#Magic mirror raspberry pi youtube software#

Would you like a magic mirror, but don’t fancy all that carpentry? Here’s a first project to ease you in without having to reach for the band-sawĪ Raspberry Pi Zero would seem ideal for this project, but MagicMirror2 is incompatible with that model and the original Raspberry Pi 1. It’s no wonder it won the number one slot in our best projects feature for The MagPi issue 50. Best of all, you can expand the capabilities of your mirror through the hundreds of community plug-ins available and, if you wish, you can write your own. This modular system takes away all the programming and design pain.

Fortunately, the team at MagicMirror2, headed by Michael Teeuw (see The MagPi issue 54), have not only compiled tutorials and fostered a great community, they’ve also built their own open-source application. Let’s take a look at one of these makers and then have a go at building our own mirror.Ĭreating a good magic mirror requires experience in many disciplines including carpentry, electronics, programming, and graphic design. Although they come across as advanced builds, the community behind the projects have made significant advances in making magic mirrors accessible to all.

The information displayed is typically what you need as you’re preparing to leave the house: weather, news headlines, and transit information. Initially created by combining old laptops and semi-reflective observation glass, they appear as normal mirrors but with text and images that appear to float in mid-air. This video helped me with my Dell monitor, specifically.Magic mirrors have to be one of the most popular projects out there. I also rerouted the controls that used to be under the front bezel so the monitor could still be powered on and have its menu adjustments made after the whole thing is transformed. Since I’m using an old computer monitor, it had a bezel on the front that could be removed to create a more flush fit with the glass. Once my modules were installed, I edited the main config file using BBEdit over SFTP. I performed the installation over SSH from my main computer. Installation does require use of the terminal/command line. I’m impressed– the last time I built one of these things was in 2015 and it did not go nearly as smoothly. The MagicMirror2 site walks you through the installation process, and I didn’t have any hiccups following their instructions. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases you make using my affiliate links. To keep up with what I’m working on, follow me on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and subscribe to my newsletter.

LED strip with its own power supply (optional).

An old computer monitor or other HDMI display.

Keyboard and mouse (can be disconnected after up and running).

Thanks to Digi-Key for sponsoring this video! Check out this project on maker.io.

I installed an old computer monitor on an articulated mount with a piece of two-way mirror glass.

#Magic mirror raspberry pi youtube software#

I’m using the MagicMirror2 software with features for weather, my calendar, public transit, and any other of the hundreds of available IoT modules. Here’s an easy smart mirror powered by Raspberry Pi.