Tag: children
Available early in 2021, you can register your interest in this one here. This is a new smart kids watch from Vodafone, and they’ve been working with Disney to create a connected watch with familiar characters and safety features. Designed by Vodafone, the watch joins the expanding “Connected” …
When it comes to smartphones, some features fit everyone. What’s the point of a phone that can’t call, text, or snap a photo? But when it features like apps, kids and adults have different needs. These days, some kids in the single digits are getting smartphones. Getting them …
The Maths Factor was set up by Carol Vorderman a decade ago, and – for about £2 per week – you get a website which will help unlock every child’s confidence in maths. The maths tutoring site is for 4-11 year olds. It follows a 5-step philosophy – …
I’m properly annoyed with the amount of companies profiteering out of the coronavirus crisis. I’d like to see far more companies doing their bit. Audible has stepped forward with a good gift for the kids – free streamed audio books. Their website states that.. For as long as …
Research from Clas Ohlson has today revealed the extent of excessive mobile phone usage here in the UK. It reinforces the suspicions that many of us will probably already be aware of, with the findings showing the damage that can be done if you’re using you phone too …
The internet can be a dark place. As we have now transitioned into our digital world, we’ve also had to wrestle with its complexities. The number of children using the internet grows each day, and the younger children are, the more likely they are to use the internet. …
As a father of two and as someone who has listened to far too much rock ‘n’ roll over the years, finding headphones suitable for my kids is not as easy as you might think. Before World Hearing Day in March this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) …
Just recently I’ve been looking for a way to keep tabs on my son. He’s just got his first ever proper smartphone and, although I don’t want to snoop on him too much, I do want to ensure he’s safe. One app that has pinged my radar is …
The NSPCC has today revealed that sex offenders are grooming more children on Instagram more than any other online platform. In 32% of the recorded police incidents, Instagram was used to send sexual communication. It was closely followed by Facebook, which was used in 23% of the tim. …
Yes, it’s me again. Recently I wrote about the dangers of kids using smartphones. The truth is, if you let them have a smartphone, you’re opening them up to a host of dangers. There’s absolutely nothing you can do to protect them unless you sit next to them …
A lot has been said in recent days about children and mobile phone use. A number of recommendations have come out, ranging from banning mobile phone use in schools, limiting screen time and banning phones at the table. In all honesty, it can be tricky. Parents secretly like …
If you’ve got children then you’ll probably be having the same tech battle as many other parents up and down the land. You’ve no doubt remembered how you used to play outside as a child but now, in 2018, kids find the lure of a gadget, a TV, …
Was it really a whole year since we covered the Monqi smartphone? Yes, yes it was. Back then it was exclusively available on Carphone Warehouse, but from November 14th you’ll be able to register interest in the newer version on www.tescomobile.com/monqi. This is actually the IMO S2 with …
This isn’t a mobile plan or tariff, instead Tesco Mobile have developed a contract or agreement that you can download here for your family. It sets out an agreement on mobile usage rules within the house. Families can print it out, then talk about it and fill it …
I know what it’s like. Right now (if you’re in the UK) you’re running around trying to buy uniforms and shoes. It’s all hectic and you’ve not even been paid yet. Nightmare. However, if you want the little guys and girls to be safe, head to the V …
We’ve covered the various dangers of social media. Sure, it can be fun, but it can also be addictive and sometimes a little dangerous. No amount of web filtering or content matching is going to stop people approaching you online or chucking abuse your way. Instagram is one …
A few years ago I worked for an internet provider. My advice, if any parents ever asked, would be to keep the PC in a “family room”. Now, well now you just can’t do that. Kids demand phones, and those phones aren’t “dumb phones” either. No. The latest …
The BBC has analysed NHS data which shows an continuing increase in sleep disorders in children under 14. In the last decade hospital attendances have tripled and ten times more prescriptions are being written out to help kids get off to sleep. The reasons? Well, it’s not all …
These guys at a great little startup from here in the UK. Their product came after a trip to a farm and a little boy became lost. Staff at the farm were searching for the parents, and the parents were searching for their son. Colleen, the founder of …
Remember the kid-friendly EE Robin? It was the world’s first 4G-connected tablet which was designed specifically for parents and their children. Now an updated version is available, with the new Robin adding an improved Hopster app for “digital playtime”. This app delivers 1500 episodes of kids TV shows, …
