and haven’t had a chance to ask him whether he would be interested in doing that,” replied Upton, “He’s like a local hero [in Cambridge], we’re very lucky to have him involved. We were extremely pleased when he agreed to join the trustee board; he’s obviously an extremely well-connected guy. He can add a lot of value to the project even without writing a version of Elite.”

[Photo credits: Raspberry Pi]

The first Raspberry Pi computer, which costs just $35, became available for pre-order earlier today and within hours, most outlets taking orders have sold out.

The first Raspberry Pi machine was first seen by us last May and at the time it was the size of a flash drive, but was still able to run the Linux open-source OS with its 700-MHz ARM processor and 128MB of RAM. Since that time, the tiny PC has gotten larger in size and now has two versions — the $25 Model A and $35 Model B. However, only the Model B went on pre-order today, while the Model A is heading into production in the next few weeks.

The $35 Model B is about the size of a credit card, measuring 85.6mm x 53.98mm x 17mm. It features a Broadcom 700-MHz ARM11 processor, 256MB of RAM, Ethernet port, HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, 3.5mm audio jack, and runs Linux operating system off an SD card. Impressively, the little guy can play 1080p HD video and run Quake 3 Arena.

Orders for the model B were taken through Premier Farnell and RS Components, but those sites have since changed pre-order forms to just forms letting the companies know you’re interested in the product. Raspberry Pi’s Twitter account reported earlier that Farrell has likely sold out.

The Raspberry Pi is the brainchild of engineer Eben Upton and British programmer David Braben. Somewhat similar to the One Laptop Per Child project, Upton and Braben’s goal is to manufacture a computer that is so inexpensive that every student can be given one.

Will you be buying a Raspberry Pi computer?

1. This $25 computer (yes computer!) also runs Quake 3. The Raspberry Pi computer (which still hasn’t launched but is coming soon) is no slouch when it comes to running older PC games.

2. Is another Black Ops map pack coming May 3? What can we say? Gamers want to know when their favorite franchise will have another installment of maps.

3. Ocean Marketing: How to self-destruct your company with just a few measly emails. If you didn’t catch this lesson in how not to handle customer service, it’s a doozy. It made the otherwise quiet holidays more amusing. And don’t miss our dramatic re-enactment of Ocean Marketing’s PR flop.

4. Diablo III release date is early 2012, more beta keys going out. As with our No. 2 story, we figured out that a lot of people want to play this next big dungeon-crawling game from Blizzard Entertainment.

5. Tips and tricks: How to get ahead in Skyrim. Our 4,000-word review wasn’t enough, so Sebastian Haley put together all of the tips he could offer from playing Skyrim for an absurdly long period of time. This story was so popular that Sebastian wrote a second guide.

6. New Black Ops map pack is confirmed for May 3. We pulled the trigger fast on this story and gamers came to see. Yes, it is odd that map pack news was more popular than news about any one brand-new game.

7. Sony finally brings PlayStation Network fully online in Japan. For a period of weeks, Sony’s PlayStation Network outage was a debacle that held readers spellbound.

8. Left4Dead short film rivals Hollywood production values. Sebastian Haley got the scoop on this short film built around favorite video game heroes.

9. Women who play online games have more sex. (Infographic). Sex and games. That’s an unbeatable combination.

10. Pirated Modern Warfare 3 discs are already spreading. We got the scoop on how disc piracy preceded the launch of Modern Warfare 3, which still turned out to be the most popular game of 2011.

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GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

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You might want to hold back on that $600 Mac Mini purchase for just a little bit longer. The Raspberry Pi, the little $25 computer that can run Quake 3 Arena and play HD videos, is scheduled to go into volume production in January. If you want to splurge, you can also pay a $10 premium for the fancy Model B that comes with an ethernet port and 256 – instead of 128 – MByte RAM.

In a new blog post, the developers report that the first finished circuit boards have arrived. “They’re undergoing electrical testing alongside hardware and software testing at the moment, and if all goes well, the Raspberry Pi you’ll be buying in January (or by auction later this month if they all work as they should) will be exactly like one of these.”, says Raspberry Pi blog editor Liz Upton.

The Raspberry Pi has grown in size since the last time we reported on it. An early prototype resembled a USB flash drive, but the new board is about as wide as two credit cards side by side. The Linux operating system runs from a SD card  The computer also has a USB-out port that lets owners plug in a keyboard, and an HDMI-out port that can connect to an HDMI-enabled television or monitor.

The $25 computer looks as bare bones as it gets, but its ARM11 CPU operating at 700 MHz seems quite capable of playing 1080p HD video.

The Raspberry Pi is the brainchild of engineer Eben Upton and British programmer David Braben, who co-created the pioneering 3D open-world game Elite. Their goal is to manufacture a computer that is so inexpensive that every student can be given one. Braben himself got started on computers as a student. His Elite game was created on Acorn’s BBC Micro, the most common computer at British schools in the mid-1980s. Braben is also the founder of Frontier Developments, the studio that created the virtual animal simulation Kinectimals for Microsoft.

The Raspberry Pi computer is a single-board computer that’s capable of rendering video games like Quake 3 at a 1920-by-1080 pixel monitor resolution. The game cruises along at around 20 frames per second with the lighting and geometrical details cranked up to maximum quality. It’s also running at a 1920-by-1080 pixel resolution, which brought the frame rate down slightly, Raspberry Pi foundation’s Eben Upton said. Considering the limited horsepower on the Pi, it’s still pretty impressive.

The computer has a 700-megahertz ARM processor and 128 megabytes of RAM. That’s about half as much memory as most smartphones today, which also sport processors that usually clock in at around 1 gigahertz. That makes it slightly weaker than a smartphone. There’s an SD card slot on the device that handles any storage, and it can output video and other images at 1080p resolution. It has a USB-out port that lets owners plug in a keyboard, and an HDMI-out port that can connect to an HDMI-enabled television or monitor.

(It’s also tiny — you can see it just under the monitor in the picture above.)

The Quake 3 version running is an open-sourced version of the game compiled for the Pi’s Linux build. The Pi sports a version of Linux, an open-sourced operating system that has become increasingly popular in philanthropic causes like this because it’s free to install and distribute. Braben said earlier he hopes the computer will be available to the public sometime later this year.

You can check out a full video of the demo below.

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GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

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