Web search gone wrong. It’s happened to the best of us. You type in an innocent string of words, and some random porn pops up faster than you can scream “NSFW!” Of course, that’s right about the time the boss walks by. Oy vey. Find “safe search” and turn it on. Stat.

Opening a window to everything on the Internet today can be frightening even for some adults. And stumbling across inappropriate content remains one of the biggest concerns when we throw a tablet into the mix of our kids’ daily digital lives. Add to that issues of child safety and protection, online bullying, unguarded app spending … suddenly we’re wishing we could just go back to simpler times. As we wrap up our Kids and Tablet series, here are the simple steps every parent can take — no matter how tech-unsavvy you might feel — to help keep kids safe on slates.

APP ACCESS

There are hundreds of thousands of apps, and many aren’t meant for young eyes. Excessively violent games and adult-only “hookup” apps lurk around every virtual store shelf, and there’s an excellent chance that you don’t want your kids viewing any of it.

Apple’s iPad requires a password before it dings your credit card for an app-buy. This is your safety valve, so you always know what’s being added to your family’s tablet. Not all such gadgets offer the same default protection, but if your tablet doesn’t automatically require a PIN or you want a more specific level of protection, it’s easy to set up.

On Android: Open Google Play — Android’s app marketplace — and click on the Settings tab in the top right. Scroll down to find the “Use PIN for purchases” option and enable it to require all app downloads to require a security code. Alternatively, you can use the “Content filtering” option in this same menu to restrict only certain types of apps from being downloaded.

PART ONE: Kids can’t resist the tablet temptation

Kindle: Tap on the top of screen to show the Quick Settings option and then click “More.” Now tap “Parental Controls” and enter a secure password. From this menu, you can restrict the ability to purchase content from the Kindle’s app store or restrict specific types of content from being downloaded, such as if you want to allow books to be downloaded at will but keep apps under lock and key.

iPad: The iPad locks purchases by default, but you can also force it to lock out content based on age ratings. Head into the Settings menu and click “General.” Now tap “Restrictions” and enter a security code that the kids don’t know. From here, you can adjust the age blocks on apps, music, movies and even websites visited through the default search engine.

There’s another good reason to lock down app activity: your bank account.

Not long ago, the news was filled with disgruntled parents hit with unexpected app charges after their kids went on spending sprees. These days, purchase restrictions are more strict across the board, but if your kids have access to download games — whether it be without a passcode or because they know the passcode — they likely also have the ability to ring up a hefty bill.

As long as you can keep your code a secret, there’s really no easy way to usurp these parental controls once you enable them. It doesn’t matter if you’re not tech-savvy — these tablets were built with parents in mind, so guard your access code like gold.

A SAFETY NET

There are Web browser apps built specifically for younger surfers. Mobicip is one of the best. The company’s Safe Browser — available on both iOS and Android — caters the Web-surfing experience specifically for your child. Any attempts to access unseemly corners of the Web are met with a block screen, telling them they’ve crossed the line.

RESPONSIBILITY

Aren’t you overlooking something? Sure, little Bobby is watching SpongeBob on YouTube now, but that doesn’t make the Web’s largest video portal universally kid-friendly, right? Right.

Streaming-video apps such as YouTube and Netflix often have app-specific controls and restrictions for more mature content. YouTube, which hosts videos of everything from live births to extremely violent war footage, won’t play anything considered “graphic” if you’re not signed in to a YouTube account. However, it’s relatively easy to fake an “adult” Google account, so this isn’t a fail-safe for all tableters.

And that’s an important point when it comes to kids and their tablets: The older they get, the greater the chances that they’ll be interested in things you object to. Keeping a 9-year-old from accidentally downloading a dating app is easy, but preventing your 16-year-old from watching violent content on YouTube is much more difficult. These are the same battles parents have been fighting for years, they’ve just now turned from R-rated movies and sneaking a sip of beer to the digital equivalent online.

If you’re willing to let your teenager use a tablet, you’ll either have to lock down absolutely everything you find objectionable, including apps such as YouTube, or you need to accept that giving them such a digital responsibility also means that they might run across things you don’t approve of.

The best way to make a tablet safe for a child is to get involved. Talk with them early and often about important digital core values. If you don’t trust your kids to do the right thing after you’ve taught them high-tech rules of the road, they’re not ready for a tablet.

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Digital Parenting, TechNow

Pick a tablet, any tablet, and put it in front of a child. Then, watch the magnetic attraction pull them in and steal all semblance of self-control. Tots, teens and all the screenagers in between can’t resist that tablet temptation.

