Raspberry Pi Model B+

Learn to program, control robots or just stream music using this tiny computer.

The Raspberry Pi Model B+ is, like previous models, a tiny computer built for hobbyists, students and anyone who wants to learn more about how computers and computer programs work.

Comparing to its predecessor – the model B , the B+ has a microSD slot (instead of a full-size SD version) and a combined audio/video port (instead of separate stereo sound and composite video connectors). These changes were necessary to make room for its 40-pin GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) connector that’s designed to connect and control other devices. You can still connect equipment designed for the B’s 26-pin connector, but the extra pins let you hook up even more sensors, lights and motors. It also has four (up from two) USB ports.

Has Shellshock made the internet unsafe?

A new security vulnerability affecting more computers than the Heartbleed bug allows hackers to steal your information from banks, routers and security cameras.

For the second time this year, security experts have discovered a widespread flaw that places the safety of the internet – and the personal information you store on it – in doubt.

The latest vulnerability is called Shellshock, and it affects more computers than Heartbleed – a flaw discovered in April that let hackers extract passwords from hundreds of thousands of the world’s most popular websites.

Why Digital Distribution Platforms Thrive Or Die

Why do some services succeed where others fail? Shaun Green reports.

The storefronts via which we purchase our entertainment have changed immensely over the past decade. This seems a statement of the obvious, but it's worth considering that this change was a slow and gradual process and few shifts occurred overnight.

The widely proclaimed death of the high street never came, for example, although the recession of the past half-decade has seen a number of high-street chains close their doors and shutter their windows. Elsewhere we've seen small chains like Ottakers or GameStation gobbled up by their larger brethren. However, despite tough times, independent and specialist music, book and video game shops still exist. It's even possible to find hold-out second-hand DVD shops dotted throughout the UK. There will probably always be some form of high-street retailers hawking goods that are easily available online; once all is said and done, many people simply prefer to take to their feet and peruse physical shelves of items.

The No Console Future

Gaming is hurtling towards unavoidable transformation. With the average processing capabilities of everything from phones to USB dongles increasing at a rapid rate, the day of traditional consoles is coming to an end.

Historically, the videogame industry has been characterised by change. Be it new hardware, new forms of distribution, new types of games or new ways to interact, this is not a medium with a habit of standing still. The only thing that is certain about its future, therefore, is uncertainty.

What will the games, the hardware, the interactions and the means of consumption look like in three, five and ten years from now? Will we still be plugging HDMI cords from a console to a TV, or will such an idea seem retro in 2020? Will we even need a specialised box to play games from at all? Perhaps the medium will follow the lead of films and music and migrate to the proverbial cloud, as we're starting to see with the likes of PlayStation Now and OnLive.

Why Next-Gen Remakes Are Bad... For Now

The trend for re-issuing last-gen games on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One has attracted fierce criticism. We take a look at how developers can turn this into a positive for the whole industry.

The sales charts in August were completely dominated by one game: The Last Of Us: Remastered. Naughty Dog’s updated PlayStation 4 iteration of last year’s PlayStation 3 triumph further energises an industry-wide trend for reissuing popular last-gen titles on Xbox One and PSA, and was only knocked from its perch by the re-release of Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls Edition.

This comes hot on the heels of similarly repackaged titles in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and Ray man Legends, and arrives before a veritable onslaught of more that include Metro Redux, Grand Theft Auto V and, if persistent rumours are to be believed, Beyond: Two Souls.