What about Pi projects though? What about all the programs and software that Raspberry Pi hobbyists have set out to create in order to make the Raspberry Pi what it is today? In this article we attempt to find out just that. Here’s a list of four Raspberry Pi-based software projects that anyone can check out and try on their own!
1. Pi-Hole
Though many websites use advertisements these days, most users loathe viewing them. On low-powered machines and mobile devices they can take up precious memory or CPU power and slow everything down in general. Some less reputable ad networks may even invade your privacy. Suffice it to say ads kind of stink. Usually, when trying to deal with advertisements, people tend to install advertisement blockers like uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus and the like. These tools for the most part are great. However, they’re not perfect, and often you’ll need to install them on every single device you own for it to truly be effective. That’s where Pi-Hole comes in. It’s a fairly interesting Raspberry Pi tool that allows you to turn your entire Raspberry Pi device into a “Pi-Hole.” Essentially, it’s a device on your network that sucks up all advertisements and refuses to let them go out to the rest of your network. If you’re looking to stop all advertisements all across your network and own a Raspberry Pi, you may want to check out Pi-hole.
2. Onion-Pi
If you’ve been on the Internet long enough, you’ve probably heard of Tor. It’s an infamous tool that many people who value privacy use. While using it you’re completely and totally anonymous on the Internet. Nobody can identify you (for the most part), and websites will have a hard time gat herring up all of your browsing habits and personal information. The way to use Tor is fairly simple. Head over to a website, and download a software bundle for either Windows, Linux or Mac. After that, simply unpack it. This is fine for most people, but if you’re not a huge fan of the browser or tools it comes with, you may be out of luck. That is, until now. Introducing Onion-Pi. It’s a project that exists to allow you to turn your Raspberry Pi board into a fully-operational Tor router. Once the software is installed, all traffic flowing through it will be sent through the Tor network. This means anyone and everything in your network will be interacting with Tor and be completely anonymous. If you have a Pi and are looking for a way to beef up your Tor usage, Onion-Pi may be just what you’re looking for.
3. Pi Cast
These days it seems as if almost everyone has a Google Chromecast. This is understandable, as the Chromecast is one of the easiest ways a user could get Internet content from their Android or iOS device to the television. Few pieces of hardware can contend with this kind of feature-set. It turns out it is very possible to turn your Raspberry Pi into a Chromecast-ish like device. This is all done with software known as Pi Cast. When you install it you’ll be able to stream limited types of video through a browser to your television. No, you won’t be able to use a mobile app, but this is certainly a start. If you’re looking to cast content to your television and have a spare Raspberry Pi lying around, the Pi Cast project may be one to check out.
4. Pi-powered thermostat
You may not know this, but these days the Internet of Things is all the rage. Smart light bulbs, doorbells and even thermostats. These types of devices are cool, but if you consider that most Internet Of Things devices rarely get updated and thus can become easy targets for attacks, you may want to make IoT devices on your own. A project simply known as RaspberryPiThermostat is an ambitious undertaking that allows you to take a Raspberry Pi, spend a little money (on suggested materials), and install their software to get everything going. The project’s page itself is incredibly detailed, but if you’re looking to set up a smart-like thermostat with a Raspberry Pi, you’ll really want to check it out.
Conclusion
Small computer boards like the Raspberry Pi are a thing of wonder. It’s amazing that so much computing power can be done on such a small scale. I hope that with this project list you, too, will be inspired to make some software or a guide of some kind showing others what cool things you can do with your Pi. What’s your favorite project for the Raspberry Pi? Tell us below! Image Credit: digital trends
