Neowin News Feed for: Kids

Google's new Fitbit Ace LTE is yet another screen for your kids to get distracted by

Paul Hill — Thu, 30 May 2024 07:16:01 +0000

Google has announced the new Fitbit Ace LTE designed to get kids more active using interactive characters called Eejies. The watch costs $229.95 and then has a $9.99 per month Fitbit Ace Pass. Read more...

Apple is aware of a Screen Time issue and says it'll issue an update fixing it

Paul Hill — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 21:08:01 +0000

Apple has acknowledged a bug in Screen Time that causes parental settings to be reset. The company has confirmed that they are working on a solution, but no specific timeline has been provided. Read more...

Meta announces Instagram improvements to boost teen safety

Paul Hill — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 13:24:02 +0000

Meta has announced a raft of new features for Instagram designed to make the platform safer for teenagers to use, including Take A Break. Parents will also see how long kids are on Instagram. Read more...

Save 32% off a Toybox 3D Printer Deluxe Bundle

News Staff — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 16:46:01 +0000

This beginner-friendly printer lets your kids design and create their own toys right at home. Using the companion app, you can choose from an toy catalog or create and upload your own designs. Read more...

Instagram announces new efforts to protect kids from adults

João Carrasqueira — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 17:28:01 +0000

Facebook's Instagram is working on a slew of changes to its platform that aim to protect children on its platform. This includes blocking DMs from adults to teens who don't follow them. Read more...

Safer Internet Day is more relevant than ever

Paul Hill — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 16:18:01 +0000

The Safer Internet Day campaign is marking its 18th birthday today. It provides resources for children, parents and carers, teachers and educators and more to make the internet a safer place. Read more...

Google Assistant gets Family Bell reminders, select room broadcasts, and more

Abhay V — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 18:56:01 +0000

Google is adding a few new features aimed towards kids, including Family Bell reminders for school schedules, the ability to broadcast to specific rooms, new smart display visuals, and more. Read more...

UN agency says kids forced online earlier due to COVID-19

Paul Hill — Tue, 05 May 2020 21:32:01 +0000

The UN ITU has warned that children are being forced online by COVID-19 at an earlier age than their parents anticipated. It said that this leaves children vulnerable to harassment and bullying. Read more...

Google rolls out Kids tab in the Play Store with "Teacher approved" apps

João Carrasqueira — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 19:16:01 +0000

Google has announced a new section for the Play Store on Android with dedicated apps for children. Additionally, the "Teacher approved" badge will be given to apps that meet certain requirements. Read more...

Netflix rolls out parental control features, including PIN-protected profiles

Usman Khan Lodhi — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 21:38:01 +0000

Netflix rolled out these features, giving parents more power over what their children view. Starting today, parents can filter out titles that aren't appropriate for viewing by children. Read more...

UK: Ofcom finds 50% of kids have a smartphone by 10 and WhatsApp use is growing among teens

Paul Hill — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 10:04:01 +0000

Ofcom has published a new report which shows how children were using digital devices and services in 2019. It found that more than 50% of children had a smartphone by the age of 10. Read more...

UK: Research shows kids as young as eight have handed out personal details online

Paul Hill — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 13:38:01 +0000

O2 and the NSPCC have published new information from a study on 2,000 children in the UK and their online habits. They hope to help parents with online matters with the re-launched Net Aware site. Read more...

UK watchdog sets out to ban nudge techniques to protect kids online

Paul Hill — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 19:10:01 +0000

A UK watchdog has set out new rules that firms should follow when it comes to designing online services. The rules encourage services to put children's data privacy as a top priority. Read more...

Facebook launches Messenger Kids app on Android

Paul Hill — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 08:04:01 +0000

Facebook has launched Messenger Kids for Android. The software lets parents tightly control who their children can interact with on the app, and chats can be easily reviewed as they can't be deleted. Read more...

Google working to protect families using YouTube

Paul Hill — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 22:36:06 +0000

Google has set out five measures that it plans to roll out on YouTube in order to make the website for family-friendly. Over the course of the last year, the site has had to adapt due to controversy. Read more...

YouTube Kids gets YouTube Red support for ad-free and offline viewing

Paul Hill — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 02:00:01 +0000

Google has announced that its child-friendly YouTube Kids app will now support the premium YouTube Red service allowing kids to watch videos ad-free, and download them for offline viewing. Read more...

Xiaomi's smartwatch for kids has a panic button, route tracking and a pricetag under $50

Steven Johns — Sun, 01 May 2016 10:02:01 +0000

Xiaomi has announced a new smartwatch aimed at kids called the Mi Bunny. Coming in both pink and blue, it has a number of features including route tracking and the ability to make voice calls. Read more...

Young people now spend more time online than in front of the TV

Justin Luna — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 15:50:01 +0000

According to a recent study, young people now spend more time online than watching television. A majority of children now reportedly watch shows through on-demand services or through YouTube. Read more...

8.9-inch Kurio Smart Windows tablet costs $199.99, hopes your kids will love it

Andy Weir — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:46:01 +0000

The Kurio Smart tablet has a high-def 8.9-inch display and includes a detachable keyboard, pre-installed child-friendly games and apps, and a one-year Office 365 subscription. Read more...

Students would rather learn to code than study a foreign language, according to study

Justin Luna — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 08:56:01 +0000

In a recent research by an online store, it seems that children would prefer to learn computer programming more than learn a foreign language. However, this was seen by some as an "easy option." Read more...

