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This video shows how you can use Mobicip's Premium Web Monitor to keep an eye on your kids or students Internet activity on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
 

Mobicip Safe Browser was ranked #3 on the Babble Top 50 iPhone App for Moms list!  Mobicip was also ranked #1 in the Creative and Practical category.  Babble is the fastest growing website for moms, with over 4 millions moms visiting the hippest parenting site in the US every month. Here is a link to the review: http://www.babble.com/mom/parenting-top-50/50-best-iphone-apps-for-moms-safe-browser/ 

You can also read the review below:

"The Safe Browser from Mobicip gives you an alternative to Safari on your iPhone. It’s a fabulous way to monitor and restrict what your children are allowed to access on the internet via the phone. You can select a filtering level based on your child’s age, and each filtering level allows different types of content to come through the browser. The Elementary School level is the most restrictive, High School the least. The app uses real-time filtering in a way that doesn’t noticeably slow down the internet response time. Safe Browser comes with preset bookmarks to kid-friendly websites and your children can add in additional bookmarks of their own. They can perform Google searches, but the results are restricted by the safety filters that you have established. These features are all included in the price of the app. For an additional $9.99 a year, you can upgrade to a premium subscription, letting you control the Safe Browser restrictions through a website and monitor multiple users on multiple devices. You can blacklist certain websites and whitelist (permit) others. The premium subscription provides reports on the different users you are monitoring. You can see how long they were on the internet, what websites they visited, which ones were blocked and why they were blocked. Safe Browser gives you the ability to protect your children from the nasty side of the internet."

Mobicip's Safe Browser app has been updated (version 2.5.2) to take advantage of iOS4 features like multi-tasking. The updated app is zippy, instant-on, and makes copy-paste much easier and faster. As usual, the update is free for anyone who has downloaded the app before. Simply launch the App Store on the device and you will be prompted to download the update, or you can always download the update from iTunes.

We are constantly asked by parents and schools if Mobicip has a Windows edition that will offer the same protection for young users on netbook, laptop and desktop computers. We have worked hard to develop a solution for PCs in response to such requests. We are excited to announce that Mobicip for Windows 7 will be available in the next few weeks.

At this time, we are seeking beta users who can try Mobicip on Windows 7 and give us feedback. Participating in the beta program is absolutely FREE. Our iPhone and iPod Touch solution was built on the able support from thousands of parents. We only expect similar feedback and support as we roll out Mobicip on Windows. To participate in the beta, simply express your interest via email or through the contact form.

Thousand Oaks, CA - Mobicip.com, the leading internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, received the prestigious 2010 Parents’ Choice Silver Honors Award as a top mobile application software serving children and protecting their mobile experience. Parents’ Choice has been reviewing and recommending quality children’s media for more than 32 years. According to leaders at Parents’ Choice, “not only is it clear that children must be adept in the traditional areas of learning, they must also be competent and skilled in the learning opportunities digital media provides.”

Parents’ Choice recognizes the best in children’s media.  They rate and award organizations with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.  Mobicip’s mobile internet browsing security technology received the Silver honor with one or more of the evaluating groups at Parents’ Choice, a high prize for their child mobile internet safety technology’s production and human values.  Parents’ Choice honors are given to excellent media products that are designed to entertain and support globally ethical attitudes. Products are also awarded based on how they help children cultivate skills while maintaining rigorous product standards.

“This is a very prestigious recognition from an organization that, for years, has been such a trusted source of the best in children’s education and entertainment,” says Anitha Swaminathan, Director of Customer Experience at Mobicip.  “Parents need to be in the know about how to protect their kids who are mobile users and using them in mobile ways, without total parental supervision.  We are so impressed that Parents’ Choice has a mobile category to cater to the trends and are equally proud to have been a part of their rigorous screening process and recognition.”

“The Mobicip Safe Browser's intuitive design is easy-to-use. It looks almost identical to the preferred Safari browser resident on many Apple products,” says Teresa DiFalco, a reviewer for Parents’ Choice. “Searches on inappropriate content produce a simple "access is denied" message and a link to the Mobicip website where a parent or administrator can, if they desire, change the filtering level. There are three age-appropriate levels: elementary, middle school, and high school.”

