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Geeking out young: gadgets and coding need to be core in US schools
Remember readin', 'riting and 'rithmatic? According to our Rethinking Education panelists, the three R's need to be joined by a "C" -- for computer science -- or the US risks getting run over by more progressive nations. That was the opinion of Rodrigo Arboleda from the One Laptop Per Child organization, who spoke at Engadget Expand along with Jeff Branson from SparkFun and Pat Yongpradit from Code.org. Pat kicked off the discussion by playing his organization's YouTube video featuring the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, which has been seen by some 10 million viewers. While motivational, it emphasized that only one in 10 American schools teach students how to code, a deficit that all three speakers found scandalous. Arboleda chalked it up to an educational system that still processes students like a factory that doesn't take an individual student's ability to learn into account. He added that more progressive countries like South Korea, Taiwan and Finland might soon be pumping out more computer scientists and engineers thanks to a strong emphasis on coding.
Live from Expand: Rethinking Education
Technology is revolutionizing the way kids are learning, from tablets and laptops in classrooms, to introducing coding curricula in public schools. We'll be talking to representatives of three very different educational tech companies, including One Laptop Per Child, SparkFun and Code.org. November 10, 2013 3:05:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Don't miss Wikimedia, OLPC, Leap Motion, Voltaic and more at Expand NY!
We're getting more and more impatient waiting for Expand New York with every subsequent speaker announcement -- and we've got five more names to lay on you right now. This November, we'll be joined by Wikimedia's director of mobile, Tomasz Finc, Leap Motion's director of developer relations, Avinash Dabir, The One Laptop Per Child Association's chairman and CEO, Rodrigo Arboleda, founder / CEO of Voltaic Systems Shayne McQuade and Michael Carroll, a professor of law at American University Washington College of Law and founding member of Creative Commons. And, of course, we've already announced a number of folks who will be joining us on November 9th and 10th, including LeVar Burton, Reggie Watts, Ben Heck, Peter Molyneux, Ben Huh and speakers from companies like Google, Sony, Pebble, Adafruit and The Electronic Frontier Foundation -- and we've still got more to come. Check out the full list below.
OLPC XO Tablet review
In late 2007, One Laptop Per Child launched its "Give 1 Get 1" program. While the do-gooder organization had originally shrugged off suggestions that it should offer its XO Laptop as a commercial product, OLPC finally gave in, letting consumers get their own device for a $399 donation (that price also paid to send one to a child in a developing nation). Unveiled back at CES, the Android-powered XO Tablet marks OLPC's first proper foray into the consumer space, with the device available for $149 at major retailers like Walmart and Target. So is it any good?%Gallery-195835%
OLPC's XO Tablet gets July 16th Walmart launch date, more retailers following soon
June has come and gone with nary a sign of One Laptop Per Child's first consumer-facing device. Granted, we spent some time with the final version of the XO Tablet during an Engadget Show shoot back in mid-May, so it seems like the Vivitar-designed slate may not be too far off, after all. Yesterday, the company quietly announced that the slate will get a July 16th Walmart-exclusive launch -- a date that will find the device available through the mega-retailer's site. As for the delay, the company told us, "optimal dates are determined by multiple factors, and we're working with retailers and our partners to ensure the XO launches in a timely and appropriate summer window." According to the post, more retailers in Europe and North and South America will follow "soon." As for specifics of additional availability, the company says, "there will be a formal, detailed announcement on the launch from OLPC and its partners within the next several days." Lilliputing dug out the above little piece of news from a much larger post aimed at refuting a report that things are "fall[ing] apart at the company," due in part to the loss of some key employees. OLPC's post titled, bluntly, "Response to Inaccurate Information Recently Posted About OLPC," suggests that such reports are "contextually inaccurate" and that recent developments at the company mean that, "necessary adjustments in the composition of the OLPC team were required."
