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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CBS All Access, the company's on-demand and live television streaming app, has launched a new section that is dedicated to children's programming, giving parents a cheap streaming option for kids shows. The launch of the children's section brings the latest seasons of the original Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs television series, as well as Danger Mouse and classics like Inspector Gadget.
Microsoft has always positioned its Surface products, especially the Surface Pros and Surface Laptops, as a great mobile computer for students. Now, however, it seems to be aiming its smallest Surface to the smallest computer users. Microsoft is offering a Surface Go Kids Bundle that may, on the surface, looks like a pretty ordinary marketing strategy. If you think about it, however, it might not be that effective one either.
Amazon has introduced its first Kindle ereader designed specifically for kids. Called the Kindle Kids Edition, this model is a book reader that features an e-ink display and ultra-long battery life; it's not to be confused with the company's Kindle Fire tablets, which have already been released with Kids Edition options. Among other things, the new Kindle includes Amazon's FreeTime Unlimited.
Most of the technologies, be it hardware or software, that gets mainstream media attention are often targeted at adults, sometimes teens, that are, admittedly, the biggest market for such products. But just as technology should be accessible to everyone, including those with physical handicaps, it should also be usable for people of all ages, especially the children that will become the adults of the future. There is no shortage of educational apps for smartphones and tablets but their actual beneficial effects are still hotly debated. That's why Osmo is taking a different approach that brings AI, augmented reality, mobile and physical activity to promise a more holistic approach to learning for kids.
Disney has brought back its Bedtime Hotline for a limited time, adding new iconic voices to the service: Yoda and Spider-man. The company first introduced the hotline last year with the arrival of its Sleep Shop line of bedtime clothing, offering the hotline as a nice little hook to help parents get their kids into bed (and maybe into a pair of Disney pajamas).
Children are notoriously picky eaters and parents may struggle to get them to eat the daily recommended amount of vegetables. This problem is compounded by readily available high-fat, salty, and sweet food products often lacking adequate nutrition, resulting in parents who give up on trying to get their kids to turn to healthier alternatives. Scientists have revealed a method that may change that, however, and it involves exposure to a large variety of vegetables.