The already-inexpensive Raspberry Pi, costing $20 to $30, now has an even cheaper new cousin, the Pi Zero that will run consumers just $5.

Aimed at people learning to program or apply computers to creative applications, thousands of units are already in production though their makers expect demand to outstrip supply for a while to come. You can read more of the specifications below, or check out their introductory video.

The specs are impressive: “A Broadcom BCM2835 application processor, 1GHz ARM11 core (40% faster than Raspberry Pi 1), 512MB of LPDDR2 SDRAM, A micro-SD card slot, A mini-HDMI socket for, 1080p60 video output, Micro-USB sockets for data and power, An unpopulated 40-pin GPIO header, Identical pinout to Model A+/B+/2B, An unpopulated composite video header, Our smallest ever form factor, at 65mm x 30mm x 5mm.”

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This portable handheld device lets you measure the molecular fingerprint of anything around you, from the alcoholic and caloric content of the cocktail in your hand to the water content and soil quality supporting your hanging houseplants.

Using a combination of technologies borrowed from both big laboratory spectrometers and mobile-device optics, this miniature gadget measures reflected light, breaks down its spectrum, pings the cloud and uses algorithms to return what amounts to a sophisticated search engine query result (within about 5 seconds).

The implications of this are much bigger than the device itself – suddenly, the material makeup of the world around you is both physically and compositionally at your fingertips. You can use it to devise what natural materials, edibles or medications actually contain, then determine the health of your garden plants, the calory content of a shake or how long it might take for your fresh fruit to ripen.

Like 23andMe and other personal data-driven companies: with each query users are building and reinforcing the core database of results. While users are (likely for legal reasons) discouraged from using it as a medical device, it can be employed to determine things like artificial additives or dangerous pesticides on processed foods or produce. The device sells for around $250 and is compatible with ioS and Android devices. The best part about it: each new user will help drive down the price of future versions of the device, all while making it more accurate over time.

“SCiO is based on the proven near-IR spectroscopy method. The physical basis for this material analysis method is that each type of molecule vibrates in its own unique way, and these vibrations interact with light to create a unique optical signature. With every scan, SCiO learns more about the world around us, so we can all get smarter. Our development team has taught SCiO some exciting things, like to tell how much fat is in any salad dressing, how much sugar is in a particular piece of fruit, how pure an oil is and lots more.”

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Blowing away its $50,000 crowdfunding goal earlier this year, the pocket-sized CHIP is on track to be the most inexpensive computer in the world, costing a fraction of the Raspberry Pi, and has raised over $2,000,000 from backers, reflecting incredible demand. Everything about this project is open source, so if you want to make your own, you can do that too.

Created by Next Thing Company, CHIP packs a 1GHz Allwinner R8 Cortex A8 processor with a built-in Mali400 GPU, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage as well as a USB port and headphone/microphone jack. Run on Linux, CHIP also comes with an array of games and educational programs to learn coding and other technology skills.

While the barebones base unit costs under $10, most users will opt to buy a case that includes a keyboard, 5-hour battery and offers some protection to the CHIP. Obviously, the device will still require a series of accessories, but with the core computer itself costing so little, one can perhaps afford to splurge on a nicer monitor, keyboard and/or mouse to go with it.

More from its makers: “C.H.I.P. is a computer. It’s tiny and easy to use. C.H.I.P. does computer things. Work in LibreOffice and save your documents to C.H.I.P.’s onboard storage. Surf the web and check your email over wifi. Play games with a bluetooth controller.”

“With dozens of applications and tools preinstalled, C.H.I.P. is ready to do computer things the moment you power it on. C.H.I.P. is a computer for students, teachers, grandparents, children, artists, makers, hackers, and inventors. Everyone really. C.H.I.P. is a great way to add a computer to your life and the perfect way to power your computer based projects.”

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Pre-installed with Windows, this latest competitor for world’s smallest computer is the size of a flash drive, plugs right into a monitor and gives you an operating system that fits neatly in your pocket.

Made by Archos, this device competes on price with other manufacturers who have recently released similar designs, including Lenovo and Intel. It features an Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard flash storage, and built-in Wi-Fi as well as a Micro-SD card slot. Lacking ports, it still requires accessories so you will have to bring your own wireless-capable keyboard and mouse to the table, but is still a powerful upgrade in terms of portability for users with home and work setups (you can simply transport your computer-on-a-stick in between).

“To control and operate the ARCHOS’ PC Stick, users can connect keyboards, mice, and other accessories to the device through Bluetooth or an USB port. In addition, the PC Stick is compatible with all Windows, Android, and iOS keyboard applications and game controls, transforming any smartphone or tablet into a keyboard.” Other models are also coming out from different makers for Linux and Chrome for those averse to Windows – the field is rich with competitors in this booming little industry. “Companies have constantly pushed boundaries to make computers smaller, and we’ve taken this challenge to the next level by offering a matchbox-sized PC for less than $100,” says Loic Poirier, CEO of ARCHOS. “Mobility is at the center of our lifestyles and the PC Stick allows us to be on-the-go and productive.” 

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So tiny it can fit on the tip of your finger, this remarkably agile and multifunctional little bot assembles not only assembles itself but also goes on to dive underwater, carry objects twice its weight, burrows into the ground and then degrades on demand, leaving only a magnet in its wake.

A just under two square centimeters, the Untethered Miniature Origami Robot is powered by a neodymium magnet and two pairs of electromagnetic coils that in turn create magnetic fields aiding the robot’s movements and transformations. Indeed, the magnet is not even dragging the robot around, but rather working with momentum and asymmetries to ‘walk’ the legs and create other actions from gravitational imbalances.

As such devices become ever smaller, as well as increasingly programmable and autonomous, there are many potential applications, including ultra-small medical devices that can target cancer cells or clean clogged arteries within the human body.

Via Spectrum: “From a flat sheet with a magnet on it, their robot folds itself up in just a few seconds, is immediately ready to zip around on land or water driven by magnetic fields, and then when you’ve run out of things to do with it, drive it into a tank of acetone and it’ll dissolve. This is the first time that a robot has been able to demonstrate a complete life cycle like this. The other advantages of using a folded robot instead of just a magnet include the ability to float, as well as the ability to more efficiently perform tasks like moving objects or digging. And this isn’t the only design that you can use, of course: you can optimize for whatever task you’re trying to accomplish. This particular one is more of a generalist.”

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