OLPC XO Tablet final version hands-on (video)
The XO Tablet that One Laptop Per Child was shuttling around the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES back in January wasn't quite the final version of the company's first consumer-facing device. Now, a few weeks out from its official June 1st online availability, OLPC's finally got its hands on the shipping product. It's designed by Vivitar, a price-conscious manufacturer hand-picked by retail partner Walmart, marking the first time that the educational company didn't have a direct hand in the creation of its hardware, a big change from the custom components that have traditionally gone into its XO line. OLPC's made some tweaks to the software, which runs atop of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, taking more advantage of the swipe functionality while navigating through its "I Want to Be An..." UI, which builds the child's experience around dream jobs like astronaut, artist and doctor. It's a super simplified interface built with an even younger target audience in mind than its XO laptops (ages 3 and up, according to the company). The tablet will come pre-loaded with 200 apps (100 in English and 100 in Spanish) and 200 books (also 100 English, 100 Spanish), including selections from content partners like Sesame Street and Oxford University Press. The idea is to offer up enough content so the child can be sufficiently entertained / educated even when not online.%Gallery-188527%
OLPC working on XO laptop telescope and microscope peripherals (hands-on)
So much of what children are taught in the sciences amounts to abstractions. It's a shame, really -- concepts of the universe are so much easier to extrapolate when we can see them for ourselves. OLPC's looking to give the classrooms it serves more access to the very big and very small with two new attachments that we had the opportunity to check out on a recent visit to the company's Miami office. First off is a telescope that secures to the side of its XO-4 laptop with a vice grip, utilizing the device's built-in camera. There's also a microscope that sits atop a swiveling base and plugs directly into one of the laptop's USB ports. Both peripherals run on Fedora-based software designed by the company. OLPC will be bringing these out as soon as it can get the price down through manufacturing. For the France-designed telescope, the company is aiming for $10, with a potentially lower price on the microscope. The idea is to get one of each in a classroom, rather than the one-to-one approach of its XO line.
OLPC XO-4 surfaces at the FCC, right on cue
The One Laptop Per Child team hasn't always been punctual -- see the XO 3.0, née XO-3 -- but it should be right on time with the XO-4. In step with March production plans, the ARM-based portable has passed through the FCC's approval in both conventional and touchscreen flavors. All models share 5GHz-capable 802.11n WiFi as well as Bluetooth; there's no cellular surprise lurking underneath, if you're curious. More than anything, the filing is good news for students in the developing world, who are that much closer to touchscreen laptops at a time when the technology is still fresh for just about everyone.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with OLPC's Giulia D'Amico and Bob Hacker (update: video embedded)
One Laptop Per Child had a nice little surprise up its not-for-profit sleeves earlier this week in the form of its its latest computing device dedicated for developing world education. We'll be sitting down with the organization's VP of business development Giulia D'Amico and CFO Bob Hacker. January 10, 2013 2:30 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
OLPC XO-4 debuts at CES, launch details coming this week (hands-on)
Details of OLPC XO-4's release and price won't be revealed until later this week, according to Marvell, but the company was happy to let this editor smudge the laptop with his fingerprints. It's not the fastest machine imaginable, but it switched between screens and loaded content snappily with its Marvell-made 1.2Ghz dual-core ARM processor. A slight hint of choppiness appears when scrolling through lists, but the hardware is definitely useable and doesn't aggravate. The unit on display didn't have an internet connection, but Marvell was happy to point out that their hardware provides the laptop support for 802.11n, as opposed to only 802.11b/g. The pint-sized laptop isn't the sleekest or most compact device we've laid hands on, but it feels sturdy enough to survive abuse thrown its way from drops and temper tantrums. Its infrared touchscreen -- which is optimized for small fingers -- can be used in conjunction with the small keyboard, or swiveled around and laid on its back to transform the device into a chunky tablet. Odds are that fully grown hands won't be comfortable with the kid-friendly keyboard. The OLPC 4.0 performed admirably during our brief stint with it, but you can look forward to more impressions when we eventually put it through our review gauntlet. In the meantime, hit the neighboring gallery for hands-on shots of the machine. Update: There's now a video after the break for your viewing pleasure, so go on past the jump to see more of what the kid-friendly laptop is all about. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
OLPC delivers big OS update with text-to-speech, DisplayLink and WebKit
While most of its energy is focused on the XO-4 Touch, the One Laptop Per Child project is swinging into full gear for software, too. The project team has just posted an OS 12.1.0 update that sweetens the Sugar for at least present-day XO units. As of this latest revamp, text-to-speech is woven into the interface and vocalizes any selectable text -- a big help for students that are more comfortable speaking their language than reading it. USB video output has been given its own lift through support for more ubiquitous DisplayLink adapters. If you're looking for the majority of changes, however, they're under-the-hood tweaks to bring the OLPC architecture up to snuff. Upgrades to GTK3+ and GNOME 3.4 help, but we're primarily noticing a shift from Mozilla's web engine to WebKit for browsing: although the OLPC crew may have been forced to swap code because of Mozilla's policies on third-party apps, it's promising a much faster and more Sugar-tinged web experience as part of the switch. While they're not the same as getting an XO-3 tablet, the upgrades found at the source link are big enough that classrooms (and the occasional individual) will be glad they held on to that early XO model.
