The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, started by Nicholas Negroponte, promises to bring laptops to children in less advantaged areas of the world. The laptops are an engineering feat of economy and efficiency. Currently they cost about $175, but the goal of the OLPC is to get that cost down to $100 or less with mass production. Called the XO, the laptop device is highly practical. Because the children who could use these laptops might not have access to electricity, the laptops use very little of it, and can be recharged manually. Earlier designs featured a hand cranking system, … Continue reading →