Barry,
Surely getting Wikipedia on this device would be a great project, especially
if we have Indian language content in addition to English. That would be a
clincher.
As we speak the details about this device seem sketchy.
We will all need to check through contacts to see if anyone has contacts at
the ministerial level.
regards
Arun
On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 1:53 AM, Barry Newstead <bnewstead(a)wikimedia.org>wrote;wrote:
Interesting article. A couple of top of mind
thoughts:
1. Wouldn't it be great to have a preloaded version of Wikipedia on all of
these computers...and a simple tutorial for how to edit Wikipedia when they
get these computers online. Anyone want to coordinate on this?
2. It would be great to meet with the Human Resources Development Minister
and possibly other relevant government officials when I'm in India in
September. Anyone have warm connections for us to start a dialogue?
Best,
Barry
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [WMF Staff] [press] CNN on
india's $35 laptop Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:54:04 -0700 From: Jay Walsh
<jwalsh(a)wikimedia.org> <jwalsh(a)wikimedia.org> Reply-To: WMF Staff Mailing
List <staff(a)lists.wikimedia.org> <staff(a)lists.wikimedia.org> To: WMF
Staff Mailing List List
<staff@lists.wikimedia.org><staff@lists.wikimedia.org>
(sorry it's CNN, I know... but interesting read)
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/india.thirty.five.dollar.la…
India unveils $35 computer for students
By *Harmeet Shah Singh*, CNN
*STORY HIGHLIGHTS*
- India: Connectivity to all colleges is key to achieving education
goals.
- Officials say the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece
- The country's literacy rate stands at 65 percent
*RELATED TOPICS*
- India <http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/India>
- Computer
Technology<http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Computer_Technology>
*New Delhi, India (CNN)* -- India has unveiled a $35 computer prototype
as part of its program to provide connectivity to its students and teachers
at affordable prices.
Kapil Sibal, the country's human resources development minister, displayed
what he called a low-cost computing and access device in New Delhi on
Thursday.
The ministry said the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece.
India said connectivity to all its colleges and universities is key to
achieving its education goals.
Home to a billion-plus population, the country's literacy rate stands at 65
percent, according to the 2001 census figures.
Nevertheless, the South Asian nation has made giant strides in various
areas since it opened up its economy in the early 1990s.
The country ushered in a telecom revolution that delivered mobile telephony
to nearly 600 million people in just a little more than a decade with highly
competitive call tariffs.
Now, India is preparing for another leap into the digital world.
Recently, it auctioned off its airwaves for third-generation services to
enable super-fast multimedia streaming of wireless.
The move is aimed at bringing India's online market on a par with its
booming cell-phone business through Internet penetration with technology
allowing quick access, data transfer and entertainment on mobile handsets.
The country has announced plans to link up all its 250,000 village councils
by 2012 in a bid to plug massive broadband divides between rural and urban
communities as it emerges as one of the world's few growth markets.
Authorities say technical institutions involved in designing the new device
are now setting up research to address price and quality issues in
developing budget gadgets for students.
"The aim is to reach such devices to the students of colleges and
universities, and to provide these institutions a host of choices of
low-cost access devices around Rs 1,500 ($35) or less in near future," the
human resources ministry said at the launch of the computer.
Ministry spokeswoman Mamata Varma said the government aimed to introduce
the new touch-screen computing tool at higher educational institutions in
2011.
The ministry, she said, is expected to tender out contracts to private
companies for mass production of its prototype.
The Linux-based computer is equipped with an Internet browser, a PDF reader
and several other facilities, she said.
--
Jay Walsh
Head of Communications
WikimediaFoundation.org
blog.wikimedia.org
+1 (415) 839 6885 x 609, @jansonw
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