There is a session on school in a box - we need hardware spec help * Ian_Daniher (n=chatzill@69.61.230.246) has joined #nyc-jam * mchua is taking notes from the discussion the idea is to provide a portable, deployable school that can be taken on a plane (hence size/weight limitations) and set up anywhere provide connectivity, learning resources, supplies for a small (<8? may have misheard number) number of kids perhaps in an emergency situation - disaster area, war zone http://www.unicef.org/supply/kits_flasy/schoolinabox crud, wait http://www.unicef.org/supply/kits_flash/schoolinabox mchua: 80 kids + 2 teachers there for a month thanks so that is the current (analog) school it also has an alter ego as an emergency communications center we want to make a digital one well, the digital version should, anyway * mchua watches video of donkey carrying school-in-a-box (analog) up mountain trail SIAB right now: paper, pen(cils), blocks and geometry-type rulers/right-angle measures/t-squares... things... clock, posters for math and ABC, paint for making blackboard goals for the digital version: allow satellite distribution of curriculum info broadcast a wireless network (for XO's and other wifi-aware devices) is the DSIAB supposed to replace or complement the ASIAB? communicate via point-to-point wireless (range ~10 miles) and share the satellite connection we've got a rough spec up - chris is posting it to uniwiki so people can read it here we've got solar panels here - they fold out about the size of a cafeteria tray - three panels that size, hinged together * Schuyler leaves for UNICEF ddn't hear what voltage they offer sufficient to charge a cell phone -- probably less than 12v should have a 15 mile range - connect 2 DSIABs oh wait, that was a satellite phone, prolly better voltage output than that http://mepemepe.com/wiki/Digital_School_in_the_Box - the current specs (formatting is being fixed now) drawing: large box (think refrigerator box sized box, stood up the tall way), speakers on the bottom, laptops protuding from each side (4 laptops) * mejymejy has quit (Read error: 110 (Connection timed out)) http://www.ustream.tv/channel-nyc-jam for the live camera feed ack, sorry. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nyc-jam I can't type today! Ian_Daniher: any thoughts? basically asking "given these specs... what would you make?" clarification: DSIAB = ASIAB + Stuff, but still fit it into 3 boxes we're "upgrading" ASIAB to include computers/connectivity (at least that's one route of doing things) so space in the boxes would still go to things like blackboard paint, and notebooks... have to fit those in around antennae etc I've been partially distracted must be completely self-sufficient power wise so we're looking at a mix of traditional schooling with digital tech? solar is the only semireliable way to go XOs for any and all computer needs - nothing touches them for durability/power the tech probably should play more a role of distributing information to teachers ok makes sense less than trying to use it for presentation to kids then an XO shipped with xfce and a big keyboard kinda a hack-job but like I said, nothing touches them for power/durability/cost wifi: consuming 20w terminals: 10-20 watts mesh networking wouldn't be too hard with an active antenna (guesses) XOs for terminals? ~5-6w, iirc I'd have to say sealed lead acid batteries for night use and short-term power for cost discussion on only using "global" wireless in spurts - turn on at start of day, transmit/receive, shutdown - all requests get queued until that time That could be nice goal: <$5000 per kit High power burst transmission * hhardy-olpc has quit ("leaving") off the top of my head, I say that power is going to run the most I'd have to check, but solar power for ~200-300 watts could up to 3k (I'll push your comments to the room - one second) why not standard walky-talkies to a server for voip? good range rechargable a base station could server 20 easily forward it all to other stations via active antenna * cjb (n=cjb@pullcord.laptop.org) has joined #nyc-jam 'ello. cjb: hey! cjb: I'll pastebin the transcript hi cjb, you walked in in the middle of a discussion on the digital school in a box Thanks.