TABLETS FOR TOTS

Of the 120-million tablets sold in 2013, their owners keep getting younger … and younger … and younger. According to a recent study by San Francisco-based Common Sense Media, 38% of babies under 2 use tablets or smartphones, up from 10% in 2011. What’s more, nearly as many children own tablets today as adults did just two years ago. This enormous growth is thanks in part to the plummeting prices of entry-level devices, which are sometimes even less expensive than the parade of kid-specific devices flooding store shelves. And more and more companies are targeting the kids tablet market, too.

PARENTING IN THE AGE OF IPADS

While some parents are thrilled with this new wired world, others fear the total tablet takeover will turn their precious children’s brains to media-saturated mush. Most of us modern moms and dads are somewhere in between, glad to share tablet time with kids, but also cautious about those sticky fingers and malleable minds.

It’s true, handing your kids an all-access pass to the land of iPads and Galaxy Tabs is a bit like handing over the keys to your car. Are they ready for it? How much tablet time is the right amount for their budding brains? Will they run up a fortune in apps, or stumble across content they shouldn’t see? What the heck are they actually doing on there?

These are just a few of the questions researchers have been working hard to answer, and a topic we’ll tackle over the next few installments of Tech Now. We’ll take a look at the rules of the road when it comes to giving your kids a tablet, see which specific tablets might be the best fit for your particular brood, and walk you through the tips and tricks to keep kids of all ages safe on their slates.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

Researchers find that kids today play more with touch-screens than traditional toys. As a mom myself, I want to know what that shift means for our future generation, and for those of us doing our best to raise healthy, well-rounded kids. We’ve heard debates over the effects of TV, video games and even certain types of music, and — surprise! — that same battle has now turned to tablets.

There’s no question that screens and technology can open the door to intellectually stimulating content, but they could also close doors to physical activity. They help kids keep in touch with Grandma and Grandpa across the miles and let them check in with Mom or Dad after school, yet they set up barriers when kids don’t interact with the people and situations around them. What’s a modern mom or dad to do?

That’s where we pick back up tomorrow, with part two of this series, when we look at how much screen time is the “right” amount, what impact slates are having on kids, and what you need to consider before giving your child a tablet. I call this rules of the road, because I’ve so often craved an easy to follow “map” of sorts that covers the basics — the how-to’s and what-for’s — when it comes to dealing with this somewhat hot-button parenting issue.

Be sure to weigh in with your own questions, comments, concerns, and check back here tomorrow for part two of this series; kids and tablets, rules of the road.

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Great Gadgets, TechNow

I had so much fun with Natasha Curry and the crew at CNN/HLN this past weekend. It was 95-degrees in the TV studio and breaking news pushed this segment back nearly two hours. Natasha was SO kind, helpful, and positive – one of the nicest hosts I’ve ever met. Thanks again to all involved! You can watch more here: http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/08/31/high-tech-essentials-your-student

It’s time to kick off a new school year for many students. With so many newfangled gadgets, school supply shopping is no longer for the faint of heart. Long gone are the days of kids only using folders, pencils and pens.

Tech expert Jennifer Jolly shares her favorite back to school gadgets. Among her picks– an air-cushioned back pack, a versatile cooking station and a new way to jam to your favorite tunes.

Posted in Connected Kids, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, TechStyled, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news, What The Tech

Tech Now Back to School Gadgets: Click here to watch video

To see the full story go to usatoday.com/tech. (Can’t find it? Do a quick search for “Jennifer Jolly + Tech Now.”

From lunchboxes to laptops, smart-phones to smart-pens, most parents like me are staring down the barrel of a really long back to school shopping list right about now and feeling pretty overwhelmed. When it comes to tech-ing our kids, how do we give our kids what they really need for a price we can really afford?! Here are some smart choices for every budget:

For Computing on the Go: An Ultraportable Laptop
Today’s slender laptops are the crown jewel of the back-to-school buy. By elementary school, most students will need access to a computer, whether at home or on the go. If they are of an age where they need to pack one around with them, you’ll want to find something that has an all-day battery life, sturdy — yet lightweight and small, so that it can fit in a backpack — and a device that won’t be obsolete in a year or a two.

In this category it’s hard to beat the MacBook Air, which is as portable as they come — the 11″ model weighs just over 2 pounds — and has truly extraordinary 9 hours of battery life. Prices start at $950 with student discounts.

Another great pick is the new Sony Vaio Pro 13, which is one of the best new Ultrabooks I’ve ever tested. Its 4th generation Intel processor delivers ultra fast speeds and masters the most demanding tasks, such as multimedia, full-on gaming, and keeps the battery boosted all day long. It’s also super-tough, encased in carbon fiber. Prices on this little beauty start around $1250.

