Six years ago, I was proud to work with The MagPi Magazine on a feature which saw the world’s first cover-mounted computer attached to the front of every print copy: the Raspberry Pi Zero on Issue 40. Now, I’m just as proud to have been involved in putting the newly-launched Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller on the front of every print copy of HackSpace Magazine.

Launched today, the Raspberry Pi Zero represents two firsts for the company: it’s the first microcontroller development board, after years of single-board computers designed to offer a desktop-like experience; and it’s the first board to feature a silicon chip, the RP2040, designed entirely in-house. Not that it’ll be the last: companies including Adafruit, Arduino, Pimoroni, and SparkFun have already confirmed plans to launch their own RP2040-based boards.

Having been working with the Raspberry Pi Pico since the prototype stage, as part of preparing Get Started with MicroPython on Raspberry Pi Pico: The Official Guide, it’s fantastic to see it launch – and HackSpace’s launch coverage is nothing if not exhaustive. From technical details to interviews, there’s plenty to get stuck into in Issue 39 – and all you need to get started with the cover-mounted Pico is a micro-USB cable and a handy computer.

You’ll also find a hands-on project under my byline, extracted from the book: a traffic-light system which builds up from a simple trio of LEDs to include a buzzer and a button to trigger a pedestrian crossing signal, mimicking the Puffin Crossings here in the UK.

HackSpace Magazine Issue 39 is available now from all good newsagents and supermarkets, or online with global delivery. It’s also available as a DRM-free Creative Commons-licensed download – but, naturally, the digital version doesn’t include the cover-mounted Pico.