Ethereum: wallets, accounts & contracts

Continuing this short series of posts on Ethereum for absolute beginners, here I discuss wallets.

As with many aspects of the Ethereum World, the terminology around "wallets" often seems strange and ambiguous, with descriptions like "Paper", "Presale", "Multisig" and "Brain Wallet".

However, I really want to concentrate on options which I think are best suited to those new to the subject.

Ethereum: what do you need to know?

How much do you need to understand about Ether and the BlockChain?

There is a mountain of information out there on virtual currency and the BlockChain, but it seems to me that the vast majority is aimed at the initiated.

In other words it is mostly written at a level that assumes you already understand the jargon and have a good understanding of the basics.

Ethereum: let's buy Ether

There is no better way of learning something than doing something.

So I decided to create a new wallet and buy Ether.

I found the whole process pretty straightforward, once I had selected the most appropriate place to buy Ether.

Ethereum: my new shiny Ether Bar

At a recent family celebration, I was presented with a shiny copper bar.

I immediately tested it with my teeth, thinking it may be like those metal coins we seem to buy the grand children every Christmas, filled with chocolate.

But this was a solid metal bar, made from brass with a bright copper finish.

Raspberry Pi: servo motor control via PWM

Following a question raised in response to a recent post on PWM, I hooked up a small servo motor to a Pi.

The motor in question is a 3 wire jobbie that needs a short pulse to control its position.

This short post explains how to drive the servo motor using wiringPi with a touch of Gambas.