When I was in my teens, smartphones weren’t really a “thing”. Sure, we had mobile phones, but they were big clunky things and you couldn’t even text on them unless you paid for the texting “service”. Plus, they were pretty much confined to older people, not “grandpa” old, …
Head to your local supermarket and you’ll find many weird and wonderful tablets which are all pretty well priced. They may look like a decent option for your kids, but how do you know if they’re any good? How do you know if they’re supported? Amazon have the …
If, like me, you have a little one in the house, you’ll know what a minefield it is keeping them safe while letting them having access to the internet. My little boy loves to watch people gaming on YouTube, but sometimes what appears to be a suitable clip …
I mentioned this rather handy gadget back in December last year. Vodafone, like a few other networks, are offering up some rather clever connected gadgets now and this, the findxone, is one of them. In effect it’s a little box that you can hang onto something or put …
That’s a rather blunt and shocking headline, but it’s sadly true. Well done to the BBC for blowing the lid on this. As I’ve mentioned time and time and time again, big social websites couldn’t give a flying fig about you or your kids. They don’t. I’m sorry, …
If you’ve read this site for a while, you’ll probably know how I’m a big campaigner for internet safety, especially when it involves kids. The “lag” involved in locking down unsafe videos on sites like YouTube meant that anyone could’ve watched a double murder online. Plus, with so …
Sitting a kid in front of YouTube is a recipe for disaster. I’ve already mentioned this and the safety concerns surrounding it. The trouble with YouTube is that it’s “reactively moderated” and, even if a video contains scenes that disturb kids, a lot of people either don’t bother …
I know I’ve mentioned it before, and yes, I’m guilty of repeating myself. However, it’s something I’d like to bang my drum about because, for the most part, people tend to switch off when the words “online safety” are mentioned. Still there? Good, because a recent survey of …
There’s a tricky line that most parents have to walk every day. When do you buy your child a mobile phone? Are you buying it for safety reasons? If you are, and you want to be able to call them and keep track of them, that’s good; but …
Yesterday there were headlines about the fact that an app had been removed from both the Apple and Google app stores. The app in question was called “Plastic Surgery for Barbie” and was shown as being suitable for children. The issue many had was the fact that the …
Getting your kids on the internet is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you want them to use a tablet or phone like their friends do, but on the other hand you want them to be safe. Parental Access, which is free and available for Android, seeks to …
Many months ago I watched this YouTube video showing a baby using an iPad. The baby seems to have grasped the iPad interface pretty well, but is then presented with a magazine. Expecting it to work the same, they tried to swipe the pictures around the magazine. Sure, …
Well now, this seems rather good. I’m always banging on about how easy it is for kids to access stuff they really should be accessing. A quick search of YouTube will easily reveal a whole host of videos that haven’t been flagged as inappropriate, even though they are, …
Do you let those little fingers maul over your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch? Let the wee ones watch a video but you need to keep restarting or un pausing it because they pressed the screen? Have no fear, there is a simple solution built into the iOS …
Kids seem to be attracted to the household tablet or smartphone. Every time I see a child clutching hold of a super expensive tablet I cringe. Some companies make super protective cases and some like Fuhu make tablets specifically for kids. They have announced the Nabi 2 tablet …
If your child plays with your phone or tablet, keep an eye out. Little Will Smith, who’s just six years old, managed to spend an astonishing £2000 whilst using an iPad. It seems that the boy had managed to access his grandfather’s iTunes password to purchase virtual coins, …
It’s fair to say that I’ve followed the mobile landscape for some time now. I sometimes forget that many of you may not remember a time before mobile phones existed, and some of you perhaps don’t even recall handsets without colour screens. Something struck me on a recent …
So, we’ve got a tablet here that you’ll probably not see on any other tech website. It’s the LeapPad! This doesn’t run Android or any other OS we’d normally cover here but, back in July 2011 the LeapPad started something new. Does your child play with your smartphone …
Maybe you should try this, the new Android tablet from Inspiration Works. Named the “Kurio” this is on display at the Toys and Games Fair in Hong Kong so you can probably expect it to arrive here in July. Tablets aimed at children are already out there, and …
It’s fair to say that we get lots of emails about surveys. This one, though, stood out quite a bit. A survey of 2000 parents of children aged 10 and under has revealed that 10% of kids own an iPhone. Shockingly, the survey also found that 10% of …
