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Wikipedia, the world’s most technologically available encyclopedia is now retreating back to the stone age with its latest device, the WikiReader. When considering the fact that 75% of the world is without Internet, Openmoko, the manufacturer working with Wikipedia, designed the WikiReader for the people “in the dark.”.

This unit is designed to fit perfectly in someone’s pocket or handbag and is designed to work like an e-reader of sorts, acting as a intelligent source for knowledge when on vacation or a trip without Internet. Openmoko CEO Sean Moss-Puitz says that they had to remove all unnecessary elements (even the paint!) in order to reach a very low price point, which is why the device comes in basic white and black. The target of this device is to reach countries who don’t have great Internet penetration and also to get the word out about Wikipedia to international users. The device is so simple, it uses the most basic capacitive touch screen and runs on AAA batteries because of its mass availability around the world.

Reader Update

One of the biggest problems with this device is updating it because of the fact that it does not use a wireless connection like the Sony E-reader or the Kindle. The device itself costs $99 USD, although buying the update memory cards may be a pain, with each of the cards running up to $29 a pop with shipping and tax. The easiest way to go about updating the device is to head to Openmoko shop where the update is available for free but beware, the update is about 4GB which means that download speeds could be very slow and could possibly tie up the Internet connection, especially in foreign countries. Wikipedia currently holds up to 14,000.000 articles in 260 languages, just enough for a couple of months worth of updates on you WikiReader.


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« Apple Presents Yet Another Video Format
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wow, get one of those now. This has now moved top of my Christmas list!

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