Sure, the
OLPC XO has had its built-in VGA webcam for a little while now, but with a mere 400Mhz processor, it took a bit of working to get the laptop up and running in a live video chat. However, those open source hax0rs aren't easily dissuaded when it comes to broadcasting their scurvy mugs across the internets, and have finally managed the first OLPC-to-OLPC transatlantic chat, with "extremely smooth" 15fps video and simultaneous audio. While the bad news here is that if you fire this thing up right now, you'll probably be looking at a dork on the other end, the eventual hope is that kids will be able to chat via the mesh network by just simply clicking on a buddy icon in the mesh view.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
daviel @ Dec 21st 2006 1:07PM
hey, that's really pointless!
aren't these things going to be like textbooks?
then why are u gonna want to waste the battery to talk to someone in another room? and wouldn't this run down the battery, ALOT! the screen is usually grayscale, right?
Tim @ Dec 21st 2006 1:26PM
Great, so now even the poor children of the war can easily be found by online predators.
Tim @ Dec 21st 2006 1:28PM
And I mean poor children of the world, not war. Stupid typo.
Matt @ Dec 21st 2006 2:06PM
This is pretty much the worst video ever made.
apeguero @ Dec 21st 2006 2:18PM
Do all the wires come with the cheap lappy?
shaw @ Dec 21st 2006 2:24PM
A good idea from OLPC, video conferencing for the children. Now everyone can chat and see others from any where.
htp://laptops-latest.blogspot.com
skitzo @ Dec 21st 2006 3:25PM
Would you like some teeth with your gums?
Tim @ Dec 21st 2006 3:31PM
And I mean poor children of the world, not war. Stupid typo.
Ryujin Dra @ Dec 21st 2006 5:02PM
This is actually not that bad of a feature. Think about it. Distance education opens up for them and solves the lack of teachers.
Eh @ Dec 21st 2006 5:15PM
This is starting to get ridiculous. Once again, the OLPC is one step closer to being turned into a mainstream Toys R Us product for american kids. This started out as a good idea with real possibilities, but over time it is becoming less and less a computer designed for third world countries. The price keeps rising, the useless features keep coming. They need to stop adding features and just get the thing out the door already before the price gets so high that even the "rich" third world countries cant afford it.
Next up for OLPC: Detachable MP3 player.
Chris @ Dec 21st 2006 11:20PM
> This is starting to get ridiculous. Once again, the OLPC is one step closer to being turned into a mainstream Toys R Us product for american kids. This started out as a good idea with real possibilities, but over time it is becoming less and less a computer designed for third world countries.
Funny, Eben Moglen doesn't think so:
http://blog.newscloud.com/2006/12/eben_moglen_on_.html
Mario Mejia @ Dec 23rd 2006 6:56PM
Daviel,
most people never use the cameras on their phones, yet most people want cameras on their phones.
Gadgets aren't really about what you use them for but about what you CAN use them for.
Plus this could be used for communications between family members, I can imagine people who cannot afford cell phones and dont have access to landline phones using this to contact family members.
daviel, you seem like you are a hater without a real reason.
bobe_logan @ Jun 1st 2007 1:33AM
this video conferencing is good for children.
Emily @ Jun 18th 2007 7:51PM
An excellent video chat website is Paltalk.com. They have weekly video chat shows with great content and excellent guests who you can interview. For example, this week there is Fran Drescher and Gilbert Gottfried on LateNet with Ray Ellin, NewsTalk with Gary Baumgarten from CNN, and a live concert performance by Judith Owen.