kids

Gaming has seen a huge surge in the past months but not all games and gamers are created equal. There will always be games not suitable for younger players but the latter group might not always know that. That's why Xbox has been steadily improving is Familly Settings on the console to protect these young gamers and now it is extending those controls so that parents and guardians can set or ease limits even when they're not currently at home.

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In addition to its various space and Earth science missions, NASA has focused on inspiring the next generation of kids by getting them interested in science. These initiatives have come in many forms, the latest being the release of several color and activity pages designed specifically for young kids. The pages are free for anyone to download and print.

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As part of the gaming "Play Apart Together" campaign going on here in the summer of global pandemic, Ubisoft's giving away a couple games. They're releasing Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece, and Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt, both for free, in a window one week long. Where Assassin's Creed is a game about historical missions run by ancient hunters of humans, Discovery Tour is all about the history - without all the violence.

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The relatively new Spotify Kids app has been updated with new features, enabling parents to monitor their kids and manage the music they listen to. The features are available in the dedicated Spotify Kids app, which is only available to Premium subscribers. Among other things, parents can sign into their 'grown-up' account to view a listening history of each child using Spotify Kids.

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The current global situation with COVID-19 has paved the way for a surge in both the demand and supply of apps for young ones. Many of these take the form of games or videos that keep kids distracted while there are a few try to impart lessons as well. Google is unsurprisingly jumping in on that trend and, just as unsurprisingly, it is putting its favorite AI and machine learning features to work in helping kids get better at reading and speaking even while stuck at home.

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Fitbit is preparing to expand its presence in the children's wearables market, a new report claims, with plans to release a 4G smartwatch made specifically for young users. The company is allegedly working with Doki Technologies on this wearable, a company that recently announced plans to stop supporting its own kids' wearables. The new model, assuming the rumor pans out, will join Fitbit's existing Ace 2 device.

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Google is making it easier for parents to find high-quality Android apps for their kids by introducing a new 'Teacher Approved' badge in the Google Play Store. With this, users can see which kids apps have been flagged as notable by educators, as well as the reasons that particular app was awarded the badge, including the ages it is for, the benefits it offers, and the type of education it provides.

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For all the Apple Watch's popularity, the company hasn't made any effort to appeal to a wider audience, specifically kids. That doesn't stop the young ones from wanting an Apple Watch, of course, but the systems Apple has built up around the wearable aren't exactly conducive to that use case. That may finally be changing when iOS 14 comes around along with a watchOS 7 with a few new features designed to address exactly that.

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Duolingo, the company that has been teaching people to speak foreign languages for years, just made a surprise announcement: it has a new app. Called Duolingo ABC, the app is designed specifically for young kids; it will help them learn to read using what the company describes as 'bite-sized lessons.' Only Apple customers will be able to access it, however.

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A new leak reveals multiple features that will reportedly be available on the Apple Watch Series 6 wearable. The alleged features were uncovered from iOS 14 code, the leak claims, hinting at new capabilities that, in some cases, mirror recent leaks from other sources. Assuming Apple does make these features available in the upcoming Apple Watch, consumers can expect sleep tracking, a Kids Mode, and more.

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Just as the Internet empowered people by connecting them to knowledge and to one another, it has sadly also empowered less conscientious individuals in carrying out illegal activities in anonymity. Sexual exploitation, especially those of minors, is one of the long-standing problems for both authorities and Internet companies and its complexity defies conventional solutions. Microsoft is rising to the challenge with a new tool called Project Artemis will try to look for signs of online grooming that could lead to child exploitation.

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Apple's headaches with iOS 13 updates may have diminished but it's far from being a flawless situation. While there have been little reports in the way of broken updates or bricked iPhones, iOS 13.3 may bring its own list of concerns, especially from parents. The latest iOS update added a new feature that would protect kids against strangers but a bug in that Communication Limits ironically lets children get around those blocks, intentionally or otherwise.

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