Kano Announces New DIY Touch Screen Laptop



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This is the premise of Kano, a DIY computer kit company that today publishes a successful update of your own laptop kit. "We thought, what would be cooler than a laptop that you make yourself? A touchscreen laptop that you make yourself, "says Alex Klein, CEO and co-founder of Kano. He hopes the addition of the touch screen will make Kano's computers even more accessible and desirable, as this is often the first way young people interact with screens, while encouraging them to build their own technology.

[Photo: Kano]

Klein initially launched Kano with a Kickstarter campaign in 2013 and launched a wave of tech toys for kids. The company's products, which include a computer kit as well as kits for a Harry Potter rod, camera, speaker and pixel grid, have become a must, with more than 250,000 users and 600,000 creations on the online platform of the company. The kits are all designed for children over 6 years old, with a storybook style booklet and color coded parts that fit together. For young children, this is probably something they do with their parents, but as they grow up, the colorful block coding allows them to learn the basics of programming themselves. Once the computer is built, Kano's operating system has different levels of coding challenges to help kids create their own apps, including tutorials for creating paint and music apps.

[Photo: Kano]

With the addition of a touch screen to his computer kit, Klein hopes to not only compete with other computer toys, but also with professionally made tablets or even replace the ubiquitous iPad that parents use to calm their screaming children. "With this product, we want to create a competitive offer for … tablets, [for] parents and children who are hungry for a first computer experience, one that is shared, one that builds the mind and consumes time, "says Klein.

And while a Kano touch screen computer, built with a Raspberry Pi, will certainly not match the quality of a device like the iPad, it has a storage capacity of 16 GB and three hours of autonomy. The operating system of Kano. (For a child who starts using screens, it's probably a good thing that the battery does not last very long.)

[Photo: Kano]

More importantly, it is intended to interest children in building technology, not just consuming it. "It provides a real fast computer and can run YouTube and Minecraft but it drives you into the happy moment of discovery and creation, "says Klein. "We want to show why, in 2018, the first computer you get must be the one you build and code yourself, and it does not have to be a less exciting or engaging experience just because it's creative and constructive."

Research has shown that children who use school-made kits tend to be more interested in STEM-related areas (although there is little research on whether the technology children will change your use or help you with technology when you are older). Klein's belief that building technology will help young children become more involved in its operation is encouraging. , the best.

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