Yesterday, I had the pleasure of playing around with a piece of technology called the micro:bit. The micro:bit is a small hardware platform intended primarily for introducing young people to programming and tinkering. It’s a small device, not quite 2 inches square, but it is amazing. In fact, I’d say it’s probably one of the coolest pieces of technology I’ve played with in a while. What makes it so awesome? First, it runs Python. While I’m not primarily a python programmer, I do recognize that it has become one of the most widely used languages — not only for tinkerers, but also for professional development. This makes the micro:bit far more accessible to young people than C++ used by the Arduino controller (NOTE: I love Arduino, but the micro:bit is certainly more ‘kid-friendly’) The second thing I love about the micro:bit is that I had to install exactly nothing on my computer to get it working — no IDE, no flashing utility, nothing at all. The IDE is online, so you can type in your favorite browser and download the .hex file when you’re done. Flashing the device could not possibly be easier. When you plug the device in via a standard USB phone cable, it’s recognized as a USB thumb drive. Simply copy the .hex file to this virtual drive and within moments your device is flashed and you can see the results of your work. If the above weren’t already enough to give the micro:bit 5 stars, there’s more. The micro:bit includes an impressive hardware selection and associated API. There are 2 buttons, a 5×5 LED grid, accelerometer, magnetometer, and bluetooth. The form factor includes pads big enough to use alligator clips for interfacing with external hardware too — so you don’t even have to solder anything. While I’ve only tinkered with this device for a short time, it is definitely one of the more impressive hackable hardware pieces I’ve seen in quite some time. This needs to be in the hands of every elementary and middle school student interested in programming or hardware. The micro:bit is, in my opinion, a real game-changer.
