Openmoko announced that during this holiday season, for each WikiReader sold, they will donate a WikiReader to Rural Education and Development (READ) Global - a non-profit organization. They pledge to reach each and every one of READ's library and resource centers in India, Nepal and Bhutan.
WikiReader contains the more than three million English language articles of Wikipedia on an easy-to-use battery-powered device to be enjoyed immediately anytime, anywhere without requiring an Internet connection, making it ideal for information-hungry students and villagers in communities where electricity and connectivity may be inconsistent or non-existent.
READ Centers will offer the WikiReader in its Community Library and Resource Centers, enabling villagers to discover a world of information previously unknown. Each center is partnered with a community initiated and managed for-profit business enterprise that generates income to cover the expenses of the READ Center, enabling enterprising villagers to earn a living while supporting the READ Center.
In 2006, READ Nepal received the prestigious Access to Learning Award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which subsequently awarded READ Global a four-year replication grant to expand the organization's unique model around the world. The donation of WikiReader leaves READ Global with only $51,000 needed from supporters to meet the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation challenge grant, and receive their 2010 installment to open a new program in Cambodia.
"Openmoko's WikiReader is very useful for the libraries, in part because it does not depend on the internet, it is like having handheld copies of the encyclopedia, and is easy to use," said Rural Education and Development Global Founder, Dr. Antonia Neubauer. "Not only will this be a wonderful resource for the students, but for their teachers, who often do not have resource materials."
"READ Global has provided our customers with a wonderful opportunity to help make a difference. We're so excited to bring Wikipedia into the lives of children and adults who share a common love of learning and a passionate desire to make the world known," said Openmoko CEO, Sean Moss-Pultz. "WikiReader's refreshing simplicity, contrasted with its unparalleled breadth of information, should provide plenty of inspiration for people of all ages."
WikiReader turns on instantly, and works for months before replacement of its two AAA batteries is necessary. Articles on the large monochrome touchscreen are scrolled with a stroke of the finger and hyperlinks selected with a simple touch. Three buttons, Search, History and Random, offer the convenience of reading specific topics or the serendipitous pleasure of discovering something by chance within Wikipedia's rich array of topics. Updates for the WikiReader are provided quarterly and available for free download via their website. A yearly subscription plan for updated microSD cards is also available for $29. WikiReader is available for $99 at http://thewikireader.com and Amazon.com.
For more information on WikiReader, please visit http://thewikireader.com.
Images and video are available for download at: http://thewikireader.com/media.html. About READ Global READ Global pioneered the concept of sustainability as an international development organization dedicated to combining education and private enterprise to make rural communities viable places to learn, build, and prosper. READ Global Centers in India, Nepal and Bhutan provide job training, daycare, access to computers and Internet, health clinics, women's clubs and other services to communities where literacy rates are very low and opportunities for economic and social empowerment are rare. http://www.readglobal.org/ About Openmoko Openmoko, Inc. combines creative and technical people to create original forms in the field of consumer products. Privately funded and based in Taipei, Taiwan, Openmoko built the world's first open source mobile phone, giving birth to an active community that contributes to the world of open source mobile technologies. For more information, please visit http://openmoko.com The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6120883&lang=en
Keywords: Asia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Education, Foundation, Fund Raising, Hardware, India, Mobile and Wireless, Nepal, Other Education, Other Philanthropy, Pediatrics, Philanthropy, Primary and Secondary, Taiwan, Technology, Training, Openmoko Inc.
This article was prepared by Journal of India editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, Journal of India via VerticalNews.com.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий