GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Give a Child a WikiReader at No Extra Cost

R. Colin Johnson | Date: 12-29-09 | Comments

The $99 handheld WikiReader holds the complete Wikipedia without an Internet connection�and if you buy one now, one will be donated to library and resource centers in India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Still in the holiday spirit? Why not check out the WikiReader�a handheld version of the complete three-million entry Wikipedia that works without an Internet connection. For every WikiReader you buy for $99 during the holidays, a second WikiReader will be donated to the READ Global library and resource centers in India, Nepal and Bhutan.

WikiReader is a compact handheld device with a 3.5-inch touch screen that houses a text-only version of the complete Wikipedia on a removable microSD card that can be updated manually over the Internet. For remote users without Internet access, a $29-a-year subscription will get newly updated microSD cards mailed to them every six months.

The WikiReader uses a reflective monochrome LCD with relatively low contrast, but which can be read even in bright sunlight. The ultra-low-power device will run for up to 12 months (90 hours) on two AAA batteries. Measuring just under 4 inches square and weighing just 4.5 ounces, the 0.8-inch thick device can easily fit in most pockets.

Only three buttons control all behaviors: The search button brings up a touch-screen keyboard with which you enter your query; the history button brings up a list of recently visited Wikipedia entries from which you can choose with the touch screen; the random button brings up a surprise encyclopedia entry. There is also an on-off switch on the top edge. The touch screen handles all other functions, including scrolling and selecting links to other pages.

WikiReader also features parental controls that allow children to be shielded from adult-oriented content, but it must be activated by clicking the "R" at the top right of the screen.

The device is manufactured by Openmoko (Taiwan) and runs on a stripped-down mobile version of Linux. WikiReader development tools allow users to add their own contents by building a MediaWiki-based server on a Linux PC and then generating an XML file that can be loaded onto a microSD card and accessed on the WikiReader as easily as Wikipedia.

Programmers can also write and run Forth-language programs on the WikiReader, and a basic calculator program written in Forth is included on the microSD card. The Forth interpreter, also written in Forth, executes code for the WikiReader right on the device, and test programs are included in source form on the supplied microSD card, including one that verifies that the hardware is operating properly. A touch menu allows programmers to select programs on the microSD card.

The hardware inside the WikiReader is a 60MHz Epson microcontroller (S1C33 E07), which is a 32-bit reduced-instruction set computer (RISC) with 8KB of internal ROM and 2KB of internal RAM. A flash memory chip houses an additional 64KB of firmware for programs, which execute in 32MB of SDRAM.