Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye Released: What to Expect and How to Get It

Bullseye comes to Raspberry Pi OS.
AshAsh Ash (345)
Nov 18, 2021
0

The latest version of Raspberry Pi OS has officially been released. It’s known as Bullseye, falling in line with the Toy Story-based naming convention of Debian releases. This new upgrade brings exciting changes and notable upgrades that may throw off your existing projects.

Overall the new changes are welcome and definitely help to polish the operating system. There are some user friendly add ons that make old processes obsolete and driver upgrades for certain components.

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Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye File SystemRaspberry Pi OS Bullseye File System
Raspberry Pi Foundation

The biggest visual change is the upgrade to version 3 of the GTK+ user interface toolkit. This application is used to draw things like menus and buttons. You’ll notice a new look to menus with tabbed interfaces.

In addition to the new look, a different file manager has been implemented to organize and sort through file structures. The new file manager is known as Mutter and it’s replacing an older tool known as Openbox. Items will now have only two display options for files: icons or a list.

Raspberry Pi UpdatesRaspberry Pi Updates
Raspberry Pi Foundation

One of the most exciting features that we’ve come across is the new Updater Plugin. It’s icon sits in the system tray and provides tools for users to update their Raspberry Pi without having to open a terminal window. There’s also a new notification manager that makes the notification system design more unified.

There’s a new KMS video driver as well as a camera driver change that may throw off existing projects that rely on the old driver. The new driver is called libcamera.

There are a few additional updates, including the inclusion of Chromium version 92 which features accelerated video playback—something you can definitely notice when playing YouTube videos on the Pi.

The latest version is already available for download. Just download the image from the Raspberry Pi website or use the Raspberry Pi Imager to flash the OS to a new SD card. We always recommend backing up your current configuration before upgrading to a new OS.

To get a closer look at the new Raspberry Pi OS edition, check out the official post released by the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

All the retro games you could desire from November 25th to December 2nd, 2021!
OdinOdin Odin (71)
Nov 18, 2021
0

Each week, check out my latest article for the new hit game or add-on released for free from the Epic Games Store!

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Free! Antstream Arcade Pack on Epic Games Store

All the retro games you could desire from November 25th to December 2nd, 2021!
OdinOdin Odin (71)
Nov 18, 2021
0

Each week, check out my latest article for the new hit game or add-on released for free from the Epic Games Store! This week, the deal is a special Antstream—Epic Welcome Pack worth $15 in “gems” (the in-system Antstream currency) These gems allow players to play games, receive special awards, and join tournaments. If you’ve been hankering for a heavy dose of nostalgia, this is the moment to act and get yourself a hearty dose of retro gaming in.

The Epic Games Store has been around for a while, the lesser-known alternative to Steam, the nearly-ubiquitous platform for game purchases since it launched in 2003. But, where Steam originally existed and launched to promote Valve games, Epic Games Store launched in 2018 and quickly rose to success on the Fortnight franchise. At the time of Epic’s launch, Steam took a dramatic 30% cut from the sales of video games through their platform! This hurt both game designers and users, just wasn’t very nice. But the folks behind Epic realized something excellent: they could take a much lower cut and still have a profitable business. This led them to fast domination of the indie market, as small publishers flocked to the far better terms offered by Epic.

Mega Discounts

Epic Games Store offers some seriously incredible discounts on a regular basis, in addition to all the normal discounts one would expect on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the usual holidays. But the most exciting is their weekly free game or add-on, which simply harpoons all competitors.

When I first heard about this free game, I thought that can’t be real. They must only offer tiny indie games. Not at all, dear reader. Not. At. All. Epic frequently lists unbelievable A-lister games on their weekly deal, as well as sometimes offer two free games instead of one. In addition, just because a studio is smaller doesn’t mean the games it makes aren’t impressive. I’ve picked up some of my favorite new games, for free, from this platform, and most of them have been made by smaller studios (or as side-projects for teams from big studios).

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Antstream - Epic Welcome PackAntstream - Epic Welcome Pack
Antstream – Epic Welcome Pack

Grab 1090 Gems for free to use in-game! This in-game currency can be spent on playing games, challenges and limited-time tournaments! Gems can also be used to unlock harder challenges and play turn-based PvP against friends and other players!

Retro gaming is an absolute blast. There are few better ways to instantly catapult oneself back in time than with the nostalgia-inducing trip into the land of classic video games. And classic video games is exactly what Antstream specializes in.

Available on Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire, and Nvidia Shield, Antstream features over one thousand retro games, and has built a unique community of retro gamers who undertake challenges on their favorite games and even compete in massive global tournaments! It’s sort of like being in an old-fashioned arcade, but from the comfort of your living room.

Watch the video:

Now, Antstream does offer an ad-supported “free” service that anyone can enjoy, but it’s going to be a lot more fun to just shell out a year’s payment in advance (which works out to $7.99 per month) if you really want to dive into the realm of the classics.

Just remember not to sign up using a Facebook ID, the only global log-in option that Antstream offers—the last thing we want to do is give Facebook greater insight into our lives!

Get your retro game on with Raspberry Pi!Get your retro game on with Raspberry Pi!
Get your retro game on with Raspberry Pi!

Antstream is cool, and this deal’s a great way to have some fun on the platform without making a big commitment, but it’s not the only way to dive into your retro game obsession. Not by a long shot.

Probably the best way to start retro gaming is to either opt for a pre-configured retro gaming console… OR simply build your own! Our step-by-step guide to building your own RetroPie game station with Raspberry Pi is easy, fun, and certain to be the sort of project that a retro games enthusiast could enjoy.

Or, maybe instead of buying your kid a modern game console, you could get the stuff to make your own RetroPie station with Raspberry Pi and set some time aside each day to help them build it—and then play together on the console you yourselves have made! After all, the most important gift we can give someone we love is our time and presence, and spending time together with friends and family is what made these old retro games so great in the first place.

Bullseye comes to Raspberry Pi OS.
AshAsh Ash (345)
Nov 18, 2021
0

The latest version of Raspberry Pi OS has officially been released. It’s known as Bullseye, falling in line with the Toy Story-based naming convention of Debian releases.

Follow @howchoo and learn cool things:

Are you a passionate writer? We’re hiring!

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Apple News: Self Service Repairs

Repair your iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and Mac M1 from home!
Nov 18, 2021
0

Apple announced some very exciting news about Apple repairs Wednesday, specifically regarding iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and Macs with M1 chips. For as long as I can recall, most Android smartphones had some Self Service Repairs, specifically when it comes to battery replacement. Getting a new battery in the mail made a simple repair as simple as it should be, removing many of the inconveniences that are innate to tech repairs.

iPhones, however, have never involved Self Service Repairs. Because Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers can often be a far, inconvenient drive for Apple users, Self Service Repair for Apple products revolutionizes the repair process for tech-savvy customers who have experience or repair knowledge, including those who are person(s) with disabilities, are at risk of COVID-19, or don’t actively have transportation. In fact, it even surpasses the Self Service Repairs that are offered by Apple’s competitors. This new service option makes a simple repair a truly simple repair without any of the previous inconveniences.

But what is a Self Service Repair and what does it entail? What devices are eligible? Who should use Self-Service Repair? When can we all take advantage of this service option?

