One Laptop per Child Association to Release Three New Products at CES

[btarunr]

One Laptop per Child Association (OLPCA), the world-renowned project to provide a modern education to children through a connected computing device, announced today that it will introduce at CES three new products. OLPCA will unveil for the first time the XO Learning System, an Android compatible software suite for child-centric learning, which is available by license to computer manufacturers, governments, NGOs and content providers such as book publishers. Tablets under such a license will be called the XO Tablet, the second product announcement. Third, OLPCA will show the fourth generation of its iconic green and white laptop with both a keyboard and a multi-touch screen using Neonode technology.

Every child has dreams and XO Learning directs the child's passion, creativity and energy for these dreams into a new user interface that has 12 dreams. Such dreams include "I want to be" an artist, a musician and a scientist. Each dream features a rich learning experience and applications, books, games and videos that allow children ages 3 to 12 to naturally explore their dreams and learn at the same time.

"The challenge in computing and education is to use the technology to develop new ways for children to learn. The rich content of the dreams allows the child's natural passion to be directed into learning experiences," said Giulia D'Amico, the lead designer of XO Learning. OLPCA teamed with the legendary designer Yves Behar of Fuse Project and his team to create the XO Learning user interface and cover.

The content in XO Learning has been curated and selected for age-appropriateness and learning value by OLPCA, in collaboration with Common Sense Media, the leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping parents and teachers make informed decisions about media. Common Sense Media offers more than 18,000 media ratings and reviews based on both robust educational research and child development guidelines. XO Learning also offers a full range of parental controls and user IDs for up to three children, a dashboard where the child or the parent can review usage, types of content and the skills the child is developing. Press a single icon and XO Learning switches from English to Spanish with all new content depending on the language. Additional languages will be available in future releases.

XO Learning also offers unique learning experiences from leading partners who support OLPCA's program to foster child-centric learning. Many international companies share the vision to create learning experiences that unleash a child's creativity, D'Amico said. In addition to helping to curate the XO Learning content, Common Sense Media has also provided Digital Passport, an interactive learning environment designed for students in grades 3-5 to teach them how to safely navigate a technology-enhanced world, to the XO Learning platform. Digital Passport is already available in classrooms via OLPCA XO laptops in the U.S. and internationally.

Other XO Learning partners include Sesame Street, MyCityWay and Little Pim among others. OLPCA is currently in negotiations with many other of the world's leading companies to provide unique experiences through XO Learning in time for the product introduction in May 2013.

"OLPCA and Common Sense Media share the same vision of a world in which all kids have access to the limitless learning opportunities that technology provides," said Amy Guggenheim Shenkan, president and COO, Common Sense Media. "By using ratings and reviews from Common Sense Media to inform XO Learning, OLPCA has created a product that will point kids towards the highest quality digital media products available, and will go a long way to ensure our kids are well-prepared to grow, thrive, and succeed in the 21st century."

Sakar International, based in Edison, New Jersey, is the first licensee of XO Learning. It will offer XO Learning on a 7" inch Android tablet of its own design. The tablet will be marketed as the "XO Tablet." Sakar has the exclusive right to sell the XO Tablet to leading U.S. retailers for both in-store and online sales.

OLPCA also continues to develop its own line of iconic green and white laptops. At CES, OLPCA will unveil its fourth-generation system - the XO 4.0 Touch. This touch screen laptop features:

• Marvell ARMADA PXA2128 multicore application processor with hybrid-SMP technology running at 1 GHz
• Marvell Avastar 88W8787 highly integrated SoC
• Neonode touch screen technology with multi-sensing capabilities

The XO 4.0 Touch preserves the dual mode screen, which allows children to use the laptop in full sunlight as well as in the classroom. The XO 4.0 Touch will also offer the free educational software, Sugar, which has been featured on all previous versions of the laptop. Sugar offers over 300 child-centric learning apps and three programming environments for children.