If you’re on a tight budget and you’d still like to get a light-weight laptop, don’t despair — Samsung’s 11″ Chromebook starts at just $250. It’s runs Google’s Chrome operating system instead of Mac OS or Windows, and focuses on running applications over the Internet. This means the Chromebook could take a while to get used to, but that’s not a big deal, since kids are so tech-adaptable. Overall, it does a fine job doing most things your average student needs, like researching topics online or writing papers with online tools like Google Docs.

For Taking Notes: Livescribe Sky Wi-Fi Smartpen
Today’s students have a modern equivalent of the #2 pencil on steroids in the Livescribe Sky Wi-Fi Smartpen. It records a digital copy of what you write and draw, as well as audio of your class lectures. You just takes notes like normal, then later, go back, tap any word, symbol or doodle and the pen plays back the lecture that it was recording while you were writing. It also syncs digital copies to an Evernote account via Wi-Fi, so you can access everything from your computer or mobile device wherever you have Internet access. The Sky Wi-Fi Smartpen starts at $150, and to use all of the pen’s features you’ll need to purchase notebooks from Livescribe as well — these start at $25 for a pack of 4 single-subject notebooks.

For Apps and Ereading: The iPad mini
While I’m really fond of the size, price, and performance of the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD — and love that the Sony Xperia Tablet Z is waterproof — Apple’s iPad mini is still the tablet I find myself recommending to parents the most. Oh, sure, we read everyday how quickly Android’s catching up, but iPads still offer the most robust selection of learning, study, and organizational apps overall. It’s also an easy way to access to digital textbooks, as well as iTunes U, which gives your student free, easy access to college-level courses as podcasts, videos, lecture notes, and other media. Best of all, the iPad mini has a mini-ish price tag, too, starting at $330.

There are, of course, great non-Apple options out there for students of all ages — so be sure to see our full story just on tablets for teens later this month.

For Keeping in Touch: Smarter Smartphones
Giving your child a smartphone may not seem like a great idea, but it is the best way for them to stay in touch — not just with their friends, but with parents, family, and emergency services if needed. There are so many great options for students of all ages that we’ll be doing an entire story just on phones for kids – some of which are even free. We’ll have an entire series on the subject coming up shortly.

For Taking a Load Off: Airbac Backpack
My daughter’s backpack is bigger than she is, and has been since about the forth grade. Half the time it seems to weigh more than she does too. Roller bags are outlawed at her school, yet bad backs, apparently are not. For this issue, there’s Airbac, with a built-in “air cushion” that nestles in against your lower back and, quite literally, takes a load off. You can use an air pump to put more air in whenever and wherever you need. The whole design behind this pack is to alleviate the pressure pulling down on your shoulders, while distributing weight more evenly throughout, and resting more comfortably on your hips. For this, you’ll pay a pretty penny, around $60, which I think is a small price to pay for knowing their back is protected.

For Music at Home, in the Dorm, or on the Go: Satechi iFit-1
This speaker dock for your smartphone or tablet is compact and portable, but still features the power to provide great sound wherever you need it — with a battery that will last for up to 6 hours. This gadget is compatible with most smartphones and tablets and, best of all, comes in at a bargain price of $16.

For the Wow Factor: Pebble Smartwatch
The Pebble Smart Watch is more for the college age student who wants to look both tech, and fashion, forward. It’s a great way to know what time it is, and gives you a way to read to read texts, emails, and get calendar notifications, all on your wrist. But, if you or your student is prone to attention issues, this could be a huge distraction, since it vibrates and flashes social media alerts right on their wrist. Prices start at $150. http://getpebble.com/

For Going from Lost to Found: StickNFind
And once you’ve invested in this great tech, be sure your kids don’t lose it with StickNFind. These quarter-sized stickers broadcast a Bluetooth signal that you can track within a 150-foot range using StickNFind’s smartphone app. At $50 for a pack of two stickers, these are probably best used on the items that are easily lost, like wallets, smartphones, tablets, or even one another.

Because You Say Students Still Need Printers: Epson Expression Home XP-410 Small-in-One
There’s been a great debate among the tech-recommending crowd, do students still need printers, or is a USB memory stick or trip to the nearest campus Kinko’s enough? I took that question to you, the viewers and readers, who overwhelming responded that, “YES,” many students still need the ability to print papers and projects and it’s too inconvenient to go someplace to have them printed all the time. For a decent printer that works wirelessly across most mobile devices, the $99 Epson XP-410 is a fine choice. Yes, the ink will still be the biggest cost, so teach your students to print wisely.