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Self Service Repair is a new, additional service option for Apple Products that allows customers to get Apple genuine parts, Repair Manuals, and additional tools sent to them so that they can repair the product from the comfort of their home. Of course, Self Service Repair is a repair option meant for simple repairs. Some types of repairs eligible for Self Service Repair might be battery replacement, display replacement, camera replacement, and more.

To start, Apple will make Self Service Repair available for iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. Though, at an undisclosed time, this exciting repair option will also be made available for Macs with M1 Chips. If Apple customers have any of these products, they could be eligible for Self Service Repair, though the repair needed and skill-level of the customer may dictate if Self Service Repair is appropriate.

The great thing is that setting up Self Service Repair, determining if it is appropriate and if the repair and device are eligible, is as easy as setting up any other repair. Simply calling Apple Care and speaking with an Apple Representative can help customers determine the best repair for their product.

Apple Newsroom made an important point in their covering of the Apple Press Release when directly mentioning that Self Service Repairs are for “customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs” and “individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices.” Essentially, Apple Newsroom is specifically stating that only those who consider themselves tech-savvy enough, and with the adequate repair experience or knowledge, to replace a “battery, display, or camera” should try out Self Service Repair. While these are indeed simple repairs, they are still repairs of a device that is not only important to the customer, but that costs a significant amount of money. If a customer feels leery or scared of what they may do while attempting to repair their iPhone or Mac, they shouldn’t complete a Self Service Repair.

However, I should note that Self Service Repairs with come with access to Repair Manuals and directions for the repair and repair process. Customers are also able and encouraged to review the Repair Manuals before scheduling a Self Service Repair with Apple.

Self Service Repair will be available in as little as three short months, but is supposed to be available in the United States at some point at the beginning of 2022. Though Apple hasn’t announced exact dates, Self Service Repair will also be available in multiple, though unspecified, countries later in 2022.

Unfortunately, the exact costs of the repairs have not yet been released. However, Apple’s repairs are universally known to be based on flat-rates. For example, according to the Apple iPhone Repair and Service Page all display replacements for the same model cost the same amount; it is safe to assume that the Self Service Repairs won’t be any different, or, at least, I would hope not.

Figure out which Apple device is best for your needs!
Aug 7, 2021
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With college semesters approaching right around the corner, it’s more important than ever to be proactive in making sure you select the right product for you.

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This fully-functional, stamp-sized robot named ‘Dot’ is powered by Raspberry Pi

JamieJamie Jamie (11)
Nov 17, 2021
0

I am continuously impressed with how creative people are, and Kaisar (@roboticbits on Twitter) is the newest person on top of the list after creating “Dot,” a stamp-sized two wheel robot. The robot is based on the Pimoroni Tiny 2040, and uses a 3V DC motor and a 70mA battery for power.

Kaisar claims that this is the smallest fully-functioning robot in the world, and while that might (or might not) be the case, either way it’s an impressive build.

While not available quite yet, Kaisar has stated on Twitter that details will be posted to Github in the near future.

Pimoroni Tiny 2040Pimoroni Tiny 2040Pimoroni Tiny 2040 ×1

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Kaisar has another mini-robot project called Pica, which is an impressive three-wheeled robot built on a cut out Raspberry Pi Pico, with three motors controlled by a TI DRV8833 motor driver.

Keep track of all of Kaisar’s new projects by following their Twitter account @roboticbits.

Epic Games Store goes mental with this amazing deal: 3 free games between Nov. 18-25th!
OdinOdin Odin (70)
Nov 14, 2021
0

Each week, check out my latest article for the new hit game or add-on released for free from the Epic Games Store!

Follow @howchoo and learn cool things:

Are you a passionate writer? We’re hiring!

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Three Free Games on Epic Games Store!

Epic Games Store goes mental with this amazing deal: 3 free games between Nov. 18-25th!
OdinOdin Odin (77)
Nov 14, 2021
0

Each week, check out my latest article for the new hit game or add-on released for free from the Epic Games Store! This time around, Epic Games Store has thrown up a massive offering for follows, with three incredible games released completely free. Epic has offered great games in the past week, like the Tiny Tina standalone game, but they don’t seem content to stop there. Maybe they’re just determined to show that it’s Epic, not Steam, that’s destined to be the best games distributor in the decades ahead.

Between the 18th and 25th of November, you can grab these three games for free: – Guild of Dungeoneering (this one looks so awesome) – Kid A MNESIA Exhibition (Incredible artwork from the classic Radiohead albums) – Never Alone (will clearly make you sob).

I go into all the details in this article, so read on to learn about this epic games!

Three incredible games released completely free

The Epic Games Store has been around for a while, the lesser-known alternative to Steam, the nearly-ubiquitous platform for game purchases since it launched in 2003. But, where Steam originally existed and launched to promote Valve games, Epic Games Store launched in 2018 and quickly rose to success on the Fortnight franchise. At the time of Epic’s launch, Steam took a dramatic 30% cut from the sales of video games through their platform! This hurt both game designers and users, just wasn’t very nice. But the folks behind Epic realized something excellent: they could take a much lower cut and still have a profitable business. This led them to fast domination of the indie market, as small publishers flocked to the far better terms offered by Epic.

Mega Discounts

Epic Games Store offers some seriously incredible discounts on a regular basis, in addition to all the normal discounts one would expect on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the usual holidays. But the most exciting is their weekly free game or add-on, which simply harpoons all competitors.

When I first heard about this free game, I thought that can’t be real. They must only offer tiny indie games. Not at all, dear reader. Not. At. All. Epic frequently lists unbelievable A-lister games on their weekly deal, as well as sometimes offer two free games instead of one. In addition, just because a studio is smaller doesn’t mean the games it makes aren’t impressive. I’ve picked up some of my favorite new games, for free, from this platform, and most of them have been made by smaller studios (or as side-projects for teams from big studios).

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Guild of DungeoneeringGuild of Dungeoneering
Guild of Dungeoneering

Guild of Dungeoneering is a turn-based, dungeon-crawling, card-battler with a twist: instead of controlling the hero you build the dungeon around them.

This totally reminds me of card games like Boss Monster, where the goal is sort of the opposite of what you might find in Dungeons&Dragons: instead of simply defeating the dungeon, you try to build the dungeon to defeat the adventurer!

One of the most obvious things about this game is it has the absolute best theme song, ever.

A turn-based game, the goal is to build the dungeon out around the adventurer, drawing cards to add rooms, monsters, and treasure along the way. Is it fun? Heck yes! There are some limitations to turn-based games, but it’s ultimately one of the best games of this type I’ve seen in a long time.

Watch the video:

KID A MNESIA EXHIBITIONKID A MNESIA EXHIBITION
KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION

An upside-down digital/analogue universe created from original artwork and recordings to commemorate 21 years of Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac.

Two years in the making, this incredible digital exhibition that commemorates 21 years since Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac albums. Originally intended as a physical exhibit, the pandemic changed everything, and Epic Games stepped in as an unlikely publisher, brining the Radiohead artist’s unique and intense artwork to life in one of the most unbelievable ways. The exhibit features artwork from Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood and sound design is by Nigel Godrich.

