In response to my 4/30 and 5/14 features on the challenge of kids accessing porn through online image searches, mother and educator Krista in North Carolina emailed us: "I have to laugh out loud whenever I hear parents tell me they don't know how to stop their children from going into porn sites or various chat rooms they don't approve of. In our home the rule is clear: If I find out, or you get … [Read more...] about One mom’s online-safety formula
Librarians: Better than Google
Contrary to what avid Googlers may think, we need librarians more than ever. To help us find information and to help us evaluate it. We need to help our children see this too. "While the accuracy of online information is notoriously uneven, the ubiquity of the Web means that a trip to the stacks is no longer the way most academic research begins," the New York Times reports. Then there's all the … [Read more...] about Librarians: Better than Google
Phone-enhanced sleep-overs
Actually, the sleep-over part is just one application of a phone-based dating service used in Singapore. Nineteen-year-old Gracinia Kim uses the "BEDD" service on her phone to scan strangers' phones for their personal profiles. She told Reuters that, with it, she has become close to people she wouldn't have otherwise met and developed a tight little group of friends with whom she "chills out," has … [Read more...] about Phone-enhanced sleep-overs
Solstice’s share of P2P lawsuits
Parents of digital music fans, please note: Summer's official arrival brought another batch of 482 file-sharer lawsuits from the RIAA. The litigation campaign against "music pirates" started a year ago this week, but the question remains about whether these apparent ritual purgings of the most prolific pirates are having the effect the recording industry seeks. "The number of users on Kazaa, still … [Read more...] about Solstice’s share of P2P lawsuits
Smartest mobile users: Kids
It's not a huge surprise. UK kids 10-14 are quickly becoming the most sophisticated cell-phone users, according to the latest study by British research firm Teleconomy. "Even toddlers are able to tell the difference between incoming phone calls and text messages," the BBC reports. Seventy-one percent of kids are aware of video phones, compared to 54% of adults, and some 66% know about Java … [Read more...] about Smartest mobile users: Kids