One Laptop Per Child's XO-4 Touch 'expected' to be released in Q1 2013
One Laptop Per Child hasn't exactly been silent about the upcoming release of its XO Touch, but details have thus far been fairly thin. The company's offered up a little more information on the matter, while sprinkling in some extra bits on the device it's now referring to as the XO-4 Touch. The release of the laptop / tablet "dual function" education device is now "expected in Q1 2013," according to the non-profit. Beyond that, details of timing and price are still quite vague. The XO-4 touch will feature a multi-touch display from Neonode that can be used in sunlight and will be packing a Marvell ARMADA 2128 processor inside. Press release after the break. Update: OLPC has offered us some specs for device including 8GB of storage, 2GB of memory, a 1200 x 900 display, SD slot, HDMI out, an accelerometer, 802.11a/b/g/n and two USB 2.0 ports.
OLPC XO Touch 1.75 to use Neonode tech, take multi-touch on world tour
The One Laptop Per Child's project just got one step closer to updating its venerable XO portable through a newly-struck licensing deal with Neonode. The XO Touch 1.75, a slight rebranding of the as yet unreleased XO 1.75 we saw last year, will use Neonode's MultiSensing to give the laptop a multi-touch screen that's both very responsive and eco-friendly in the same breath. Even as it samples finger input at up to 1GHz, the new OLPC system's 300 DPI display will still use under 2W of power and remain viewable in bright sunlight -- students can even wake up the new model with a gesture instead of using anything so crude as a power button. As important as these advances are to bringing touch to remote schools, we still have some questions about the release schedule and the cost. The XO 1.75 was originally due this year, but we don't know if the Neonode pact will alter the timetable or hike the target price. We've reached out to the OLPC team for comment and will update if there's new details.
OLPC to bring Little Pim language teaching videos to XO laptop, underprivileged children
One Laptop Per Child is tag-teaming it up with foreign language learning company Little Pim to teach English to underprivileged children. The initiative could help to blur the line between work and fun and lead to future opportunities for kids in an ever-increasingly global economy where English is the lingua franca of many multinational groups and companies. Getting educational videos onto OLPC's affordable XO laptop is consistent with the new partnerships' philosophy that "learning should be a joyous experience and that children learn best when learning and play are seamless activities." There's no word on when the package deal will be available, but we'll be on the lookout for further info. Full PR after the break.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with OLPC (update: video embedded)
In a show fueled by gadget one-upsmanship, it's nice to see a company actually focused on making a difference in the world. OLPC, the organization that brought the world the ultra-affordable XO laptop will be joining us live at 1:30PM ET. Update: Interview video now embedded.
Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Computer
All together now -- "Aww!" Marvell has just outed its Classroom 3.0 initiative here at CES 2012, with the star attraction being the cutie above. That's an Armada-powered plug computer known as SMILE, hailed as the "first plug development kit designed to turn a traditional classroom into a highly interactive learning environment." The device is capable of creating a "micro cloud" within a classroom, with the entire environment able to be controlled by the instructor. The hardware's being launched in tandem with an expanded One Laptop Per Child partnership, with the OLPX XO 3.0 trumpeted as the perfect companion product. It's capable of serving up to 60 clients at once, and it's based on Arch Linux for ARM; there's even a 5V Li-ion battery for back-up -- you know, in case that rambunctious kid of yours pulls the power. It'll be hitting kiddies and teachers alike this Spring, but there's nary a mention of price.