Watch the video:

Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)

Experience the epic journey of Nuna and Fox as they search for the source of an eternal blizzard that threatens the survival of everything they have ever known.

Based on a traditional Iñupiaq tale “Kunuuksaayuka”, this amazing and atmospheric puzzle platformer brings the myth to incredible new dimensions, connecting modern audiences with a traditional story. The original tale was first recorded by Robert Nasruk Cleveland in his collection Stories of the Black River People, and it’s incredible to see it brought to life in this way.

Players take on the role of an Iñupiaq girl named Nuna and her arctic fox companion as they puzzle out the meaning of the blizzard that ravages the world. The game was developed in conjunction with an Iñupiaq storyteller and is remarkable for the way it helps draw the player into aspects of traditional Iñupiaq culture. I really cannot gush about this one enough.

Watch the video:

More games from these designersMore games from these designers
More games from these designers

Gambrinous

Based in Dublin, Ireland, Gambrinous is an indie game studio dedicated to bringing the wonder of traditional tabletop and board games. They’ve released a bunch of simple games, always riffing off these traditional tabletop themes. One of their newest is Cardpocalypse, which is about saving the world in an RPG setting dedicated to being a 90s kid.

Watch the video:

Radiohead

Well, it’s not really a “game” per se, but video games have a long history as art exhibits in and of themselves. Really, though, the best thing to do in this case is sink into the albums being commemorated themselves, or maybe watch this excellent mini-documentary about the artistic process behind this exhibition.

Watch the video:

Upper One Games

Upper One Games is the first indigenous-owned video game developer and publisher in US history, a massive milestone on the road toward showcasing the incredible work and heritage of native people and culture. If you like this game, you’re certain to adore other stellar aesthetic platform games, like Ori and the Blind Forest.

Watch the video:

This Kickstarter has passed its goal but users can still preorder.
AshAsh Ash (346)
Nov 24, 2021
0

The Raspberry Pi Pico is the first official microcontroller to come from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and like the SBCs that came before it, the Pico is compatible with a variety of HATs from third party developers. Today we’ve got an exciting new barcode scanning Pico HAT and Barcode Scanner Breakout to share with you created by maker Om Singh. Om recently created a Kickstarter that has more than surpassed its initial goal, ensuring the new boards are well on their way to development. The HAT is designed to mount to the Pico while the breakout can connect to devices via microUSB. Both provide a variety of tools to both scan and process various barcodes.

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All the Biomes Being Changed in the Caves & Cliffs: Part 2 Update

BrittBritt Britt (76)
Nov 12, 2021
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It was at Minecraft Live 2020 that the Caves & Cliffs update was originally announced. Since then, the Mojang team has been working tirelessly to bring players the biggest changes to world generation since the game first released in 2011. In April 2021, Mojang Studios announced the update would be split in two parts, with the first (1.17) released two months later.

With Caves & Cliffs Part 2 set to release in November or December 2021, many changes are set to be made to the entire Overworld of Minecraft. Each new snapshot version shows something new, but it’s hard to keep track of.

Below is a guide to all the changes being made to biomes within the 1.18 update!* These changes could also include the addition or removal of biomes and their variants.

*Changes noted are from the latest snapshot as of writing, Java Edition 21w44a.

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snowy tundrasnowy tundra

The tundra is vast and covered with snow layers. The exposed grass and leaves take an aqua tone. Lakes generate frequently, though freeze over due to the temperature if not exposed to light. The Caves & Cliffs: Part 2 update will rename this biome to snowy plains.

Originally this biome had three variants: snowy tundra, snowy mountains, and ice spikes. In 1.18, snowy mountains will no longer exist.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Snowy Plains Snowy/Ice Uncommon 0.0 Igloo
Village
Pillager Outpost
Polar Bear
Rabbit
Stray
Snowy Mountains Snowy/Ice Uncommon 0.0 Polar Bear
Rabbit
Stray
Ice Spikes Snowy/Ice Rare 0.0 Ice Spike
Ice Patch
Polar Bear
Rabbit
Stray
snowy taiga hillssnowy taiga hills

The snowy taiga biome is one of three variants: snowy taiga, snowy taiga hills, and snowy taiga mountains. Both the hills and mountains variants will be removed in 1.18. Before villages didn’t spawn in the snowy taiga biome, however, in the update they’ll finally be able to!

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Snowy Taiga Snowy/Ice Uncommon -0.5 Igloo
Village
Pillager Outpost (BE Only)
Sheep
Pig
Chicken
Cow
Wolf
Rabbit
Snowy Fox
Snowy Taiga Hills Snowy/Ice Uncommon -0.5 Village (BE only)
Pillager Outpost (BE Only)
Sheep
Pig
Chicken
Cow
Wolf
Rabbit
Snowy Fox
Snowy Taiga Mountains Snowy/Ice Rare -0.5 Sheep
Pig
Chicken
Cow
Wolf
Rabbit
Snowy Fox
mountains minecraftmountains minecraft

Considering the name of the update implies cliffs, it’s no surprise that the mountain biomes are getting the most facelift. The following renames have been made:

  • Extreme Hills (BE only) has been renamed to Windswept Hills.
  • Wooded Mountains has been renamed to Windswept Forest.
  • Gravelly Hills has been renamed to Windswept Gravelly Hills.

There are only two biomes being removed in the update: gravelly mountains+ and mountain edge biomes. Gravelly mountains+ was a rare variant of the wooded hill biome that has the exact same features as the regular gravelly mountains. The only difference was that it could rarely generate on its own as a separation between a desert lakes biome and a snowy biome.

Mountain edge biomes were used until Java Edition 1.7.2. It is currently unused and was a technical biome intended to provide a smooth transition from other biomes to the mountains.

There are a handful of new variants of the mountain biome being added!

meadow minecraft 1.18meadow minecraft 1.18

Meadow

The meadow is a grassy biome filled with patches of flowers and turquoise-green grass or double tall grass. Rarely, a lone oak or birch tree of any size can generate and always has a bee nest. Both pillager outposts, and plains villages can generate in this biome, making this the only mountain biome where villages can generate. The meadow biome generates in the lower sides of some mountains but can also generate standalone in plateaus, mainly next to plains and other temperate biomes.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Meadow Lush/Temperate‌ (JE only)
Cold‌ (BE only)
Uncommon 0.5‌ (JE only)
0.3‌ (BE only)
Pillager Outpost
Village
Sheep
Donkey
Rabbit
grove minecraft 1.18grove minecraft 1.18

Grove

The grove creates a forest of spruce trees on the sides of a mountain. The surface is covered with snow, snow blocks, dirt, and a lot of powder snow instead of grass blocks. This biome generates in high altitudes beneath the peaks and on hilltops next to forested biomes such as dark forests and taigas, and can generate at lower altitudes if next to snowy biomes.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Grove Snowy Uncommon -0.2 Pillager Outpost Wolf
Rabbit
Red Fox
snowy slopes minecraft 1.18snowy slopes minecraft 1.18