What’s one gadget or school-tool you miss from your days as the big man on campus? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

Posted in Connected Kids, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, TechStyled, Top tech news, What The Tech

Smart Kids Apps to Prevent Summer Brain Drain & Get Kids Ready to Go Back To School:
Want to prevent summer slide – make sure kids go back to school with their brains brimming with bright ideas? Or maybe you just want to make their screen time is quality time? Here are 10 apps that can be great for young minds:

1. Touch ‘N Sing – Touch and Sing Along Picture Book
This is great example of a healthy first foray into the online world for kids as young two. It features 12 classic children’s songs, each with a different goal; learn letters, body parts, music, interactive play, reading, numbers, elements of science, and life skills to help prepare for the real world. Another stand out feature? It grows along with your child – as they progress through the various levels – the learning possibilities become limitless. The developer’s name, SumahoMAMA, means “cell phones Moms,” in Japanese, where it was created by moms looking for the very best ways to create healthy, safe, and manageable digital introductions to young kids. In additional to the apps content, no advertising is used in this product. That’s a bonus, for sure.
For ages: 2+, Available on iTunes, Free

2. WWF Together:
The World Wildlife Federation App lets kids experience the world’s most amazing and endangered animals through in-depth, interactive stories of giant pandas, tigers, and polar bears.

Ages 4+ Available on iTunes, Free

3. The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore
This is a stunning picture book app that counts on clever interaction to move the story forward. Kids are encouraged to make sounds, tap, tilt, and play.
Ages 6+
Available on iTunes, $4.99

4. Stack the states:
Stack the States is a big favorite for our daily commute in the car. My daughter reads out the questions and we race each other to see who can answer them first. Helps teach state capitals, shapes, geographic locations, flags and more.
Ages 6+ Available on iTunes, Google Play, Free

5. TinyTap
Tiny Tap gets parents more involved with child’s digital play by letting you create your own games with your kids using photos, music, colors, and words. You can make your own game, or pick from one of the many already created.
Ages 4+, Available on iTunes, Free

6. BuzzMath Middle School
If you want to prevent summer slide and make sure kids go back to school with their brains brimming, take a look at this comprehensive math skills and practice tool that offers thousands of quirky and fun exercises. It’s best for grades six through eight. And I highly recommend it for parents as a way to brush-up too!
Ages 10+, Available on iTunes, Google Play, Free

7. Storia
This reading app from Scholastic is a must-have. It’s filled with an entire library of teacher recommended books, plus dozens of fun and engaging games that help build comprehension and reading retention at every age and reading level. It’s so much fun, children will have NO idea how good it is for them as they work on word puzzles, tap their way through image games, and explore the world of their own imagination through great stories.
For ages 6+, Available on Google Play, iTunes, Windows, and Amazon, Free

8. Todo Elementary Math Series
This is a series of 7 multi-level games that are aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Pre-K through 2nd grade. The games help kids with learning differences, which might be struggling with concepts like telling time. It lets kids learn independently and progress at their own pace. The name, “Todo” translates to ,“all” in Spanish, and stands for the fact that this app helps include all children, no matter what their learning style or speed, understand basic counting and calculations, telling time, measuring, and dealing with money.
Ages 5+, Available on iTunes, Free

9. Watt Pad
This app lets young writers post short stories, novels and poems for others to read and critique. The critique is positive, creative, and aimed at helping kids hone their craft – no bullying allowed. The works are often revealed chapter by chapter, so readers are anticipating new developments and often lobbying the writer for plot shifts or new characters. Famous authors also get involved, for a digital writers-group that’s out of this world.
Ages 12+, Available on iTunes, Google Play

10. BrainPOP
BrainPOP features a new animated movie each day (I love the one about the Beatles)that kids watch – then get quizzed on – in a fun and interactive way. Topics cover math, social studies, English, tech, music, health , and more. The videos aren’t sophisticated, but the information is solid and they are captioned so you can read along. This is a great one on a road trip, so everyone in the car can play along.
Ages 8+, Available on iTunes, Google Play

One last note, most apps have in-app upgrades and new games that you can buy. Be sure to turn off in-app purchases, and set up a passcode that your kids can’t guess. Also, be sure to check-in on what they’re playing. For ideas about how much screen time is okay, without creating zoned out zombies, read the latest guidelines and recommendations.

We know there are hundreds more, and new ones being added everyday. What are some of your favorites? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
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Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, In The Press, TechStyled, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news, Uncategorized, What The Tech

Win Net Nanny – as seen on the Marie Osmond Show!