"We are pleased to be launching XO Learning and the XO Learning Tablet. OLPCA pioneered the inexpensive netbook for learning, and that concept remains viable today, particularly with the new touch screen version," said Rodrigo Arboleda, chairman and CEO of OLPCA Association. "The XO 4.0 is still the only laptop that is designed for children.

It is reparable by a child with only a screwdriver. It now has the latest Marvell hybrid-core processor and Noenode's latest touch screen technology."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[TheMailMan78]

Its amazing we can give people "one laptop per child" but we can't give them "One can of beans per child" or "One glass of clean drinking water per child". Society is so screwed.

Because that's what starving children need......a F#$king laptop. I wonder what senator own stock in these companies.

 

[aussiebear]

"OLPCA and Common Sense Media share the same vision of a world in which all kids have access to the limitless learning opportunities that technology provides," said Amy Guggenheim Shenkan, president and COO, Common Sense Media. "By using ratings and reviews from Common Sense Media to inform XO Learning, OLPCA has created a product that will point kids towards the highest quality digital media products available, and will go a long way to ensure our kids are well-prepared to grow, thrive, and succeed in the 21st century."

What a load of marketing and public relations poppycock! There's no common sense here!

The only way to help the poor is to teach them how to stand on their own feet. It is NOT by throwing technology and free money at them. Its to teach them self-sufficiency through practical skills and useful knowledge, in order to lift their own standard of living. To teach them how to set goals, to be persistent in pursuing them, and to succeed on their own. To earn self respect through achievement. Give them low interest loans so they can build their own businesses and help grow strong their communities. (They'll repay those loans back over time as their businesses establishes themselves.)

This is what's wrong with the current thinking regarding "helping the poor". The poor will stay poor if one keeps handing them things because one feels sorry for them. It doesn't motivate them to be self-sufficient. In fact, it creates dependence and keeps them poor!

...It is no different to welfare programs in Western societies. Welfare benefits are supposed to be a safety net on a temporary basis. More often then not, it is abused as a safety hammock that creates long term dependence on the Govt!

 

[3870x2]

These children are going to be terribly disappointed when they find out that these laptops are not edible.

 

[Frick]

Its amazing we can give people "one laptop per child" but we can't give them "One can of beans per child" or "One glass of clean drinking water per child". Society is so screwed.

Because that's what starving children need......a F#$king laptop. I wonder what senator own stock in these companies.

snip

These children are going to be terribly disappointed when they find out that these laptops are not edible.

OLPC isn't exactly for the poorest of the poor. Both the US and Canada get those, as well as Australia. And @aussiebear, what you want is exactly the point of OLPC.

There's more to the world than fat americans and dying african children.

 

[3870x2]

OLPC isn't exactly for the poorest of the poor. Both the US and Canada get those, as well as Australia. And @aussiebear, what you want is exactly the point of OLPC.

There's more to the world than fat americans and dying african children.

You are missing the point. It is the fact that there are dying children, and not just in Africa.

But, fuck them, lets give laptops to lower class citizens. I guess you can't save the world no matter what you support.

 

[Peter1986C]

This wikipedia article tries to view the matter from various positions, and I think it really depends on how the matter is implemented.

 

[Frick]

You are missing the point. It is the fact that there are dying children, and not just in Africa.

But, fuck them, lets give laptops to lower class citizens. I guess you can't save the world no matter what you support.

I didn't miss the point, and if I did you worded your post badly. And this argument is stupid, as if only a single problem can be worked at at any given time. Is the world serial or parallell?

And the ones getting these are not lower class citizens, they are below that. Again, there's more to the world than the extremes.

 

[aussiebear]

OLPC isn't exactly for the poorest of the poor. Both the US and Canada get those, as well as Australia. And @aussiebear, what you want is exactly the point of OLPC.

No it isn't.

There's more to the world than fat americans and dying african children.

Firstly, I haven't said a damn thing about fat Americans. In fact, I have NOT mentioned America at all. Next, I didn't mentioned anything about Africans either.

...BOTH of these are YOUR interpretation and presumptions.