Snowy Slopes

The snowy slopes is a mostly barren biome covered in snow, multiple layers of snow blocks and powder snow, with some sides also having stone cliffs. This is the only mountain biome where igloos can generate. Just like the grove, this biome generates at the slopes of the mountain, beneath the peaks and in hilltops. They’re generally near areas with less forested biomes, like plains and snowy tundras, and can start generating at lower altitudes in snowy regions.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Snowy Slopes Snowy Uncommon -0.3 Pillager Outpost
Igloo
Rabbit
Goat
jagged peaks minecraft 1.18jagged peaks minecraft 1.18

Jagged Peaks

The jagged peaks are one of the three peak biomes that generates only on the top of the mountain if they are tall enough, peaking at y=256. It is covered by a single layer of snow blocks with stone underneath often exposing ores such as coal, iron and emerald, and just like the snowy slopes, stone cliffs can generate in some sides of the mountain.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Jagged Peaks Snowy Uncommon -0.7 Pillager Outpost Goat
frozen peaks minecraft 1.18frozen peaks minecraft 1.18

Frozen Peaks

The frozen peaks are covered by snow, snow blocks, glaciers of packed ice, and occasional small blobs of ice. Frozen peaks generate in smaller and smoother hills near snowy, cold and temperate biomes, but it can also generate in slightly jagged and taller peaks.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Frozen Peaks Snowy Uncommon -0.7 Pillager Outpost Goat
stony peaks minecraft 1.18stony peaks minecraft 1.18

Stony Peaks

The stony peaks are a warmer variation of both the jagged peaks and the frozen peaks biomes that generates when a mountain peak is in a region with lukewarm biomes such as savannas, and jungles. It doesn’t generate snowy slopes or groves in the slopes of the mountain, unless there’s a colder biome bordering the peak. It is mainly covered by stone with large strips of calcite and exposed ores. The grass and foliage in this biome have a unique vibrant light green tint.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures
Stony Peaks Lush/Temperate Uncommon 1.0 Pillager Outpost
giant tree taigagiant tree taiga

While the normal taiga can be considered a colder counterpart of the forest biome, the giant tree taigas could be considered a colder counterpart of the jungle biome. The giant tree taiga have four different variants: giant tree taiga, giant tree taiga hills, giant spruce taiga, and giant spruce taiga hills.

In 1.18, the giant tree taiga will be renamed to old growth pine taiga and the giant spruce taiga will be renamed to old growth spruce taiga. Also, giant tree taigas will no longer be considered cold biomes in terms of biome placement.

The variants giant tree taiga hills and giant spruce taiga hills will be removed in the upcoming update as well.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Old Growth Pine Taiga Cold Uncommon 0.3 Forest Rocks Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Wolf
Rabbit
Red Fox
Old Growth Spruce Taiga Cold Uncommon 0.25 Forest Rocks Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Wolf
Rabbit
Red Fox
stony shorestony shore

The shorelines of Minecraft are getting a needed change in 1.18! Beaches will soon be wider and generate less frequently. Before you could find a patch of sand anywhere that could qualify as a beach, but now they’ll have some restrictions to generation.

  • Beaches are more likely to appear on flat coastlines rather than hilly areas.
  • Stone shores are less common.
  • Beaches are no longer created when a desert borders an ocean.

The stone shore biome has also been renamed to stony shore. The stony shore variant generates wherever mountains or wooded mountains biomes border an ocean. They are made entirely of stone, with some gravel patches, and are usually a steep drop into the water below. Stone shores may generate at high enough elevations to have snow on their peaks, and waterfalls and lavafalls frequently generate on its sides.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures
Stony Shore Cold Common 0.2 Buried Treasure (BE only)
birch forestbirch forest

A birch forest is a lush temperate biome, usually generating near other lush biomes. There are four variants: birch forest, birch forest hills, tall birch hills, and tall birch forest.

The 1.18 update removes the birch forest hills and tall birch hills biomes. It also renames the tall birch forest to old growth birch forest. The old growth birch forest‌ features birch trees that generate much taller than normal. It also has taller hills compared to those in the birch forest hills, making this variant less suitable for shelter.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Notable Mobs
Birch Forest Temperate/Lush Common 0.6 Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Birch Forest Hills Temperate/Lush Common 0.6 Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Old Growth Birch Forest Temperate/Lush Rare 0.6 (JE only)
0.7 (BE only)
Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow

The birch forest will be getting even more updates, as featured in Minecraft Live 2021! Read about the upcoming Wilds update in our recap of the virtual event!

dark forest hillsdark forest hills

A dark forest is a temperate forested biome, known for its thick canopies that block light sufficiently to allow hostile mobs to spawn during the daytime. It has two variants: the dark forest and dark forest hills.

In 1.18, the dark forest hills biome will be removed. Dark forest hills break the leaf canopy, increasing visibility and decreasing the chance of daytime hostile mob spawning, though the hills are steep compared to other hill biomes.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Dark Forest Lush/Temperate Common 0.7 Woodland Mansion Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Dark Forest Hills Medium/Mild Rare 0.7 Woodland Mansion Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
swampswamp

Swamps are mostly flat biomes, with elevations low enough to go below sea level throughout much of the area. Large portions of swamps are flooded, from marsh-like patches of single blocks to large lakes. Water in swamps takes on a gray-green color at the surface, turning pale yellow when submerged in it. Unlike most biomes, swamps have varying temperatures, which affects the color of grass blocks, grass and leaves.

In 1.18, the following changes will be made to the swamp biome:

  • Swamps are less likely to overlap cold or dry biomes.
  • Hanging water is no longer placed in swamps.
  • Swamps are less likely to extend far out from the coastline and are moved slightly more inland.
  • Swamp oak trees are now able to generate in slightly deeper water than before.
  • Swamps are now able to generate in dry areas, making them less fragmented overall.

The swamp hills biome has been removed in the 1.18 update. The swamp hills variant featured hillier terrain rising up between the flat marshes. Flooded areas in swamp hills tended to reach lower depths than the rest of the swamp, sometimes deep enough to have a gravel floor in place of a dirt floor, like normal oceans.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Swamp Lush/Temperate Common 0.8 (default, varies with swamp) Swamp Hut
Fossil
Huge Mushroom (BE only)
Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Swamp Hills Medium/Mild Rare 0.8 (default, varies with swamp) Swamp Hut (BE only)
Fossil
Huge Mushroom (BE only)
Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow

Swamps will be getting even more changes in the 2022 Wilds update! Read more about it from our Minecraft Live 2021 recap!

jungle hillsjungle hills

A jungle is a lush, temperate biome full of dense vegetation. Jungles are somewhat rare biomes, usually are expansive, and generate in green biome clusters. It has a total of seven variants:

  • Jungle
  • Jungle Hills
  • Modified Jungle
  • Jungle Edge
  • Modified Jungle Edge
  • Bamboo Jungle
  • Bamboo Jungle Hills

In 1.18, the jungle edge biome is renamed to sparse jungle. The jungle hills, modified jungle, modified jungle edge, and bamboo jungle hills biomes have all been removed. Below are the statistics for the remaining three jungle biomes in 1.18:

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Jungle Medium/Lush Uncommon 0.95 Jungle Pyramid Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Parrot
Panda
Ocelot
Sparse Jungle Medium/Lush Uncommon 0.95 Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Bamboo Jungle Medium/Lush Rare 0.95 Jungle Pyramid (JE only) Sheep
Chicken
Pig
Cow
Parrot
Panda
mushroom field shoremushroom field shore

Mushroom fields is a rare lush biome that is the rarest non-variant biome in the game. The mushroom biome usually generates as a single island surrounded by ocean, though it occasionally generates touching land on a side. The islands have the tendency to be close to one another, resulting in multiple mushroom fields separated by only a few hundred blocks. In the upcoming update, mushroom fields will be tweaked to better match the shape of islands.

