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Doctors relax rules on letting babies watch screens
Ever since 1999, many pediatricians have clung to one main recommendation about kids and gadgets: you shouldn't show screens to any child under 2 years old. However, they've just loosened that once-firm policy. The American Academy of Pediatrics has softened its guidelines to permit screens for the under-2 crowd in the right circumstances. If your little ones are 18 months or older, they can watch "high-quality programming" (think PBS and Sesame Workshop) so long as you're there to help your kids understand. Any younger than that and you should limit them to video chat, the AAP says.
PBS made a tablet just for kids
You buy a kid-proof tablet to give young ones a safe environment to play their favorite games and videos, so wouldn't it make sense to buy a tablet from an outfit making all that content? PBS thinks so: it's introducing the Playtime Pad, a self-branded Android slate (technically made by Ematic) that serves as a showcase for all its educational programming. It comes preloaded with over 25 PBS games and 120 videos, as well as preloaded PBS apps for streaming and creative play. Your children can watch Ready Jet Go without asking you to download something first, which might be important when they're looking for something to do in the middle of a road trip.
Websites settle with New York over online child tracking
Some of the biggest child-oriented websites are learning a hard lesson about the importance of respecting kids' privacy. New York state has reached settlements with Hasbro, JumpStart Games, Mattel and Viacom for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from kids under 13. They'll all have to reform their sites (such as those for Hot Wheels, Neopets and Nickelodeon) to honor COPPA's safeguards and screen third-party trackers. JumpStart, Mattel and Viacom will also have to pay a collective $835,000 in penalties and provide regular reports on their scan results. Hasbro is dodging those bullets only because it's part of an FTC-sanctioned safe harbor program.
Disney launches its own family-friendly messaging app
Although there's already a crowded field of messaging apps out there, Disney has just announced its own contribution: Disney Mix, which aims to stand out from the pack by being safest, most family-friendly one of the bunch. That means Disney Mix brings along additional games and playful meme-creating features, as well as moderation tools and educational resources to make the place feel more like an online community for kids than a simple messaging app.
New York bill would ban 'Pokémon Go' stops near sex offenders
New York state might not just ban sex offenders from playing games like Pokémon Go -- it may eliminate the incentives for them to play, too. A group of senators have introduced a bill that would prevent augmented reality game developers from placing objectives (such as pokéstops) within 100 feet of where a registered sex offender lives. Companies that don't heed the warning could face fines of up to $100 per day for every location that violates the legislation.
Nintendo looks into making VR safe for kids
Nintendo's shareholder meeting didn't just hint at possible smartphone controllers. Company veteran Shigeru Miyamoto has revealed that Nintendo's tentative research into virtual reality has included investigations into making VR kid-friendly. As he explains, the gaming pioneer wants to ensure that "a parent doesn't need to worry" when a little one dons a VR headset. Just what that entails isn't clear, although there could easily be a few factors: protecting eyesight, maintaining a manageable weight and preventing children from smacking into objects.
Google UK's 'Summer Squad' offers kids free coding lessons
As a parent, nothing brings more joy than the start of the summer holidays. Time spent at the park, visits to the local swimming pool and trips to the zoo often figure on many family's six-week agenda, but activities laid on by Google are probably the last thing any mum, dad or grandparent expects to budget for. In a bid to help kids learn how to code, the search giant has launched "Summer Squad," a free eight-week series of tech-focused classes for kids aged between 8 and 13.
Amazon adds PBS Kids shows to its children's lineup
Amazon is always looking to pad its streaming library, and that includes new shows for younger viewers. The company announced today that it's now the "exclusive subscription streaming home" for a number of PBS Kids series. Shows like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, Odd Squad, Dinosaur Train and more are available to Prime members at no extra charge.
Tinder blocks under 18s from swiping for love
Tinder. an app that connects people so that they can have sex, has announced that it'll ban under 18s from its service. In a statement, the firm's Rosette Pambakian told TechCrunch that the company has "the responsibility of constantly assessing our different user experiences." The user experience for 13 year olds, presumably, wasn't up to scratch because of the whole thing about using Tinder being a crime. "Consistent with this responsibility," Pambakian continued, "we have decided to discontinue service for under 18 users." From next week, all users will have to be 18 or older in order to decide if someone's worth doing a sex with on the basis of how good they look.
'The Beano' is being reimagined for the YouTube age
The world's longest-running weekly comic, The Beano, is to become the latest brand to get an online reinvention. According to The Guardian, parent company DC Thomson has set up Beano Studios, a new digital arm which will see the comic's biggest stars -- including Dennis the Menace and Bananaman -- find new homes on YouTube and popular children's website PopJam.
