Watch out the Raspberry Pi is not as basic as you think!

The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.

You can interact with the Rasberry Pi in many different ways. You can use it to create games, a website, music, a robot, digital art, and much more.

We offer a STEM Workshop at Intellectual Point to learn Rasberry Pi. This camp has been very successful and allows each person to get hands-on experience to learn the language and create some fun projects.

So how far can you push the use of the Raspberry Pi?

With a $35 Raspberry Pi computer, a modified key fob, and a salvaged Tesla Model X control unit bought off eBay, Belgian researchers were able to break into a Tesla Model X SUV in about 90 seconds. The researchers said they were able to break into the SUV, which starts at $80,000, using a few hundred dollars’ worth of equipment.

Tesla has always prided itself on its so-called over-the-air updates, pushing out new code automatically to fix bugs and add features. But one security researcher has shown how vulnerabilities in the Tesla Model X’s keyless entry system allow a different sort of update: A hacker could rewrite the firmware of a key fob via Bluetooth connection, lift an unlock code from the fob, and use it to steal a Model X in just a matter of minutes.

Among key vulnerabilities: lack of “cryptographic signatures” in the firmware update process, meaning a key fob has no secure way of certifying whether an update is legitimate; and an insecure pairing protocol that allowed a new, modified key fob to be paired to a Model X.

Researchers used a spare control unit to get key fobs within several meters to advertise themselves as “connectable.” After that, they pushed out a software update to the key fobs that would “acquire a valid unlock message” so they could unlock the car later. They noted that software in Tesla’s key fobs could be updated without an additional layer of security that would verify its authenticity.

Tesla said the patch may take close to a month to roll out across all of its vulnerable vehicles, so Model X owners should be sure to install any updates Tesla makes available to them over the coming weeks to prevent the hack. In the meantime, the Belgian researcher says he’s been careful not to publish any of the code or reveal technical details that would enable car thieves to pull off his tricks.

The Raspberry Pi has more power than you probably realize!

Raspberry Pi

The original goal of the Raspberry Pi (Rpi) was to get inexpensive computers into the hands of kids, so they could tinker and learn to code. Since its inception, it has been picked up by engineers, designers, and everybody in between.

Some creative uses for the Raspberry Pi:

Replace your Desktop PC with a Raspberry Pi
Print with your Raspberry Pi
Add AirPrint Support to your Pi Printer Server
Replace Kodi with a Raspberry Pi Media Center
Set Up a Retro Gaming Machine
Build a Minecraft Game Server
Control a Robot
Build a Stop Motion Camera
Make a Time-Lapse Video
Broadcast a Pirate FM Radio Station
Build a Raspberry Pi Web Server
Create a Twitter Bot
Build a Motion Capture Security System
Build a Network Monitoring Tool
A Raspberry Pi Plex Server
Learn how to Code

Watch out the Raspberry Pi is not as basic as you think!