There is one variant to mushroom fields, mushroom field shore, which will be removed in 1.18. The mushroom field shore is a technical biome, that represents both the shores and the rivers of the mushroom fields.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Mushroom Fields Medium/Lush Rare 0.9 Huge Mushrooms Mooshroom
desertdesert

The desert is a common warm biome mainly consisting of sand. It has three variations: desert, desert hills, and desert lakes. In the upcoming 1.18 update, the desert hills and desert lakes biomes will be removed. Also, desert biomes are now larger and less likely to show up as “microbiomes.”

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Desert Dry/Warm Common 2.0 Desert Temple
Village
Desert Well
Fossil
Pillager Outpost
Gold Rabbit
Desert Hills Dry/Warm Common 2.0 Desert Well
Fossil
Desert Pyramid (BE only)
Gold Rabbit
Desert Lakes Dry/Warm Rare 2.0 Desert Well
Fossil
Gold Rabbit
savannasavanna

The savanna is a common warm biome. It typically generates bordering a desert or plains biome, and has four variations total:

  • Savanna
  • Savanna Plateau
  • Shattered Savanna
  • Shattered Savanna Plateau

In Caves & Cliffs Part 2, shattered savanna is renamed to windswept savanna and are now less common. The shattered savanna plateau biome has been removed, and water lakes no longer generate in savannas.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Savanna Dry/Warm Common 1.2 Village
Pillager Outpost
Sheep
Pig
Chicken
Cow
Horse
Donkey
Savanna Plateau Dry/Warm Common 1.0 Sheep
Pig
Chicken
Cow
Horse
Donkey
Llama
Windswept Savanna Dry/Warm‌ (JE only)
Lush/Temperate‌ (BE only)
Rare 1.1 Sheep
Pig
Chicken
Cow
Horse
Donkey
Shattered Savanna Plateau Dry/Warm‌ (JE only)
Lush/Temperate‌ (BE only)
Rare 1.0 Sheep
Pig
Chicken
Cow
Horse
Donkey
badlands 1.17badlands 1.17

The badlands is another biome family getting an upgrade! Formerly known as the mesa biome, the badlands is a rare warm biome, featuring mounds of terracotta in various colors. There are six different variants of the badlands biome:

  • Badlands
  • Badlands Plateau
  • Modified Badlands Plateau
  • Wooded Badlands Plateau
  • Modified Wooded Badlands Plateau
  • Eroded Badlands
badlands 1.18badlands 1.18

1.18 brings changes to the generation and look of the badlands with:

  • Badlands will sometimes show up as flat areas next to plateaus.
  • Increased the maximum Y-level for red sand to generate, and increased the minimum Y-level for grass and coarse dirt to generate in wooded badlands plateaus.
  • Eroded badlands no longer create floating pillars on top of a water surface.
  • Increased the minimum Y-level for grass and coarse dirt to generate in wooded badlands plateaus.
  • Badlands biomes are slightly smaller on average.
  • Badlands can now generate on sharp peaks.
  • Water lakes no longer generate in badlands.
  • The extra gold ore in badlands biomes now generates up to Y=255.

The wooded badlands plateau has been renamed to the wooded badlands, while the badlands plateau, modified badlands plateau, and modified wooded badlands plateau biomes have all been removed.

Here are the statistics for the remaining three biome variants:

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures
Badlands Dry/Warm Uncommon 2.0 Mineshaft
Wooded Badlands Dry/Warm Uncommon 2.0 Mineshaft
Eroded Badlands Dry/Warm Rare 2.0 Exposed Mineshaft
deep warm oceandeep warm ocean

The deep warm ocean is similar to the warm ocean, but without coral reefs or sea pickles and is twice as deep. Since it is a deep ocean variant, ocean monuments and tall seagrass can spawn.

Currently, this biome does not naturally generate, though it can be generated using a Customized Superflat world. However, in 1.18 this biome will be removed.

Biome Type Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Deep Warm Ocean Aquatic 0.5 Ocean Monument
Shipwreck
Underwater Ruin
Dolphin
Squid
Tropical Fish
river 1.17river 1.17

A river is a common technical biome. Rivers serve as borders between various other biomes, and usually lead to oceans, although they can also form loops.

rivers 1.18rivers 1.18

In 1.18, rivers get an overhaul! They will now be less likely to form a steep, dry river gorge in mountainous terrain. Instead, they either carve a fjord through it, or they raise the terrain to form a valley. Rivers that go through swamps tend to be more shallow, and merge with them rather than carve through the swamps. Finally, rivers are less likely to be very deep or get choked off in flat areas.

cavescaves

As you’d expect from the Caves & Cliffs update, the caves of Minecraft are getting revamped. They will now stretch down to y=59 and generate in two layers of different stone bases: regular stone and deepslate.

Caves can contain aquifers, bodies of water with different heights, that are independent of the sea level. They can also generate with lava instead of water, so explore carefully! This update also reduced the amount of flooded caves near river and ocean coastlines.

There are three new noise caves:

  • Cheese caves have large stone towers stretching from the bottom of the cave to the top, and are often large enough to allow safe elytra flight.
  • Spaghetti caves are long, thin caves that have small aquifers and are more similar to original caves.
  • Noodle caves are thinner, squigglier, and more claustrophobic variants of spaghetti caves.

Most importantly, there are two new biomes being added to cave generation!

dripstone cavedripstone cave

Dripstone caves generate with dripstone blocks and pointed dripstone both hanging as stalactites and growing from the ground as stalagmites. Small water wells of 1 × 1 blocks are generated in the ground. This biome also generates larger copper ore blobs compared to other biomes.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Notable Mobs
Dripstone Cave Underground Common 0.8‌ (JE only)
0.2‌ (BE only)
Glow Squid
Drowned
lush cavelush cave

Lush caves generate underground at any height, usually in areas with forested biomes. Azalea trees generate on any empty space above a lush cave, with roots consisting of rooted dirt and hanging roots that generate down until reaching the lush cave.

Within, moss and ores covers the floors and ceilings, along with moss carpets, grass, and azalea bushes. On the ceiling, vines and cave vines with glow berries grow down and light up the caves. Spore blossoms grow from the ceiling and drip water particles. A lush cave contains springs and shallow lakes with clay where dripleaf plants grow out of them.

Biome Type Rarity Temperature Structures Notable Mobs
Lush Cave Underground Uncommon 0.85 (JE only)
0.29 (BE only)
Dungeon
Mineshaft
Stronghold
Amethyst Geode
Axolotl
Glow Squid
Tropical Fish
BrittBritt Britt (76)
Dec 2, 2021
5 minutes

Sometimes you want to share your Minecraft builds or moments with others, while other times you want to access screenshots of coordinates to the point of interest you promised you’d return to.

