The big news in technology Wednesday was the announcement that
India introduced a new tablet computer that is the world’s
smallest and least expensive — costing $35. But just as
important as the progress in small computer development is who
the first beneficiaries will be. The computer’s developer is is
selling the Aakash, or “sky,” to the Indian government for about
$45, and in turn the government will sell it to students for
about $35, the Associated Press reported. The Aakash has a
seven-inch color screen and provides word processing, Web
browsing and video conferencing. The idea is to provide students
with technology to help them get an education that will lift
them out of poverty. Since India gained independence from
Britain in 1947, literacy has risen from 12 percent to nearly 80
percent — and that has been linked to growth in the country’s
economy. Still, fewer than 10 percent of citizens graduated from
high school in 2008, and more than half of college professors
lacked a degree higher than a bachelor