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Free Raspberry Pi 4B in Abandoned Scooters

posted by janrinok on Tuesday August 08 2023, @07:53PM   Printer-friendly

Frosty Piss writes:

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-4bs-inside-spin-scooters

When things don't work out for scooter rental companies and they shut down or pull out of a city, they usually take spare stock with them. However, when Spin backed out of Seattle, many locals discovered unused scooters scattered throughout the city. Upon closer inspection of these abandoned devices, or should we say dissection, it was uncovered that they each have a Raspberry Pi 4B inside.

This discovery was recently shared on social media. Legally, if the scooters are abandoned then snagging one for the Pi inside is fair game but it's not clear if Spin has plans to recover their remaining assets.

The Seattle city government official website confirm that Spin originally arrived in 2021 as a fourth scooter rental option. However, the company did not renew its license for the most recent cycle. Because of this, you can find a few remaining Spin scooters around the city.

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  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday August 09 2023, @02:41PM

    by Freeman (732) on Wednesday August 09 2023, @02:41PM (#1319687) Journal

    The original RaspberryPi launched at a $15 price point. Sure, you still need the peripherals, and monitor, depending on what you want to do with it. There are headless uses for a RaspberryPi. The PiZero also launched at a $5 price point. Which put it in reach of $15 for it and the peripherals. The PiPico is essentially the only option that's available whenever you need it. That would probably have a lot to do with the fact that it's an overpriced microcontroller. I.E. Companies aren't going to spend $4 on a microcontroller, when they can spend $1 or less. Was sad to see the $5 price hike for PiZero and PiZeroW. Still, they're useful and $10 for a PiZero and $15 for PiZeroW isn't horrible. Though, at that point, a PiZero2W at $15 sounds much better.

    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-adds-100000-units-to-supply-chain-back-to-pre-pandemic-levels-in-2023 [tomshardware.com] (Dec. 2022 article)

    Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton announced via the official blog that a 100,000 units had been secured for single-unit sales (one unit per customer) and that by the second half of 2023 it is expected that will return to pre-pandemic levels. This is good news for those who have felt the bite of the supply shortage that has dogged the Raspberry Pi for well over a year. The bad news? Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero W see a $5 price increase, but the Raspberry Pi Zero will be available for bulk purchase in 2023.

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    Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
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