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Here’s What You Missed at Minecraft Live 2021

New biomes, mobs, and tools!
BrittBritt Britt (76)
Nov 8, 2021
0

One of the biggest events for all Minecraft lovers out there is Minecraft Live. For those unaware, Minecraft Live is a virtual event streamed live to the entire world. The show is filled with news, content creators, and a community vote that will influence the game!

Originally Minecraft Live was part of the Minecraft Festival which was to be held last year in Orlando, Florida. However, due to the pandemic, they postponed the main event to 2022 and began a new Minecraft Live tradition.

On October 16th, viewers from around the world tuned into the livestream anticipating more news about the upcoming 1.18 update, but got more than they expected! The pre-show was packed with clips of content creators challenging themselves (and others), and YouTubers MoonKase and Masuo shared why they love Minecraft.

Agnes Larsson, the Minecraft Vanilla Game Director, stated, “That’s what we want to do with Minecraft. We want to inspire [players] to play Minecraft in their own way.” Which is exactly what the 2021 Minecraft Live event has done!

So without further ado, here’s a recap of all the cool and new things that Mojang has in store for Minecraft!

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caves and cliffs update part 2caves and cliffs update part 2
Mojang

A lot of the inspiration and guidance for the Caves & Cliffs update came from the Minecraft community itself. Larsson praises, “This is the biggest update we’ve ever done, and we couldn’t have done it without the community.”

The most notable change to the upcoming update is that the Deep Dark biome, the new warden mob, and sculk blocks will be released in the 1.19: The Wild update (which you can read more on below). The change was made so that developers could ensure it’s just right for release, as it is a larger project than they anticipated.

part 2bpart 2b
One type of cave in the Part 2 update was inspired by the Son Doong Cave in Vietnam!

Originally the update was to be focused on new cave generation and mountains, however, they’ve expanded that reach to all biome generation. Biomes like the plains and badlands will now have more realistic and interesting cliff and hill generation!

Some image descriptionSome image description

For those with worlds that they’ve been playing for years, you won’t have to worry about the update breaking them. Developers wanted to make sure that old worlds could be played and updated to the latest version through a feature called blending. This feature will stop world generation from having jagged, mismatched, edges. Instead, it will blend the generations together. When loading an old world into a newer version, the caves will generate in the levels beneath the already generated ones, leaving more to explore without destroying the old.

Java and Bedrock will receive the new update at the same time! Mojang has also added a new feature called seed parity. Previously, there was no cross-sharing of seeds between Java and Bedrock, but the 1.18 update will make it so seeds can be shared between the two!

The Caves and Cliffs updates are the first to increase the world height and depth of bedrock, add an amphibian mob, and change the light level requirement in the Overworld. Caves & Cliffs Part 2 is set to release in November or December 2021.

minecraft on gamepassminecraft on gamepass
Mojang

On November 2nd, Minecraft Bedrock and Java Editions were added to Xbox Game Pass for PC! It will be the only place to get both Java and Bedrock in a singular place.

mob vote 2021mob vote 2021
Mojang

Minecraft developers came up with three new mobs to add to Minecraft! As with every year, the Minecraft community got to vote on which mob will be added to an upcoming update! In 2020, players voted for the glow squid, which made its debut in the Caves & Cliffs Part 1 update!

The mobs for 2021 were:

  • Glare: a creature that flies around, hates darkness, and brings players attention to areas that need more light.
  • Allay: a flying creature who loves music and will find items similar to one that a player gives it.
  • Copper Golem: a golem made of copper that will interact and oxidizes over time. If it oxidizes completely, it will turn into a statue and must be deoxidized. It also will randomly press copper buttons.

The winning mob of Minecraft Live 2021 was the allay mob, which will be released with the upcoming The Wild update!

blockbench plugin minecraftblockbench plugin minecraft
Mojang

The Creator Learning Portal is a newly launched website for all to learn how to become a Minecraft creator. Learn how to make skins, worlds, mash-up packs, texture packs, and more with guides filled with helpful information and steps!

There’s also some exciting news for Blockbench users! For those who aren’t familiar with Blockbench, it’s an open-source 3D modeling application where creators can model, texture, and animate 3D block-based models for Minecraft (and other games).

Jannis, the creator of Blockbench, teamed up with Mojang to create a Minecraft plugin. The plugin, called Minecraft Entity Wizard, lets creators build new entities based on premade templates of official Minecraft mobs. Creators can choose from premade models, behaviors, and spawn eggs. The plugin is free for all platforms and helps streamline the process and reduce errors!

mc ddungeonsmc ddungeons
Mojang

Many players already know that a Spooky Fall event has begun in Minecraft Dungeons. However, lead designer Laura de Llorens Garcia and her team announced much more for the game!

Seasonal Adventures

Seasonal Adventures is Dungeons’ version of a battle pass. Players complete missions to earn adventure points and unlock unique rewards, along with new pets, weekly challenges, emotes, and flairs! This feature is a way for players to progress in the game and gather ranks, and there will be both paid and free tracks of rewards. Seasons will last infinitely, so players can level through different seasons whenever they want. Players can earn points through regular gameplay, completing daily trials, and by defeating floors in the newly added Tower. Seasonal Adventures is set to come out this holiday season in December 2021.

The Tower

Located in the player’s camp, the Tower is a singleplayer structure where players fight through 30 floors, each floor getting more difficult as they go. The floors will change every two weeks, so players have enough time to learn and complete their tower before a new one arrives.

the wild updatethe wild update
Mojang

Mojang announced their next update, 1.19, titled The Wild Update. This update will encompass changes to nature and challenging adventures. As stated above, the Deep Dark biome was moved to the 1.19 update to expand upon their original idea with new loot and blocks. Ancient cities will be added to the Deep Dark which include various new blocks to create a creepy new area to explore for special loot. Developers have hinted that there is something special to explore within each city!

They’ve also expanded the sculk block family to include the shrieker and catalyst blocks to force players to be more careful and brave in the deeper parts of the overworld.

Celebrating Wilderness

The next update will include improvements to overworld biomes to make them more diverse, unique, and add more immersion. There aren’t too many details yet, but Mojang wants to add features that help players feel completely immersed in their Minecraft worlds.

The new boat with chest has been a long time coming (and probably one of the most requested items). Obviously it’s a boat with a chest in it, so finally, we can store items found in long-distance adventures!

mangrove swampmangrove swamp

Mangrove trees will be added! These trees will grow in the swamp biome and will have large roots that players can boat through. The mangrove saplings can be planted on land and in water. A new tree means a new set of wood blocks including planks, doors, trapdoors, and more! A new swamp variant will be the mangrove swamp that’s filled with these new mangrove trees.

Another new block family is mud, which can be created from a dirt block and water filled glass bottle or be found in a mangrove swamp. The mud block can be placed atop dripstone to dry out and turn into clay. There will also be a mud brick block that players can use to build with.

frogs minecraftfrogs minecraft

Two new mobs are being added to the swamp biome. Frogs will now jump around, croak at you, and love lily pads. Tadpoles will be added as well, which will grow up to become one of three variants of frogs based on temperature. Each frog variant will have a special trait, which developers are working on currently. Also, fireflies will add ambience to the swamp, especially when they get eaten by the frogs!

The Wild update will be the first update to add a 2-dimentional mob (fireflies) and to feature a losing vote candidate from previous community votes (mangrove swamp). The Wild update is set to release in 2022!

