Category Archives: OLPC

Sri Lankan president launches a national XO program

Posted on by
4

from the long time coming department:

Support for OLPC in Sri Lanka has been strong for some time, since Matt and Roger Sipitakiat visited them in early 2008.  After building a coalition of supporters, they have spent the past few months preparing for the launch of the country’s first 1300 machines.  This is a complex project despite the limited number of students involved, with underserved schools from each of Sri Lanka’s nine provinces taking part and direct oversight of the government – an indication of how this could work as part of a national deployment.

Today Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Education Minister Premajayantha presented the first 400 laptops at a public ceremony announcing this pilot program, in cooperation with the One Laptop Per Child Lanka Foundation, the World Bank, and a coalition of corporate donors (the Chart Foundation, Hatton National Bank, and mobile provider Tigo).  I can’t wait to see the first updates from the teachers and students after they have had a chance to start working together.

Sri Lankan President handing out laptops on December 10.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa handing out laptops on December 10 at Temple Trees.

PixelQi update: 3Qi display enters production

Posted on by
Reply

When I joined OLPC in 2006, the first thing that blew my mind was the open collaborative process  used across the project.  The second was Mary Lou Jepsen‘s incredible  sunlight-readable screen.

When the first prototype came to our machine lab, I used to stop in every day before heading home, to spend a few minutes looking at it or using it.  The displays have a delicious matte quality (the original prototypes had a similar glossy one) that makes anything displayed on them look like a work of art — not unlike the effect of a good matte finish on a photo print, or a tuxedo on the boy next door.  And it’s low-power and inexpensive, the sort of technology shift that should become universal.

We have always been open about the tech that goes into our work, in the hopes that other designers and creators will learn from our experiences.  And this display, one of the miracles of the XO, has long been something we’ve hoped to see appear in other laptops and devices.

So it has been delightful to watch the growth of PixelQi, Mary Lou’s new company focusing on producing and distributing those displays.  Their latest screen is 10.1″ and slightly lower-power and higher contrast than the screen in the XO-1.  Here’s a side-by-side comparison of different displays in an office… one of them with its backlight off.

A Pixel Qi screen with its backlight off, next to standard computers with backlights on. Bright office lighting.

A Pixel Qi screen with its backlight off, next to standard computers with backlights on, in bright office lighting conditions.

Today they announced they have started mass production, and will be on display with some of their first clients in at CES in January.   Technophiles may be lusting after them for indoor use, but we’re looking forward to the day that all netbooks are usable in outdoor classrooms.   To the PixelQi team: congratulations!

=
http://pixelqi.com/

East African Community OLPC launch

Posted on by
1

Here’s a short video from last month’s meeting of the East African Legislative Assembly, shortly before the EAC announced a regional OLPC initiative:

This was the 11th Summit of the Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC).  President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania and Secretary General Juma Volter Mwapachu of the EAC said a few words prior to Matt Keller’s presentation.

The East African Community (EAC) is the regional intergovernmental organization of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.  Its legislative arm, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), addresses regional policy issues, and has been active since 2001; Rwanda and Burundi joined the EALA relative recently, in 2007.

East African Community launches OLPC as a regional Initiative

Posted on by
6

On Friday, November 20, the East African Community launched One Laptop per Child as a regional partner, during the 10th Anniversary Celebration at the Secretariat Office in Arusha, Tanzania.  This annual Summit is the highest organ of the East African Community and it gives general directions and impetus for the development and achievement of the objectives of the Community.

Matt Keller, head of OLPC’s Global Advocacy, made a moving and compelling presentation to the assembled audience and heads of state, including President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, and H.E. Amani Abeid Karume, President of Zanzibar.  The audience included the EAC Council of Ministers, other members of EAC and EALA, and Honorable Speakers.  Invited guests included foreign dignitaries and Chief Executives of regional and international organizations, and members of the European Parliament, United Nations, African Development Bank, and COMESA.

Following Matt’s presentation, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu (current Secretary General of the EAC) announced the launch of OLPC as a regional partner.  A memorandum of Understanding between EAC and OLPC will be signed before the end of the year.  Matt met the six Presidents and gave each of them an XO.  Since our learning team moved to Rwanda to set up a learning center in Kigali, the region has become increasingly important to OLPC.  It was a great honor for Matt and I to attend this historic event, and together with everyone at OLPC we look forward to working with the EAC, EALA and the People of East Africa to bring laptops to children in the region.

Commons & Kane in San Francisco this weekend: 2010 Internships

Posted on by
Reply

This Thursday, Nov 5, Chuck Kane and Paul Commons from will be discussing OLPC’s summer programs with eduWeavers at UC Berkeley, from 3-4:30pm, including internships next summer (poster).

They’ll be speaking again at Stanford the next day from 12-1 pm (poster).

If you’re in the area, try to make one of the two; both have great stories to tell and can capture a room.  For a special bonus, see if you can get Chuck to narrate his ONE video for you.