This Is News Corp’s New $300 Tablet For Schools In The US

This Is News Corp’s New $300 Tablet For Schools In The US


Amplify, an educational wing of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, has just announced that it’s launching a $US300 Android tablet for use in schools.

The New York Times reports that the 10-inch device will be officially rolled out at SXSWedu later today. But we already know that a Wi-Fi only model will cost $US300, plus $US100 for a two-year subscription to the educational services it provides. There will also be a 4G version for $US350 — for kids without Wi-Fi at home.

The tablets are essentially a portal into Amplify’s pre-existing “blended learning” program — a mashup of tech and traditional teaching, which is already available for use by schools on other tablets. The resources are written by former teachers, and the tablets are even capable of telling children to look at their teacher when they start goofing around.

As ever, the big question here is whether schools can really afford this kind of tech. Amplify claims that schools should be able to finance this kind of thing via the Education Department’s Race to the Top grant program — but it remains to be seen if that’s really the case. [New York Times via The Verge]


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.