What I'm talking about is this issue of throwing technology at social problems; believing they will solve them without actually looking at what is exactly going on. You need practical skills and knowledge from people who have succeeded in life. You need to foster thinking people. You need successful business, engineering, etc people to show others how they can prosper and grow their local communities.

What you don't need is another "feel good" initiative that will eventually go to waste. Throwing a laptop at them is NOT going to do what I've mentioned in the real world.

OLPC in Australia (alongside the Govt's Intel Atom-based "laptops for schools" program), is nothing more than the Prime Minister's pathetic effort in her "Education Revolution". All because she is "passionate about education". Effectively, it is her personal endeavor on the taxpayer's dime! In reality, despite all the taxpayer money spent on the technology in the last few years (she was also previously the Education Minister ); Australia is behind in the literacy, mathematics, and science on an International setting...Behind countries that do NOT throw technology at their students!

The simple fact of life is this: You can't solve problems with technology when the problem isn't of scientific core. If it were something like climate change, then yes, we can constantly improve the efficiency of technology to reduce the impact on the environment.

But this issue is NOT. This is a social problem where the education system or even the Govt in charge is flawed. We don't teach people to stand on their feet. We just teach them how to parrot facts back to us. We don't teach knowledge that one can apply to make something of themselves. Instead, we throw stuff at them to make ourselves feel better...This is how you do NOT solve problems.

Throwing technology at problems doesn't solve them, when the real issue requires a change in the thought processes of people. (Business people learn this the hard way, every time they throw new gadgets into their companies...Only to find it makes their situation worse!)

Constantly getting stuff from those who feel sorry for you, will not help you climb out the poor economic situation you are in. (It hasn't helped Africa in decades with billions of dollars of aid sent over there). You need new ideas to change the way you think, in order to help you get out of a poor situation. To see your world would be a better place if you get to decide to buy your own laptop/car/house/etc through self achievement.

A low-interest loan requiring a poor person to come up with an idea to start their own business is far superior in the long term, than an underpowered laptop. I rather people lift themselves out of poverty, pay back the loan, become rich/successful, independent, and thinking...Then, buy THEIR OWN laptops for THEIR kids!

 

[Thefumigator]

As many may already know, I'm from Uruguay, and the OLPC plan was implemented here, in this place. Also, I actually work for a company that in some time gave support and repairs to these laptops.

Of course in my country a huge amount of money has been invested in the past 8~10 years to relieve poverty and take out children from the very low end marginal state. Lots of schools were built, a lot of plans were implemented, food, milk, water, and there in the middle, the OLPC plan was also implemented. Somewhat very ambitious... but it was approved by all the senators from all sectors, right, center, left included.

The only thing I can see is that you won't hear any good results from this in the short term. The plan may be questionable because of this alone. But these latest administrations wanted to attack every corner possible.

The result of all plans is given by the numbers:
-Poverty in Uruguay lowered from 22% to 7% (aprox) in just 8 years. I think its still going down.
-Infant mortality rate reached historic lows.

So, was the OLPC necessary to reach these goals? I don't know. Maybe not.
But the administration wanted something more, if this isn't enough. They want every habitant to be able to access internet. Every school has internet for free. But a computer is necessary to reach this goal. If you think it like this, its crazy for a third world country.

Does this means the older administrations didn't spend enough money in technology? No, of course not. Administrations from the 90s spent a lot more money in computers for the schools. But there was a problem... they run windows 3.11. And many had black and white screens. And each cost like 1000$. It wasn't easy. I remember myself sharing a sole computer with other 4 pals, learning logo under Ms-DOS. I was like 10 years old and those computers didn't have a hard drive, it was all lan based pointing to a server. Lots of thousand bucks saved by not buying hard drives.

 

[Fourstaff]

Its amazing we can give people "one laptop per child" but we can't give them "One can of beans per child" or "One glass of clean drinking water per child". Society is so screwed.

Because that's what starving children need......a F#$king laptop. I wonder what senator own stock in these companies.

Give a child a can of beans he can feed himself for a day, give him a laptop with internet access ... actually I don't want to complete this sentence