Jill and I bought a XO laptop through the One Laptop Per Child's Give1Get1 program. One Laptop Per Child's goals are to provide custom-designed, very rugged and simple laptops to children in developing world countries. Contrary to what many believe, the goal of the program is not to teach computer skills, but to teach much more basic skills: reading, writing, math, etc. The XO laptop is a learning tool akin to a pencil and a textbook, but with that advantage that it is better and more cost effective than both, since it is expandable. It also creates a unique mesh network between XO laptops which allows collaboration and communication between children and their teachers.

The XO laptop is very well designed for children. Here is David Pogue's review of the machine. The video is very funny.

The Give1Get1 program allows people in the US and Canada to buy 2 laptops, of which they receive one, and the other one is sent to a child in a developing country. This costs $400, $200 of which is tax-deductible as a charitable donation. T-mobile has also donated 1 free year of Hotspot access for donators, which by itself is worth $350.

This is a great program started by geeks to change the world for the better, and I wish them very well.

For fans of Top Gear, here's the Jezza (Jeremy Clarkson) testing our new car, the Mazdaspeed 6, and comparing it against the Ford Mondeo ST220 and Vauxhall Vectra VXR, neither of which are available in the US. Note that it is called the Mazda 6 MPS in Europe, and is mildly detuned for Europe's stricter CO2 emissions standards. It makes 256 HP in the UK and 270 HP here in the US. Also cars in the US in general are much cheaper than in the UK. They pay almost as much in pounds as we do in dollars despite the pound being worth twice as much right now.

My parents were here this weekend so we went to the Getty Villa and a beach in Malibu on Saturday (fortunately before the fires started). On the way back on the PCH, I noticed a masked BMW X6 (which has not been released yet). Jill took some photos and we submitted them to Jalopnik.

I got a new monitor. Go here to read about it.