OLPC Gearing Up for 'Get 1, Give 1' Program

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

For two weeks in November, the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) foundation will let citizens of the United States and Canada buy two of its XO laptops for $399 so that they can keep one and donate the other to a child in a developing nation.

Founded in 2005 by MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte, OLPC aims to design a durable, easy to use educational laptop for students in developing nations that rings in at $100. The laptop hasn't yet reached the $100, price point, but donors can give one to a student for $200 through OLPC's Xogiving.org site or by calling 866-XO-GIVING.

While it works its way to $100, the XO laptop does include a built-in video camera; sound processing; a hand-crank generator so that it is self-powered; and an LCD that students can clearly read both in the dark and in bright sunlight. The XO's hardware platform is geared for minimizing power consumption, opting for lower-power components such as flash memory over hard drives.

In terms of software, the laptop runs on a its own operating system and includes collaboration tools and applications for making art and music, playing games, Web browsing and word processing. It also functions as an e-book reader.

The Get 1 Give 1 program gives individuals eager to own an XO laptop an opportunity to buy one, as long as they donate one, as well. The program will work on a first-come, first-served basis with customers receiving their laptops by Christmas.

"Kids are naturally global and native learners, Negoponte said in a prepared statement. "They need to be excited and empowered by providing tools for thinking, collaboration and expression. Additionally, Give 1 Get 1 is a means to trigger greater interest and commitment from governments of developing nations, as well as those of wealthier ones who wish to help the poorest and most remote children."

Read More:

READ MORE DAILY NEWS


About the author: David Kopf is a freelance technology writer and editor, and can be reached at [email protected].

Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

David Kopf is a freelance technology writer and marketing consultant, and can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • robot typing on a computer

    Microsoft Unveils 'Computer Use' Automation in Copilot Studio

    Microsoft has announced a new AI-powered feature called "computer use" for its Copilot Studio platform that allows agents to directly interact with Web sites and desktop applications using simulated mouse clicks, menu selections and text inputs.

  • AI microchip under cybersecurity attack, surrounded by symbols of threats like a skull, spider, lock, and warning shield

    Report Finds Agentic AI Protocol Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

    A new report from Backslash Security has identified significant security vulnerabilities in the Model Context Protocol (MCP), technology introduced by Anthropic in November 2024 to facilitate communication between AI agents and external tools.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.