Amazon is liable for in-app purchases made by kids, court finds
A federal judge today ruled that Amazon did not sufficiently warn people of the possibility of in-app purchases in "free" apps, making the company liable for unwanted charges incurred by children. The FTC filed the case in 2014 and argued that Amazon didn't provide adequate safeguards against unauthorized purchases in apps marked as "free," leading to millions of dollars in unwanted charges, the FTC said. Amazon argued that it was quick to respond to complaints and provided refunds when prudent.
Shuddle shuts down its 'Uber for kids' transportation service
Shuddle's ride-sharing service offered parents a way to get their kids safely to school, sports practices and other commitments. However, it seems the company wasn't able to attract enough financial support to keep it afloat. Shuddle sent an email to customers and drivers yesterday informing them that the service would shut down today, April 15th. For over two years, the company touted safe and reliable transportation for children via its family-focused ride-sharing service.
Twitter offers 20 weeks paid leave for all new parents
Twitter is joining social network rival Facebook by offering 20 weeks of gender-neutral parental leave starting May 1st. The company told Fortune it made the move both to set an example and assure adopting and birth parent employees ample time to bond with their new offspring. "We're a very watched industry because of the products and services we offer," says VP of inclusion and diversity Jeffrey Siminoff. "We want to lead by example and by doing so we can influence the decisions of others."
Sky Kids is a simple tablet app for junior streamers
Kids have never been better served by content providers than they are today. Between Netflix, YouTube, DisneyLife and others, competition for the attention of younger members of the household is fierce. Not one to be left behind, Sky grew its on-demand library of kids TV significantly last year, not long before it revealed it was working on a standalone app to put it all in one place. And nine months later, the Sky Kids app is now ready for your tyke's bumper-bound tablet.
PlayStation VR has a lower age limit than Oculus Rift
With the VR revolution almost upon us, would-be early adopters are sizing up which headset is right for them. Do they back the Oculus Rift headset, the motion-tracking Vive, the smartphone-centric Gear VR or the gaming-focused PlayStation VR? What about their suitability for children: is that even a consideration? We know that Samsung and Oculus have set an age rating of 13 for their head-mounted displays, with Oculus noting that younger children are in "a critical period in visual development," and now Sony has come forward to say that its VR headset "is not for use by children under age 12."
Omate's kids smartwatch does 3G calls and reliable tracking
Smartwatch connoisseurs should already be familiar with Omate, the maker of one of the first full-Android watches with cellular connectivity. Given the recent surge in the number of kids smartwatches, it's no surprise to see Omate also announcing one, which is dubbed the Wherecom K3. It's essentially a plastic version of the company's earlier TrueSmart+, featuring the same 1.54-inch 320 x 320 touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core chip, 3G radio (1900 MHz for US or 2100 MHz for Europe), Micro SIM slot, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and Android 5.1. The additional benefits here are the swappable 20mm straps and obviously the lighter weight. Unlike the DokiWatch, though, there's no camera nor waterproofing on the $129 Wherecom K3, but it'll be available from retailers in April which is one month ahead of its competitor's shipping date.
The new 'Ghostbusters' is getting its own LEGO set
The Ghostbusters reboot might be a geek's dream in more ways than one. LEGO has offered a peek at a new Ghostbusters set that recreates all the main characters and their gear in glorious detail, including the signature ECTO-1 car and an ECTO-2 motorbike. The new box of plastic bricks doesn't spoil too much of what's coming in the new movie, although there's a Red Daemon character (the new nemesis?) and hints that the assistant, Kevin, gets possessed.
BT's updated TV app has an on-demand section just for kids
Like the UK's other big TV providers, BT offers customers an app that lets them manage their YouView+ set-top box and access some of the content they pay for when they're away from the living-room flatscreen. The service formally known as BT TV Everywhere has been rebranded today, adopting the simpler name of "BT TV." And with that new title comes a few new features, namely a dedicated on-demand section for kids' shows from the likes of Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.
Man found not guilty after confiscating his child's iPhone
You can safely say that you have control over your kids' devices when you're living with them, but it's trickier if you split up with your partner and share custody -- and one former couple just learned this the hard way. A Dallas judge has found Ronald Jackson not guilty of a theft charge filed after he took his daughter's iPhone 4S (bought by his ex-partner, Michelle Steppe) as punishment for a rude phone message and refused to give it back. There just wasn't enough evidence to pursue the case, the judge said.
Watch PBS Kids' latest show online, before it reaches TV
You don't have to be a grown-up to watch shows online before they hit TV. PBS Kids has started streaming Ready Jet Go, an animated series that teaches astronomy and Earth sciences, almost a month before its TV premiere on February 15th. There are only four 11-minute stories available right now, but you'll have a full dozen by January 29th. You don't have to be picky about where you watch, either, as the episodes are available both on the web as well as PBS Kids' dedicated mobile and living room apps. If your children are aching for something new to watch this winter (and can't catch Sesame Street on HBO), this might just fit the bill.