Watch the full livestream here:

Watch the video:

BrittBritt Britt (76)
Dec 2, 2021
5 minutes

Sometimes you want to share your Minecraft builds or moments with others, while other times you want to access screenshots of coordinates to the point of interest you promised you’d return to.

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Free! Rogue Company Season Four Epic Pack on Epic Games Store

Rogue Company Season Four Epic Pack is free November 11th-18th, 2021!
OdinOdin Odin (77)
Nov 7, 2021
0

Each week, check out my latest article for the new hit game or add-on released for free from the Epic Games Store! This week it’s an utterly explosive Epic-exclusive add-on for the hit multiplayer action game Rouge Company. Following the theme of other games in the genre, Rogue Company releases new seasons of content for players to enjoy, but this time Epic gamers can kick off the season with a massive boost. These add-ons usually cost anywhere between $5—25 dollars (while the base game is free) so this is definitely worth it, even if you just want to play a few rounds casually.

Watch the video:

The Epic Games Store has been around for a while, the lesser-known alternative to Steam, the nearly-ubiquitous platform for game purchases since it launched in 2003. But, where Steam originally existed and launched to promote Valve games, Epic Games Store launched in 2018 and quickly rose to success on the Fortnight franchise. At the time of Epic’s launch, Steam took a dramatic 30% cut from the sales of video games through their platform! This hurt both game designers and users, just wasn’t very nice. But the folks behind Epic realized something excellent: they could take a much lower cut and still have a profitable business. This led them to fast domination of the indie market, as small publishers flocked to the far better terms offered by Epic.

Mega Discounts

Epic Games Store offers some seriously incredible discounts on a regular basis, in addition to all the normal discounts one would expect on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the usual holidays. But the most exciting is their weekly free game or add-on, which simply harpoons all competitors.

When I first heard about this free game, I thought that can’t be real. They must only offer tiny indie games. Not at all, dear reader. Not. At. All. Epic frequently lists incredible A-lister games on their weekly deal, as well as sometimes offer two free games instead of one. In addition, just because a studio is smaller doesn’t mean the games it makes aren’t incredible. I’ve picked up some of my favorite new games, for free, from this platform, and most of them have been made by smaller studios (or as side-projects for teams from big studios).

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Rogue Company Season Four Epic PackRogue Company Season Four Epic Pack
Rogue Company Season Four Epic Pack

Join 20+ million players in Rogue Company, the ultimate third-person tactical action shooter! Become an agent of Rogue Company and wield powerful weapons, high-tech gadgets, and game-changing abilities. Accept the mission and jump into a variety of 4v4 and 6v6 game modes. Play FREE today!

Descriptive Paragraph about game

Rouge Company is a hit live service game with over 20 million players worldwide, who all take part in grand PvP battles featuring any number of “Rogues”. The action-hero aesthetic of the game will absolutely pique the interest of anyone who loves slightly-over-the-top shooters like Fortnight.

Normally, Epic Games released a full game on their Thursday promotional, but this time they’re throwing everything at this awesome expansion, clearly trying to bring in more players to the base game. They occasionally offer things like this in place, or alongside, their weekly free game. Sometimes, Epic Games even releases games that it has not announced in advance, sneaking all sorts of cool goodies into their weekly freebie for those who pay close attention. While it looks like this week will be all about Rogue Company it would be wise to still keep an eye on the free section of the store… if only to see what they start offering on the 19th!

Watch the video:

The Rogue Company Season 4 Epic Pack includes Switchblade and Scorch, two powerful Rogue characters, and Switchblade’s Inferno Imp outfit. This Epic pack also features 20K Battle Pass XP to kick the season off with a bang.

Other games by Hi-Rez StudiosOther games by Hi-Rez Studios
Other games by Hi-Rez Studios

Hi-Rez Studios specializes in massively multiplayer online games, having successfully edged into the market with their free to play format and string of action-packed shooters, including the Tribes series, Paladins, and Rogue Company. Gamasutra recognized Hi-Rez as a Top 30 Video-Game Developer, and they’re clearly still fighting to hold onto their place in the vast and ever-changing landscape of action games.

This Kickstarter has passed its goal but users can still preorder.
AshAsh Ash (346)
Nov 24, 2021
0

The Raspberry Pi Pico is the first official microcontroller to come from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and like the SBCs that came before it, the Pico is compatible with a variety of HATs from third party developers. Today we’ve got an exciting new barcode scanning Pico HAT and Barcode Scanner Breakout to share with you created by maker Om Singh. Om recently created a Kickstarter that has more than surpassed its initial goal, ensuring the new boards are well on their way to development. The HAT is designed to mount to the Pico while the breakout can connect to devices via microUSB. Both provide a variety of tools to both scan and process various barcodes.

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Give Your Ooni Pizza Peel a Handle For Maximum Pizza Slinging Action

Don’t burn your fingers.
DayneDayne Dayne (57)
Nov 5, 2021
15 minutes

The pizza peel that comes with the Ooni (formerly known as Uuni) is a workable first pizza peel, but after a few pizzas, I really wanted a handle. I decided to add a handle using a simple 1″ dowel rod. Here’s how I did it!

Flat head machine screws ×2 3/8″ x 1″
Machine screw nuts ×2 3/8″
Dowel ×1 1″
Stock uuni pizza peel ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you when you buy through our links.

1″ screws are just long enough to go through the peel and dowel without protruding too far on the other side.

mark the dowelmark the dowel

Measure over about 1/4″ and make a straight mark that runs across the end of the dowel. Extend the mark 3″ down the length of the dowel on both sides. That line will keep us on track while cutting.

cut the dowelcut the dowel

A vise is very helpful at this step although you could get away with a clamp.

marking the holesmarking the holes

My pizza peel is from when the company was still called “Uuni”, so yours might look slightly different than mine. This is more or less the center of the pizza peel, how convenient!

drilled holes in doweldrilled holes in dowel

Using a 3/8″ drill bit, drill all the way through the dowel being careful to drill slowly and as straight as possible.

screwing through dowelscrewing through dowel

Add the washers and tighten the nuts.

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Joined in 2015 57 guides
Software engineer, co-founder of Howchoo, and renaissance man. Lifelong amateur woodworker, espresso mechanic, freestyle lyricist, drummer, artist, runner, coffee roaster, electrical engineer, gamer, inventor, churner, psychoanalyst, photographer, pizza chef, pit master, audiophile, guitarist, entrepreneur, dad, yogi, cyclist, and barista.
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“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” – Francis of Assisi
Discuss this guide!

Give Your Ooni Pizza Peel a Handle For Maximum Pizza Slinging Action

Don’t burn your fingers.
DayneDayne Dayne (57)
Nov 5, 2021
15 minutes

The pizza peel that comes with the Ooni (formerly known as Uuni) is a workable first pizza peel, but after a few pizzas, I really wanted a handle. I decided to add a handle using a simple 1″ dowel rod. Here’s how I did it!

Flat head machine screws ×2 3/8″ x 1″
Machine screw nuts ×2 3/8″
Dowel ×1 1″
Stock uuni pizza peel ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you when you buy through our links.

