This week on Maker Update, a Roomba for your whiteboard, a wearable for people who talk too much, a geometric planter, Arduino for Nerf, and mashing up code with Becky Stern.

This week on Maker Update, rolling your own split-flap display, the unholy union of Furby and Alexa, customized fan grilles and a walnut box with a foam core secret. This week’s Cool Tool is the Joe Knows Electronics Resistor Starter Kit.

My talk with Becky Stern about her Social Stats Tracker Display project on Instructables, which keeps tabs on her followers on Instagram, Twitter, and Instructables. Also, check out Becky’s previous YouTube Tracker project that laid the foundation for this.

Particle, the company behind the Internet of Things hardware and software platform of the same name, announced three new, low-cost development boards today that make use of mesh network technology. The Arduino-compatible development boards come with either a cellular (LTE/3G/2G) connection, Wi-Fi connection, or a mesh-only option. All three boards are also cable of communicating over Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE).

This week on Maker Update, gift-worthy projects including an RC Ladybug, high-tech puzzle box, firefly jar Bluetooth speakers, and a foam core constellation lamp. This week’s Cool Tool is a Digital Angle Ruler.

What is this?

In this project I’m going to show you how to turn a inexpensive Raspberry Pi computer into a home for your MP3 music collection that you can browse and control from your phone or computer. This same setup can weave together online music services like Spotify and Google Music, as well as internet radio, and also act as an Airplay or DLNA receiver for streaming music from other devices.

Right off the bat, let me acknowledge that I am by no means an expert on Raspberry Pi. If anything, I’m a beginner with Pi who was fortunate enough to find a sponsor for this video who valued a beginner’s perspective on things.

WD Labs is the sponsor for this video. They sent me their full Raspberry Pi kit which they call the Compute Centre, which includes a Pi 3, keyboard, case, mouse, power supply, a microSD card that plugs into the Pi preinstalled with software, and a hard drive.