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New Media News Every Morning

New filtering software blocks MySpace, Facebook

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myspace-blocker.jpgSolid Oak Software, a company which provides Internet filtering products for parents and others, announced today a new program designed to block access to select popular social networking sites. CyberSitter Social Networking Blocker is available now for free personal usage.

CyberSitter Social Networking Blocker, said Solid Oak, is designed to block unauthorized access to MySpace and FaceBook. It also blocks access to several hundred known Web proxies that can be used to bypass filtering programs.

“We have been doing this longer than anyone else out there,” says Brian Milburn, president of Solid Oak Software. “We have the expertise, we know the web sites, and we know the dangers, and we are stepping up and giving away a tool we hope will help keep kids a little safer and help parents sleep a little better.”

Originally posted on July 31, 2007 @ 7:51 pm

FamilyEducation offers tips for keeping kids safe in cyberspace

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familyhome.jpg FamilyEducation, a leading online publisher of practical parenting guidance, expert family advice, printables, skill-building exercises and activities for children, has launched “A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Online Acronyms” to help parents decipher what their kids aresaying online and identify warning signs of potentially dangerous situations.

“Kids have mastered the art of online communication, often typing text messages with their thumbs on a cell phone faster than their parents can type on a keyboard. With this increased use of text-based communications, a new lingo of online abbreviations and acronyms has developed,” said Jess M. Brallier, publisher, FamilyEducation. “We developed this Web guide of common abbreviations so parents can stay informed while allowing their kids to use these popular forms of communication.”

The Online Web Guide for Parents also explains chat abbreviations and acronyms that may be warning signs that kids are chatting with strangers online.

Originally posted on August 1, 2007 @ 7:20 am

How Fast They Grow: Digital Scrapbook for Babies

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howfast.jpg Aimed at parents who exclusively use digital cameras, How Fast They Grow is new all-digital baby book Website that allows quick creation of 12 by 12 inch pages using one’s own digital photos and journaling. Unlike commercial photo websites, the pages are ordered individually, not bound books, so that users can build their books over time.

This new site developed its own unique rich-internet application, “Digi-Scrapbook”, in conjunction with Ecom Enterprises of Sunnyvale, CA. This patent-pending tool allows for real-time editing of pages, photos and text, while keeping the traditional look of a high-end scrapbook with details like layered text, quote boxes, and well-formatted photo collages.

“There is an unspoken expectation that moms should chronicle their baby’s first year. Despite the current popularity of paper scrapbooking, the moms I know were disillusioned by the time commitment. It takes at least an hour to make one page and that doesn’t even take into account the time to buy the merchandise and print the right photos. My goal is a ‘Just Add Water’ solution to baby and child scrapbooking,” states founder Cathy Bennett.

Originally posted on July 17, 2007 @ 10:42 pm

Inc.com seeking best American lemonade stand

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inc-lemonade.jpgInc.com is gearing up to run an online contest which will honor the CEOs of the classic summer lemonade stands found across America. The “Best Lemonade Stand in America” contest starts July 9 and runs through Sept. 3.

Children (and their parents) are being encouraged by Inc.com to submit photos of themselves and their lemonade stands along with a short essay describing their “business,” including what motivated them to go into the lemonade trade, what they named their stands, what products they used in their secret recipe, and how much money they made in a single weekend. Each week a lemonade stand will be chosen as a stand of the week and its photo will be featured on the contest’s Web site.

A final Grand Prize will be awarded based upon a final pick made by Inc.com editors. This winner will receive “a $1,000 college savings bond and super backpack filled with back-to-school supplies. Winners of the “Best Lemonade Stand Design,” and “Coolest Lemonade Stand Story,” will each be awarded a $500 college savings bond and a super backpack filled with back-to-school supplies.”

Originally posted on July 9, 2007 @ 5:41 pm

NoodleNet provides kids shielded Internet experience

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NoodleNetA Texas company announced today it has launched a “safe desktop and online environment” targeted towards kids age 3-11. This environment is called NoodleNet and it’s designed to be installed onto a PC.

NoodleNet acts as “a secure gated community with simple controls for parents and age-appropriate content pre-loaded for instant access to hundreds of screened games, books, videos, puzzles and online activities.” It uses a team of experts to review and approve Web sites which is considered age appropriate. The program is designed to lockdown the Internet experience, limiting control and exiting of the program to authorized people such as parents and caregivers.

“The relevancy today of both parental involvement and the need for a safe online environment has never been more evident,” said Michael Callahan, president of NoodleNet. “All of us here at NoodleNet are focused on leveraging our expertise and technology to create a truly unique consumer offering modeled around the family — one that will make meaningful impact in the lives of children. We are delivering an experience that truly enables the whole family or the individual child to explore the Internet without the parent or guardian ever having to worry or fear what their child may encounter. This is our assurance that children will not intentionally or unintentionally view inappropriate material online or access your desktop files.”

Originally posted on July 9, 2007 @ 5:31 pm