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Once Apple-friendly News Corp builds its own Android tablet to take on iPad in K-12 (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uT8s66oXP_A]

From 9to5Google:

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Amplify’s CEO and former chancellor of New York City schools and News Corporation’s education division will jointly offer a 10-inch Amplify tablet equipped with Android OS, as well as a curriculum and infrastructure, for K-12 schoolchildren.

The touchscreen tablet will mostly land in the hands of middle-school children, and it will feature emoticons for student-teacher engagement, an “eyes on teacher” prompt for wandering eyes, and a unique design that marries technology with traditional teaching. Students can also take the tablet home at night and use it for fun.

Amplify chief executive Joel I. Klein, who also serves as an executive vice president of News Corporation since 2011, will need to attractively market Amplify’s tablet in a space that is already brimming with competition attempting to capitalize on K-12 students. Apple, for instance, offers an education discount of 10-pack iPad minis and announced last week that it has sold a total of 4.5 million iPads direct to U.S. education institutions.

Ironically, News Corp chairperson and CEO Rupert Murdoch gushed over Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 2010. Murdoch lavishly praised Jobs in a Fox Business interview and applauded his “incredible focus,” but he also notably called the iPad “extraordinary” and predicted Apple would sell at least 10 million units during the year.

“He’s (Jobs) got such power inspiring the people around him that work for him,” said Murdoch. “Apple is a highly disciplined company that makes beautiful products.”

Get more details on Amplify’s tablet at 9to5Google.

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