OLPC
Donates 100 Computers to ITU
Young
participants at ITU Telecom Asia 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand will receive
free XO laptops, developed and manufactured by One Laptop Per Child
(OLPC), at the opening of the Youth Forum on August 31. The gift of
computers is part of ITU’s initiative to promote affordable devices to
increase access to ICTs.
OLPC, a
non-profit organization established by Nicholas Negroponte, founder and
chairman emeritus of MIT’s Media Lab, has donated 100 XO laptop computers
to ITU. "I see the presentation of the XO laptop to young participants at
ITU Telecom Asia as the continuation of a long partnership with ITU,"
Negroponte said.
A partner
of ITU’s Connect the World initiative, OLPC launched its prototype at the
World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis in November 2005.
Low-cost
and child-friendly, the XO computer is designed as a ‘kid’s machine’ with
colourful and visually distinctive features, yet suitable for use in
rugged conditions. It features environmental safeguards as well as an
innovative security system that protects children against both cyber
threats and theft.
ITU
Secretary-General, Dr Hamadoun Touré said, "ITU is committed to connecting
the world. And to achieve this goal, affordable devices have to be made
available for people everywhere to access the benefits of a
knowledge-based information society."
The
first-generation XO user interface allows children to engage in mesh
networking with their peers and their community, with or without Wi-Fi
Internet access, making learning and teaching a social activity.
Using
open-source software, the XO leaves students and teachers free to reshape,
reinvent, and reapply their content. Designed to work on very low power
consumption, averaging 2 watts compared with 20-40 watts in standard
laptops, the XO also contains an embedded still/video camera.
The
next-generation XO-2 laptop is due in 2010 with even lower power
consumption - down to 1 watt - and lower cost, with a target price of USD
75.
Photo
courtesy: OLPC
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