Free Raspberry Pi Beginners Workshop in Newcastle

This evening I attended the Raspberry Pi Beginners Workshop at Core Electronics in Newcastle. A Pi computer all all the bits need were provided for each participant (you don't need to buy anything and the workshop is free). This is in their well equipped Makerspace at the back of the shop. The workshop covered the first couple of exercises from the video course. It was fun to be able to handle a computer, plug in the connections, wire some components to a breadboard, and program a light to flash. This was enough to give me the confidence I could at least assemble a Pi based project from a set of instructions (such as an air quality monitor to add to vehicles, ships and aircraft, in bushfire zones). There are also Arduino Beginners Workshops.

Gambling industry seeking to promote sports betting via websites

I received this disturbing email, offering payment for including promotions for betting on my website:

"... I am a freelancer working with several big agencies together and came during my research onto your website. It would be a pleasure to publish an article on your site that perfectly matches the subject of your site. In this/our article that is related to the subject of your site we would like to integrate a dofollow link to our customers site and a small picture. Our customer is engaged in the gambling industry/society. The correct article however can be discussed at a later stage. As mentioned the article should provide an additional value to the core audience of your site. On the brink of that article we would just write a few words about our customer from the gambling industry (sports bets / casino). We are also happy either to have the article written by you or if you wish we can send you a complete version. May I please point strongly out that it is NOT meant the article to be marked as an advertisement, promotion, advertorial etc.

Is that something you offer or can accomodate me with and if the answer would be positive what would the cost be annually? In case you operate more sites than the one I enquire about and that serve my requirements please do not hesitate to offer me those.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards ..."

Personal Ultrasonic Air Cooler for the Smart Apartment

With the hot weather and smoke in South Eastern Australia, I needed a little personal cooling in the Smart Apartment, so I put a small low voltage ultrasonic humidifier up in front of a low voltage electric fan.  The humidifier produces a cloud of water droplets (looks like fog), and the fan blows it to me, making a cooling breeze. This is much more effective, and safer, than hanging a wet cloth in front of a mains powered fan.

Mini Travel Humidifier

I have a Beurer LB12 Mini Air Humidifier, from Appliances Online. This is similar to the Elechomes Ultrasonic Mini Cool Mist Humidifier, available on Amazon.These units run on low voltage, from a mains plug-pack. You use a plastic bottle as a water tank: fill the bottle, screw on a one-way valve and upend the bottle on the unit. A small bottle of water lasts a couple of hours. When the water runs out, the humidifier turns off.

Mini USB Personal Fan

I use a 12 volt fan from a computer, connected to a mains plug-pack. But if you don't want to worry about connecting wires, you could use a Mini USB Personal Fan.