OLPC OS, the Linux-based operating system that powers the One Laptop Per Child project's XO-1 devices, has received a major update. Released at the weekend, version 12.1.0 includes built-in text-to-speech support and a switch from Mozilla's Gecko browser engine to the collaborative WebKit, which powers Safari and Chrome.

While the change was motivated by Mozilla dropping support for embedding Gecko in third-party applications last year, the release notes describe WebKit as "a far superior alternative" and note that users will experience "faster activity startup time and a smoother browsing experience." Other updates to the OLPC OS include support for USB DisplayLink adapters and a refresh of the system's offline Wikipedia library, which provides content in both English and Spanish.