Send us an email and tell us why you want to win a subscription to Net Nanny. Have any funny/scary/interesting stories about digital parenting? Be sure to share them here!

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news

Click here to see video
In a world where most of us already have our smartphones glued to our ears and panic at the mere mention of powering down our devices, wearable technology is shaping up to be the next “big thing” here at CES.

According to new studies from IMS Research, the market for wearable-wireless devices is expected to hit revenues of $6 billion within the next four years. But alongside Android powered eyeglasses and tiny video cameras that fit on your ear are a few new gadgets that might just save your life, or your child’s life.

I sat down with Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck Tuesday, as he unveiled Reebok’s new Head Impact Indicator. The thin, lightweight black skullcap sports MC10’s latest series of wearable sensors to help measure and detect dangerous hits to the head.

A tiny rechargable pack, about the size of a quarter, sits at the base of your skull. If you’re hit too hard — an impact registering above pre-programmed thresholds based on the head-injury criteria levels (HIC) — a yellow or red light goes on. The idea behind the synthetic cap is to give coaches, parents, athletes, and even us hard-headed weekend warrior types, a tool to take better care of our brains.

It’s easy to see why a professional athlete who gets tackled for a living would get behind this kind of technology. Hasselbeck has had a handful of concussions in his career and says he’s seen too many of his fellow-players suffer traumatic head injuries, when they failed to realize that knock to the noggin was more serious than they thought.

Perhaps even more important he says, is that this kind of technology could help kids, coaches, and parents everywhere. He talked about watching his own three kids play, tumble, and even wipe-out on a bicycle a time or two. With a head-injury, often times the severity isn’t all that obvious, especially to a child. The warning lights built right in to the cap, could help act as an extra pair of eyes.

Of course, whenever we talk about this topic, whether it’s when my own daughter falls off the monkey-bars or takes a spill of a horse (which just happened recently), I always think of actress Natasha Richardson. She died in 2009 after not realizing that a ski fall had caused her brain to bleed. The new Head Impact Indicator cap is expected to show up on store shelves in the first half of 2013.

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Digital Parenting, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, Top tech news

Predator Proof Your Child's Gadgets: watch video here.

1:23PM EST December 12. 2012 – Handing over a shiny new smartphone or tablet to a youngster is like giving them keys to a sports car and wishing them luck on the freeway. In this TECH NOW, find out how to head off inappropriate content, over-use and even Internet predators with simple steps that even a non-techie parent can manage.

— Set the rules. Have a heart-to-heart about the rules of cyber-conduct. Let them know this is about keeping them safe, which is your job as a parent. Print out, sign and post a family Internet contract so that expectations and consequences are clear.

— Set up content filters. You can set up filters that even your tech-savvy teens can’t hack through.

Android, Apple and Windows devices have settings or apps that with just three to five steps let you “set and forget” a list of filters. You can password-protect your settings, too, so that your kids can’t (easily) outsmart you and undo them.

— Install surveillance software. The next level of protection is surveillance — with the understanding that you’re using these tools to protect, inform and empower your kids, not to spy on them. After all, teens need to learn about the trust, respect and privacy that comes with growing up. For free filters, try K9 Web Protection. It blocks sites in more than 70 categories, including pornography, gambling, drugs,violence/hate/racism, malware/spyware and phishing.

Additionally, the FTC this week said it is investigating whether some apps violate kids’ privacy rights by quietly collecting personal information and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers. The FTC recommends these six steps for parents:

— Try out the apps your kid wants to use so that you understand the content and the features.

— Use device and app settings to restrict a kid’s ability to download apps, make purchases through the app or access other material.

— Turn off your Wi-Fi and carrier connection using “airplane mode” to disable any interactive features, prevent inadvertent taps and block access to material you haven’t approved.

— Look for statements about whether the app or anything within the app collects kids’ personal information. If you can’t find disclosures or assurances that information collection and sharing is limited, consider a different app.

— Check whether the app connects to social media, gaming platforms or other services that enable sharing photos, video or personal information or chatting with other players. If so, see if you can block or limit those connections.

— Talk to your kids about your rules for downloading, purchasing and using apps, and sharing information online. And make sure you tell them why it matters.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA Today’s new daily digital TECH NOW . Email her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Digital Parenting, Top tech news

I love doing the Daily Buzz with co-host Andrea Jackson. Will post the segments here soon!

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, Health & Fitness, In The Press, TechStyled, Tips & Tricks, What The Tech

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, Health & Fitness, TechStyled, Tips & Tricks, What The Tech