YouTube Kids app under FTC scrutiny for targeting ads at children

Vlad Dudau — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 08:32:01 +0000

Google's child-friendly version of YouTube is under fire, due to complaints from child advocacy groups, which are concerned about the way the app targets advertising to susceptible kids. Read more...

Parents in Taiwan are now legally obliged to limit their kids' computer time

Justin Luna — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 16:56:01 +0000

A law has been expanded in Taiwan that obliges parents to regulate their children's time on the usage of electronic devices. The law now also equates excessive gadget use with smoking and drinking. Read more...

Google working on child-friendly versions of Youtube, Chrome and others

Vlad Dudau — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:44:01 +0000

Google is going to launch child-friendly versions of its most popular services sometime next year. These will supposedly only return content appropriate for kids and will limit chances of mishaps. Read more...

An hour of video games a day is good for kids, according to study

Andy Weir — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 08:11:31 +0000

Research conducted by Oxford University, and published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Pediatrics, indicates that playing up to an hour of video games a day can be a good thing for children. Read more...

Teachers warn of serious developmental issues in children 'addicted' to tech

Andy Weir — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 06:07:09 +0000

Teachers warn of infants struggling to play with building blocks, children with poor social skills and teenagers unable to handle pen-and-paper exams, due to 'overexposure' to tablets, phones and PCs. Read more...

AT&T unveils FiLIP, a smartwatch for kids and parents

George Tinari — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 09:10:20 +0000

FiLIP is a new kid-friendly watch from AT&T that has built-in phone call functionality which parents can set up and monitor plus a locator that parents can use to keep track of their child. Read more...

1stFone, the mobile phone designed for 4-year-olds

Andy Weir — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:05:30 +0000

How old should kids be when they get their first phone? OwnFone is pitching its handset at 4 to 9-year-olds - but the 1stFone has no apps and no screen, and can only call up to 12 pre-defined numbers. Read more...

D'oh-nuts: 8-year-old spends $1460 on virtual snacks in Simpsons iPad game

Andy Weir — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:10:00 +0000

In the latest example of kids spending enormous sums on in-app purchases, an eight-year-old boy from the UK spent £980 ($1460) on buying virtual doughnuts in an iPad game based on The Simpsons. Read more...

Raunchy ads invade kids apps

Tyler Holman — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:17:19 +0000

There's a ton of great apps for kids on mobile devices, but they're being plagued by inappropriate ads, urging kids to do everything from meeting up with 'hot women' to becoming a Scientologist. Read more...

Doodle 4 Google and win $15k!

Christopher White — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:32:09 +0000

What would you like to do someday? Ponder that question well because if you're a kid, it could be worth $15,000 towards your college education. Google is running their 4th annual "Doodle 4 Google" contest... Read more...

Facebook says no to panic button

Matt Blowes — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:17:27 +0000

Facebook today stopped short of introducing a panic button after meeting with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection ( CEOP ) centre. Instead it announced that existing links in... Read more...

Net blamed as 10,000 kids turn to crime

James Hall — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:24:58 +0000

ABOUT 10,000 Victorian children aged 10 to 14 have been cautioned by police, arrested or ordered to appear in court in the past year, as a surge in youth crime continues. Victoria Police say the... Read more...

Microsoft Australia Helps Aussie kids get a great education

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:54:18 +0000

Every time some one visits and watches a Microsoft commercial, Microsoft Australia will donate $ 1 to Smith Family Learning For Life Program. It is a Foundation which helps disabled kids with their education. ... Read more...

Disney Ends Cell Phone Service for Kids

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:37:36 +0000

The Walt Disney Company plans to pull the plug on its branded cell phone service by the end of the year saying there were problems getting the phone into large retailers. "We decided that changing... Read more...

Gadget Overload Keeps Kids Awake at Night

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:07:51 +0000

According to a new study by The Sleep Council, teenagers are increasingly sleeping less and experiencing lower quality sleep due to a huge increase in entertainment gadget ownership. In the study, almost all of the... Read more...

Warner CEO Admits His Kids Pirated Music

Tom Warren — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 17:12:26 +0000

According to Reuters, Warner CEO Edgar Bronfman recently admitted that his kids stole music. When asked whether any of his seven kids stole music. "I'm fairly certain that they have, and I'm fairly certain that... Read more...

Sheriff's Department Building Kids Iris Database

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 17:28:14 +0000

When it comes to finding missing or abducted children, police have had few tools to help identify them with certainty when they are found. Now the Penobscot County Sheriff's Department has become the first department... Read more...

50 Cent: Buy my Game for Kids

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 20:22:47 +0000

Rapper and game star says his M-rated game is OK for minors; thinks parents can use game as a teaching tool. 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, is no stranger to parental... Read more...

MSN to launch business cards for kids

Tom Warren — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 22:17:17 +0000

MSN's French department plan to launch a new service for kids using MSN Messenger next Thursday. The service, named "MSN Cards", will allow children to order personalized cards, for free. The initiative will debut in... Read more...

Video Games Make Kids Fat, Violent, Swedish Experts Say

Tue, 02 Mar 2004 00:58:13 +0000

Video games can make children fat and, in the case of violent games popular among teenage and younger boys, aggressive and even criminal, Swedish experts said on Monday. The games industry, estimated at $200 million... Read more...