1″ screws are just long enough to go through the peel and dowel without protruding too far on the other side.

mark the dowelmark the dowel

Measure over about 1/4″ and make a straight mark that runs across the end of the dowel. Extend the mark 3″ down the length of the dowel on both sides. That line will keep us on track while cutting.

cut the dowelcut the dowel

A vise is very helpful at this step although you could get away with a clamp.

marking the holesmarking the holes

My pizza peel is from when the company was still called “Uuni”, so yours might look slightly different than mine. This is more or less the center of the pizza peel, how convenient!

drilled holes in doweldrilled holes in dowel

Using a 3/8″ drill bit, drill all the way through the dowel being careful to drill slowly and as straight as possible.

screwing through dowelscrewing through dowel

Add the washers and tighten the nuts.

 
1
4

Give Your Ooni Pizza Peel a Handle For Maximum Pizza Slinging Action

Don’t burn your fingers.
DayneDayne Dayne (57)
Nov 5, 2021
15 minutes

The pizza peel that comes with the Ooni (formerly known as Uuni) is a workable first pizza peel, but after a few pizzas, I really wanted a handle. I decided to add a handle using a simple 1″ dowel rod. Here’s how I did it!

Flat head machine screws ×2 3/8″ x 1″
Machine screw nuts ×2 3/8″
Dowel ×1 1″
Stock uuni pizza peel ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you when you buy through our links.

1″ screws are just long enough to go through the peel and dowel without protruding too far on the other side.

mark the dowelmark the dowel

Measure over about 1/4″ and make a straight mark that runs across the end of the dowel. Extend the mark 3″ down the length of the dowel on both sides. That line will keep us on track while cutting.

cut the dowelcut the dowel

A vise is very helpful at this step although you could get away with a clamp.

marking the holesmarking the holes

My pizza peel is from when the company was still called “Uuni”, so yours might look slightly different than mine. This is more or less the center of the pizza peel, how convenient!

drilled holes in doweldrilled holes in dowel

Using a 3/8″ drill bit, drill all the way through the dowel being careful to drill slowly and as straight as possible.

screwing through dowelscrewing through dowel

Add the washers and tighten the nuts.

Give Your Ooni Pizza Peel a Handle For Maximum Pizza Slinging Action

Don’t burn your fingers.
DayneDayne Dayne (57)
Nov 5, 2021
15 minutes

The pizza peel that comes with the Ooni (formerly known as Uuni) is a workable first pizza peel, but after a few pizzas, I really wanted a handle. I decided to add a handle using a simple 1″ dowel rod. Here’s how I did it!

Flat head machine screws ×2 3/8″ x 1″
Machine screw nuts ×2 3/8″
Dowel ×1 1″
Stock uuni pizza peel ×1

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Give Your Ooni Pizza Peel a Handle For Maximum Pizza Slinging Action

uuni pizza peel with handle
Don’t burn your fingers.
DayneDayne Dayne (57)
Nov 5, 2021
15 minutes
Dayne
 
1
4
Flat head machine screws ×2 3/8″ x 1″
Machine screw nuts ×2 3/8″
Dowel ×1 1″
Stock uuni pizza peel ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you when you buy through our links.

Flat head machine screws ×2 3/8″ x 1″
Machine screw nuts ×2 3/8″
Dowel ×1 1″
Stock uuni pizza peel ×1
Table of Contents

Jump to step:

  1. Gather materials
  2. Mark the dowel for your cut
  3. Cut down the length of the dowel
  4. Cut across the grain to remove the piece
  5. You should have a flat ledge in your dowel
  6. Mark the two screw holes by lining up the “i” in “ooni”
  7. Drill the holes through the dowel
  8. Thread the screws through the dowel and pizza peel
  9. Reverse side
  10. Show all 9
 
1
4
In these interests
h/ooni • 1 guide
FoodFood
h/food • 35 guides
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h/ooni • 1 guide
FoodFood
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h/woodworking • 18 guides
Food

1″ screws are just long enough to go through the peel and dowel without protruding too far on the other side.

1″ screws are just long enough to go through the peel and dowel without protruding too far on the other side.

Gather materials

mark the dowelmark the dowel

Measure over about 1/4″ and make a straight mark that runs across the end of the dowel. Extend the mark 3″ down the length of the dowel on both sides. That line will keep us on track while cutting.

mark the dowelmark the dowel

Measure over about 1/4″ and make a straight mark that runs across the end of the dowel. Extend the mark 3″ down the length of the dowel on both sides. That line will keep us on track while cutting.

Mark the dowel for your cut

mark the dowel
cut the dowelcut the dowel

A vise is very helpful at this step although you could get away with a clamp.

cut the dowelcut the dowel

A vise is very helpful at this step although you could get away with a clamp.

Cut down the length of the dowel

cut the dowel

Cut across the grain to remove the piece

cutting a dowel rod

You should have a flat ledge in your dowel

dowel rod cut
marking the holesmarking the holes

My pizza peel is from when the company was still called “Uuni”, so yours might look slightly different than mine. This is more or less the center of the pizza peel, how convenient!

marking the holesmarking the holes

My pizza peel is from when the company was still called “Uuni”, so yours might look slightly different than mine. This is more or less the center of the pizza peel, how convenient!

Mark the two screw holes by lining up the “i” in “ooni”

marking the holes
drilled holes in doweldrilled holes in dowel

Using a 3/8″ drill bit, drill all the way through the dowel being careful to drill slowly and as straight as possible.

drilled holes in doweldrilled holes in dowel

Using a 3/8″ drill bit, drill all the way through the dowel being careful to drill slowly and as straight as possible.

Drill the holes through the dowel

drilled holes in dowel
screwing through dowelscrewing through dowel

Add the washers and tighten the nuts.

screwing through dowelscrewing through dowel

Add the washers and tighten the nuts.

Thread the screws through the dowel and pizza peel

screwing through dowel

Reverse side

pizza peel reverse side
Dayne's profile pictureDayne's profile pictureDayne
Joined in 2015 57 guides
Software engineer, co-founder of Howchoo, and renaissance man. Lifelong amateur woodworker, espresso mechanic, freestyle lyricist, drummer, artist, runner, coffee roaster, electrical engineer, gamer, inventor, churner, psychoanalyst, photographer, pizza chef, pit master, audiophile, guitarist, entrepreneur, dad, yogi, cyclist, and barista.
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“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” – Francis of Assisi
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Dayne's profile pictureDayne's profile pictureDayne
Joined in 2015 57 guides
Software engineer, co-founder of Howchoo, and renaissance man. Lifelong amateur woodworker, espresso mechanic, freestyle lyricist, drummer, artist, runner, coffee roaster, electrical engineer, gamer, inventor, churner, psychoanalyst, photographer, pizza chef, pit master, audiophile, guitarist, entrepreneur, dad, yogi, cyclist, and barista.
Dayne's profile picture
Posted in these interests:
ooniooni
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FoodFood
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Foodies assemble!
woodworkingwoodworking
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h/woodworking • 18 guides
“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” – Francis of Assisi
ooniooni
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h/ooni • 1 guide
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FoodFood
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h/food • 35 guides
Foodies assemble!
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woodworkingwoodworking
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h/woodworking • 18 guides
“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” – Francis of Assisi
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