{"id":14704,"date":"2022-02-18T12:49:09","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T12:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/18\/5-cool-things-you-can-do-with-a-raspberry-pi\/"},"modified":"2022-02-18T12:49:09","modified_gmt":"2022-02-18T12:49:09","slug":"5-cool-things-you-can-do-with-a-raspberry-pi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/18\/5-cool-things-you-can-do-with-a-raspberry-pi\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Cool Things You Can Do With a Raspberry Pi"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Raspberry Pi Foundation<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Raspberry Pi<\/a> is the name of a series of inexpensive single-board computers that can serve as the core of many hobbyist projects<\/a>. It\u2019s easy to get started with a kit<\/a>, or you can put the pieces together yourself. Here are a handful of fun things you can do with a Raspberry Pi 4, the current model.<\/p>\n

Build a Retro Game Console<\/h2>\n

If you love playing old video games but don\u2019t have room to collect the actual consoles and cartridges or discs (which are getting pricey), you can use a Raspberry Pi as an inexpensive retro console<\/a>. All you need is a Raspberry Pi, the RetroPie OS<\/a>, a controller<\/a>, and a display.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that downloading ROMs or disc images of games you don\u2019t already own is illegal<\/a>, so proceed at your own risk. But if you find a legal source of games (such as Public Domain<\/a> homebrew releases, or ROMs you can legally purchase<\/a> on itch.io), you can have a lot of fun on the cheap.<\/p>\n

Build a Network Storage Device<\/h2>\n

Network Attached Storage (NAS<\/a>) devices are great for backups, but they can be pricey. If you have a Raspberry Pi, some USB hard disks, and a little spare time, you can roll your own NAS on a budget.<\/p>\n

To do so, you\u2019ll need to prep your Raspberry Pi with a Linux operating system, Samba<\/a> support (which allows the creation of Windows network shares), and NTFS support, among other steps. If you prefer Macs, you can use your Raspberry Pi for Time Machine backups<\/a> as well. There are several ways to go about the details, but we\u2019ve written a guide<\/a> about it that you can consult for more ideas.<\/p>\n

Build a Low-Cost Media Center<\/h2>\n

Although the popularity of Netflix and other streaming services<\/a> has made home media centers less popular these days, if you still have a library of digital video (including home movies) you\u2019d like to stream over a local network, you can install software called Kodi<\/a> on your Raspberry Pi that can let you play videos, display photos, record live TV, stream files from the network, and even play some games.<\/p>\n

To set it up<\/a>, you\u2019ll need to download Kodi for the Raspberry Pi, a microSD card with enough storage, and optionally, a FLIRC infra-red interface<\/a> if you want to control your new media center with a remote control. Sometimes it\u2019s nice to take control of your own digital media display options.<\/p>\n

Build a Streaming Game Machine<\/h2>\n

If you have a gaming PC compatible with NVIDIA\u2019s GameStream<\/a> technology, you can turn your Raspberry Pi 4 into a streaming game client<\/a> with a program called Moonlight<\/a> and a compatible game controller<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once you have a PC with the GeForce Experience software installed<\/a>, you can run Steam on that PC and connect to it remotely with your Raspberry Pi. If your local network is fast enough, you\u2019ll have a compelling gaming experience without needing to relocate your gaming PC.<\/p>\n

Build a Tiny Windows PC<\/h2>\n

The Raspberry Pi 4 is an ARM-based<\/a> platform, which means it can\u2019t run Intel versions of Windows. But believe it or not, it can run special ARM-based versions of Windows 10 and 11. Using a script called WoR-flasher<\/a> and a USB drive with 8 GB or more of storage, you can transform your Pi<\/a> into a tiny, cheap Windows PC.<\/p>\n

The results are reportedly<\/a> sluggish, since a Raspberry Pi is somewhat under-powered for the task\u2014and you\u2019ll only be able to use a limited set of ARM-compatible apps\u2014but running Windows on a Raspberry Pi might just be the ultimate nerd trick. Have fun out there!<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Best Raspberry Pi Kits of 2022<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n