BBC gives children mini-computers in Make it Digital scheme

[happybeing]

I wonder if SAFE vault could run on these… what a massive opportunity on several fronts!

BBC gives children mini-computers in Make it Digital scheme:

The BBC will be giving away mini-computers to 11-year-olds across the country as part of its push to make the UK more digital.

One million Micro Bits - a stripped-down computer similar to a Raspberry Pi - will be given to all pupils starting secondary school in the autumn term.

…

The tiny programmable machine is still a prototype and the BBC is working with several partners, including chip-designer Arm, Microsoft and Samsung, to get the end product right.

When it launches in September it will be compatible with three coding languages - Touch Develop, Python and C++.

The device is tiny - fitting easily into the palm of a hand. Children will be able to create text via a series of LED lights and they will also be able to use it to create basic games.

The final version will have a Bluetooth link enabling it to be hooked up to other devices such as a Raspberry Pi.

…

After the first million Micro Bits go out to schools, there will be no more.

[Anders]

Mini Computer 1970 the pdp 11

[dirvine]

Be interesting to see, I am investigating Nacl (salt) at the moment and 25559 curves (several factors faster) and this helps. It’s a tiny change for the code (a few lines as we have abstracted this) but could be significant for much smaller devices as I have found RSA4096 to be very cpu intensive.

Cannot help thinking this is the usual BBC - “we will do it ourselves” when they could have boosted Raspberry Pi foundation by using them or at least have them supply this… Then every one the BBC got perhaps another could have been donated in overseas aid or similar. An opportunity missed perhaps, but all in all it’s time we taught the kids how to actually code and know what a computer is, they may end up married to on at least they will have one driving their car soon