OLPC's XO 3.0 tablet hands-on (video)
OLPC announced the XO 3.0 tablet yesterday, and today we had a chance to sit down with the company's CTO, Ed McNierney and Marvell's Chief Marketing Officer Tom Hayes, who gave us a tour of the new tablet. The XO 3.0 is powered by Marvell Armada PXA618 silicon, which lowers the power requirements of the tablet to a scant 2 watts. That chip, along with the custom charging circuitry developed by OLPC and Marvell means that the tablet can be charged by a hand crank at a 10:1 ratio (10 minutes of usage time for every minute spent cranking), or by the optional four watt solar panel cover at a 2:1 ratio on sunny days. Like other OLPC devices, the XO 3.0 is customizable to customer needs -- so you can get the CPU clocked at 800Mhz or 1GHz, a 1500 - 1800 mAh battery, and your choice of a Pixel Qi or standard LCD display. The slate comes with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of NAND storage, USB and USB On-The-Go ports, plus the standard OLPC power and sensor input ports as well. When we inquired about what was so appealing about the tablet form factor, McNierney's answer was simple: tablets have a lower cost and lower power requirements. That makes it easier to get the XO 3.0 in the hands of those in need around the world. To get the device to meet their goals, development took two years as the company played with multiple designs. Initially, the idea was to use plastic flexible displays (as evidenced by previous XO 3.0 renders), but degradation caused by the sun's UV rays and plastic's easily scratched surface forced the company to switch gears and use glass instead. Currently, the company hasn't decided which glass it'll use (Gorilla Glass 2, anyone?), but assured us that it'll be a robust material. The final hardware won't be finalized until the orders start rolling in, and the goal is for the XO 3.0 to hit a $100 price point, but mileage will vary depending upon configuration and the volume of orders. Want to know more? Check out the gallery below and our video interview with Tom and Ed after the break will be up shortly.
OLPC outs XO 3.0 tablet at last, will make its debut at CES (update: pictures!)
OLPC's XO 3.0 tablet has been in the works for what seems like forever, and now it's finally ready to be unveiled at CES. Nicholas Negroponte apparently either found the unbreakable screens he was looking for or simply decided the crowds at CES 2012 should get to see the new slate first. It's powered by a Marvell ARM PXA618 SoC that runs Android or Linux and has the same Pixel Qi display seen in other OLPCs. Plus, it has special charging circuitry so it can top up its battery using solar cells and hand cranks like its XO 1.75 sibling -- a particularly useful feature in places where electrical sockets are hard to come by. Unfortunately, pictures of the tablet are still scarce, but come on back next week when we get our hands on one at CES. Until then, check out the PR after the break. Update: We just got pictures of the XO 3.0, and as you can see above, it's coming with a pretty robust cover that doubles as a solar panel for charging the thing. More to come when we see it for ourselves tomorrow.
OLPC XO-3 debut delayed till February as the quest continues for an 'unbreakable' screen
You'll read about many a wonder at CES this January, but you can cross the OLPC XO-3 off the list -- One Laptop Per Child founder Nicholas Negroponte told PC World that the slate's debut has been pushed back roughly 45 days, until the middle of February instead. Whether the Marvell Moby-based tablet turns out to be a sexy, paper-thin device or a chunky contraption wasn't discussed, but Negroponte did have a simple explanation for the delay -- he needed a suitable surface to cover that probable Pixel Qi touchscreen. "The issue has been really finding an unbreakable material," he said, hinting that "it may be glass or some flavor of glass," rather than plastic as originally planned. Might we suggest a taste test at the Corning laboratories, Mr. Negroponte? We hear they have a Gorilla that does quite nicely. Video after the break.
OLPC's Negroponte offers India help in realizing $35 tablet dream, probably has a few other motives
The late Joker said it best: "If you're good at something, never do it for free." The truth ingrained in that very statement makes the bold words of OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte all the more curious here. In an open letter to the Indian government published in the Times of India, Nik Neg has seemingly eased up on his apparent grudge against the nation, but there's a decent chance that something's in it for him. Largely, no one with any link to reality believes that India will indeed deliver $35 laptops -- their $10 laptop eventually soared to $100 before evaporating completely. But in the letter, Negroponte offers the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development "full access to all of [OLPC's] technology, cost free," further urging them to "send a team to MIT and OLPC at your earliest convenience" in order to talk about world domination, the latest Cricket happenings and janky PCs that may or may not ever land in the classroom. Of course, some are surmising that the scheme will enable the MHRD to easily give up their own aspirations, buy a truckload of XO-3s and save face in the process, but hey -- so long as the children win, it's all good. Right?
