Blog entry December 2011

 Thank you Daniel Eran Dilger from AppleInsider.com for sharing important information regarding parental controls for the recently released Amazon Kindle Fire. In the article, Parents compain Amazon's Kindle Fire gives kids acces to porn, accounts, Mr. Dilger shares, "Amazon delivered its low cost Kindle Fire tablet primarily as a way for users to browse and buy digital content, but it omitted parental controls that can block access to pornography, explicit content or allow unattended kids to 'charge up a storm' on their parents' account." 

He also includes important feedback from "Caryn Talty, a parent blogger at HealthyFamily.org noted that while the Kindle Fire was a 'very cool, sleek electronic toy,' it 'has no parental monitoring safeguards installed on the device or available through a software download.'"

This article is important to Mobicip because we value mobile education and we believe that kids deserve to have a safe, secure and educational Internet for their Android smartphone or tablet.  Mobicip Safe Browser offers a mobile web filter for Android smartphones and tablets  (like the Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy tablet) so parents can get peace of mind knowing their kids can use the mobile web without being exposed to inappropriate content.

Thousand Oaks, CA - Mobicip.com, the leading Internet filtering and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad as well as Windows 7 and Linux (laptops or desktops) has just announced the launch of Mobicip for Android. On smartphones and tablets, running the Android operating system, Mobicip offers a Safe Browser app that allows children to access the web safely, and an optional Premium service that allows parents or administrators to customize the content filtering and monitor the Internet activity online.

“It was imperative that we launch Mobicip’s Safe Browser for Android before the end of the year for two reasons.” says Mobicip’s Founder and CEO Suren Ramasubbu.  “One, Android OS-based devices like the Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy tablet are going mainstream now and being used increasingly by younger users.  Two, as kids are receiving Android devices and tablets for holiday gifts, parents need solutions to ensure these gifts allow only content that is appropriate for the kids’ age. It is easy to setup and manage by the parent so they can rest assured their kids are browsing on these devices without the risk of landing on inappropriate content.”

Mobicip Safe Browser for Android smartphones and tablets is available for download now on http://www.mobicip.com. The Safe Browser for Android is modeled after its bestselling namesake for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, uses the same path-breaking dynamic cloud content filtering engine, and works seamlessly with the Mobicip Premium service. Mobicip for iOS has been a top-selling app providing a safe, secure and educational Internet for families and school-age children, won several awards, and is being used by tens of thousands of parents and schools worldwide.

Click Get Started at the Mobicip for Android page to create an account and setup a 30-day free trial.

Apple Toolbox recently shared an article explaining how to setup parental controls on an iPad, go to AppleToolbox.com to view. They share third party solutions and state: "You may want a secure and safe web browsing for your family. Ther are various apps for this.  The most famous one is Mobicip, which is available at the app store for $4.99." 

Thank you Maggie Reardon from CNET for answering Paula's question! Concerned parent, Paula wrote Maggie:

Subject: Putting the iPod Touch on lock-down
Dear Maggie,
My 10-year-old daughter wants an iPod Touch for Christmas. I'm sure it's because all of her friends have one and are playing games and other apps on it. But I am nervous about getting her one. I trust her, but I do not think she needs all of the technologies that come on an iPod Touch. I really do not want the outside world getting in touch with her! Is there some type of other technology or device I can get her so she can play apps and at the same time not have a Skype phone, camera, video, GPS, etc.? I feel so old school, but I do not think a 10-year-old needs to be texting, etc!!! All and any advice would really be helpful!
Thanks,
Paula

Maggie responded and posted "Child proofing your Internet-enabled gadgets."

In the article, Maggie shares: "More and more parents are giving their kids tablets, game consoles, laptops, and other Internet-connected devices as special holiday gifts. But how do you keep Junior safe as he's downloading apps, playing games online and exploring the World Wide Web?"

"Luckily, there are several apps that can help you monitor your daughter's browsing and usage on her iPod Touch, if you ever feel like you want to allow her a bit more freedom. Mobicip Safe Browser is a popular Web filter. It can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99 and it's used instead of the Safari browser on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It's basically a browser that filters Web content to ensure it's safe for your daughter. iRover Surf Safe is another app that offers similar functionality. And there are many more."

Thank you again Maggie for mentioning Mobicip as a web filter solution. You can read Maggie's complete article here.