Brad Buchanan

Brad Buchanan is an independent software publisher whose single-title catalog focuses on supporting STEM education at the classroom level. The Code.org Maker App is a lightweight hardware bridge that lets students use the block-based Code.org environment to program and control popular open-source robotics kits such as the Adafruit Circuit Playground and micro:bit. Once installed on a teacher’s Windows laptop or lab desktop, the utility runs quietly in the background, translating WebUSB calls from the browser into low-level serial commands that the boards understand. Typical use cases include hour-of-code sessions where beginners make LEDs blink with drag-and-drop logic, semester-long middle-school courses that add servo motors and sensors, and after-school clubs that prototype simple line-following cars. Because the program is signed and sandboxed, district IT departments can deploy it without disabling security policies, while its auto-update channel ensures compatibility as new firmware images are released. The unobtrusive system-tray interface keeps the spotlight on student code rather than driver settings, and a built-in board detector prevents the common “device not recognized” hurdle that often derails robotics lessons. Brad Buchanan’s Code.org Maker App is available for free on get.nero.com, with downloads delivered through trusted Windows package sources such as winget, always pulling the latest release and supporting batch installation alongside other educational tools.