UK school kids to get free computers from the BBC
12 August 2015
News
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has revealed the final specification for a pocket-sized computer that it will be handing out to about 1 million UK schoolchildren.
Created to help children get creative with technology and learn how to program, the Micro:bit system will be given away to every 11 and 12-year-old in the nation’s schools this October. According to BBC Learning head, Sinead Rocks, it’s all about young people learning to express themselves digitally. “As the Micro:bit is able to connect to everything from mobile phones to plant pots and Raspberry Pis, this could be for the Internet-of-things what the BBC Micro was to the British gaming industry,” she enthuses.
The Micro:bit will allow its users to write simple code via a new website, which will be used on both PCs and mobile devices. Users will be able to save and test their programs on the site before transferring them to the tiny computer via a USB cable or wireless Bluetooth connection. It can then be made to interact with its built-in sensors and buttons to make its 25 LEDs flash in different patterns, letting it display letters and numbers, for example.
The system can also be connected to other computing kits via its input-output rings – including the Raspberry Pi, Arduino and Galileo – to carry out more difficult tasks. The device was announced four months ago and it was then thought that it could be easily pinned to clothing, but a revision has involved replacing a watch-battery slot with a bigger battery pack, which might make that less practical. This add-on power pack, fitted with AA batteries, is necessary to use it as a standalone product.
Further reading:
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
Read more...
TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
Read more...
Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
Read more...
Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
Read more...
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
Read more...
Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
Read more...
printer friendly version