olpc

Can the education-focused OLPC XO 3.0 tablet teach consumer manufacturers anything useful?

Nearly 18 months ago, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) laid out plans to introduce a $100, education-focused tablet. While the design and features of that original mockup have changed, at CES 2012, OLPC and Marvell finally introduced a working model, the X0 3.0.

We briefly covered the announcement during CES week, but in getting some hands-on time with the device and speaking with the developers of this unique tablet, it got me thinking. With its low-power, low-cost approach to tablets, is there anything useful the XO 3.0 can teach consumer tablet manufacturers?

Honestly, to avoid burying the lede too much here, I'll say that I'm not sure it can. What sets the XO 3.0 apart from consumer tablets is that consumers won't actually have access to it.… Read more

The 404 at CES 2012: Where we put it all on black (podcast)

LAS VEGAS--Day 1 of the Consumer Electronics Show has begun, and we're broadcasting another live show straight from the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

We'll begin by wrapping up yesterday's press conferences with a lukewarm announcement from Panasonic and Justin Timberlake, then throw it over to our guest of the day, Kevin Pereira from G4's Attack of the Show!

But first we have to make fun of Panasonic's lukewarm announcement with Justin Timblerlake about MySpace TV. The idea of social networking isn't new, and Panasonic was hazy on the details, but basically it allows couch potatoes to share what they're watching, assuming it's something you want to share with the world.… Read more

$100 OLPC tablet to debut at CES

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) will show a $100 tablet at CES, a follow-on to the organization's low-cost laptop, which has been distributed to over 2 million children globally.

OLPC's mission is to provide one connected laptop or tablet to children who have little or no access to education because of insufficient resources.

"We're proud to introduce the XO 3.0 tablet, showcasing the design, durability and performance features that make it a natural successor for our current laptops, which have been distributed to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries and in 25 languages," said Edward McNierney, chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child, in a statement. … Read more

Raspberry Pi: Computer on a stick for only $25

A British nonprofit has a novel idea for getting kids interested in computer programming--a computer that fits in a pocket and costs less than the latest video game.

It's called Raspberry Pi, and the prototype isn't pretty--it looks like a leftover scrap from electronics recycling day. But it's a working computer that game developer David Braben and his Cambridge-connected colleagues expect to make available for only $25 for a fully configured system.

Don't expect to see Raspberry Pi on store shelves anytime soon--although I think it'd do pretty well in the check-out line in between the tabloid mags and packs of Trident--because the rough prototype still needs some refining and the Raspberry Pi Foundation's goal is to get the systems into the hands of children in both the developed and developing world.… Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 19: Google TV is here, do you need it?

Google TV is here, Android Sued again, and all the CTIA news you can handle, All that and more coming up on this week's edition of Android Atlas Weekly.

Google TV http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2370416,00.asp

Microsoft sues Motorola over Android http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/microsoft-sues-motorola-over-android/?news=123

Google spits back at Oracle’s Android suit http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/06/google_answers_oracle_android_lawsuit/

Nielsen report shows smartphone buyers flocking to … Read more

Negroponte: You really can give a kid a laptop

TRUCKEE, Calif.--One Laptop Per Child founder Nicholas Negroponte said that in two years the company has managed to rebuff one of the biggest critiques of his effort--the idea that you can't just give a kid a laptop connected to the Internet and walk away.

"You can, you actually can," Negroponte said, speaking on a panel at the Techonomy conference here. "Kids in the remotest places," he said, "not only teach themselves how to read and write, but most importantly--and we found this in Peru--teach their parents to read or write."

Negroponte … Read more

India's $35 tablet--how low can it go?

India on Thursday unveiled a prototype tablet computer that would sell for a mere 1,500 rupees, or $35, with the price possibly dropping even further as R&D efforts continue.

Kapil Sibal, the country's Minister for Human Resource Development, showed off the super-cheap touch-screen device in New Delhi as part of a push to provide high-quality education to students across the country. The tablet also comes with a solar-power option that could make it more feasible for rural areas.

The Linux-based computer at first glance resembles an Apple iPad and features basic functions you'd expect to see in a tablet--a Web browser, multimedia player, PDF reader, Wi-Fi, and video conferencing ability. It has 2GB of RAM (but no hard disk, instead using a memory card) and USB ports and could be available to kids from primary school up to the university level as early as next year.

Students from several branches of the Indian Institute of Technology co-designed motherboards for the computer, which the ministry would like to see dropping to $20 and possibly getting as low as $10. … Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 1: This Android show is still in beta? (podcast)

Welcome to Android Atlas Weekly! From phones to tablets to set top boxes, if it runs Android, we'll cover it. We also throw in a hot app pick of the week and a special tip that should help you get even more use out of your Android device. Justin and I will bring in special guests to help us cover everything Android! This week, Jessica Dolcourt joins us! Now, excuse a few of the rough edges. Apparently, like Google, we keep our show in Beta longer than expected.

Palm Loses Mobile Design Guru Matias Duarte to Google http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100527/exclusive-palm-loses-mobile-design-guru-matias-duarte/

Fring picks up video calling on Android http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20006181-251.html

That Extra $5 Add-On For Qik is Optional, For "Premium Features" http://phandroid.com/2010/05/31/that-extra-5-add-on-for-qik-is-optional-for-premium-features/

New Video Shows Sling Player Private Beta In Action And Its Incredible http://droidedup.com/2010/05/new-video-shows-sling-player-private-beta-in-action-and-its-incredible/

Motorola Droid 2 Might Be Released by Verizon in July http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=16611

Motorola Bets Big on Google, Verizon http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270872420145294.html… Read more

One tablet per kiddo

I am admittedly a fan of Nicholas Negroponte, which is one of many reasons I want his One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project to work. His book, Being Digital, is one of the most forward thinking books about technology I have ever read.

When Negroponte first showed off the OLPC netbook circa 2006, it was far more advanced than the laptops we had on the market at the time. It had hand-cranked power, a screen that worked in full sunlight, and it was smaller and cheaper than anything we had on the market. It was partially responsible for the explosion … Read more

Marvell backs ambitious $100 OLPC tablet

After achieving success with the OLPC XO-1 laptop, the One Laptop Per Child foundation is setting in motion plans to create a working $100 tablet for CES 2011. Marvell Technologies announced Thursday that it will partner with the OLPC foundation to create the hardware for the proposed tablet, currently named the XO-3.

Vague details and product renderings of the XO-3 tablet first surfaced last December. More-concrete specs are now taking shape, including an ambitiously low power rating of 1 watt per hour (compared with the 5 watts per hour required by the OLPC laptop). Other promised features include a multilingual, … Read more