"The way children, tweens and teens learn today is becoming more and more mobile.  Safe mobility fundamentally transforms how children learn and we are so pleased that Parents’ Choice sees our mobile app technology as playing a significant role in the process," says Suren Ramasubbu, Founder and CEO of Mobicip.com. "Mobicip's service is being used by thousands of parents around the world, and by several school districts.  This award is so appreciated.”

Parents’ Choice has been reviewing and recommending quality children’s media since 1978.  To learn more about Parents’ Choice, visit www.parents-choice.org

Mobicip’s Safe Browser app for kids and teens is available on the iPhone App Store, and the service is available at www.mobicip.com.

About Mobicip’s Mobile Application for Children and Online Content Filtering for Parents
Mobicip is the most powerful Internet filtering and parental control software designed specifically to work with mobile devices.  Parents and educators use Mobicip’s custom web filtering so kids and teens can use the internet safely, securely and specific to their age, interests and parent/educator requirements.  The Safe Browser iPhone app is the most popular parental control app on the iPhone App store.  Kids are mobile – parents use Mobicip to ensure their mobile kids are safely using their mobile devices, even without supervision.  Learn more about Mobicip at www.mobicip.com.
 

If you are at ISTE 2010, make sure to stop by this ISTE Unplugged event on Tuesday, Jun 29 at 10:30 am.

Title: Individualized Instruction and Learning Using the iPod Touch

Description:
Comal ISD and Grey Culbreth Middle have implemented iPod Touch-based mobile learning programs. Middle schoolers who participate in these programs are each given an iPod Touch that includes restricted Internet access, apps, music, documents, presentations and instructional videos that allow the students to learn on their own time outside of school hours. The panelists will discuss how the programs evolved from concept to reality, cover acceptable use policy, security and deployment management, and anecdotal evidence of the benefits derived by students participating in the program.

• Comal ISD in New Braunfels, TX, has implemented a 1:1 learning program using the Apple iPod Touch for its special education English language learners.
• Grey Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill, NC has implemented a similar program for the entire 8th grade class.
• Travis Allen from the iSchool Initiative will also participate in the session and bring a refreshing student perspective.
• The session is hosted by Suren Ramasubbu (HuffPost blogger and CEO of Mobicip.com)

Panelists:

Suren Ramasubbu http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu

Sandra Shelton http://www.comalisd.org/mobile_learning/index.html

Travis Allen http://www.ischoolinitiative.com

Susan Wells http://www.youtube.com/greyculbreth

Click here to join the Elluminate room

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (June 22, 2010) — Mobicip.com, the leader in online content filtering for the iPhone,  iPod Touch and iPad, was recognized by StartUpBusiness.com for its “new technology for new times”, making the Honorable Mention list. Mobicip’s superior online content filtering technology allows today’s mobile kids to safely use their favorite Internet-enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, wherever they are.

“We are flattered by the mention and consider it quite a technological compliment,” says Suren Ramasubbu, founder and CEO of Mobicip. “Technological innovation is critical for the future, especially as children learn and play with mobile technologies.  Making technology easy for parents and educators as they deal with mobile and technically super-savvy kids is our goal – we think mobile safety is cool, we are pleased StartUpBusiness.com sees it as hot.”

Michael O’Donnell, who compiled the list of Hot Startup Companies says what makes companies make this list is, “In a word…..uptake. The founders are quick to learn from their customers and quick to get traction in the marketplace. They may not be profitable, but most are seeing double-digit growth each quarter. A hot startup is one that has a unique insight. It fills a need that is not being offered by any other company in the space. It is not a one trick pony. Its products or services are really useful -- even critical -- to its customers. The industries that these companies compete in are depending upon them to bring a new era of prosperity.” To see the list of Honorable Hot Startup Company Mention List, click here.

About Mobicip

Mobicip.com offers security software that ensures children and teens use the mobile web safely. Mobicip's dynamic content filtering technology helps parents protect their children in a web 2.0 world. Mobile Internet devices like the iPhone, iPod, iTouch and iPad are highly capable computers that contain browsers that can find anything on the Internet—irrespective of whether or not the content is appropriate for the children.  By delivering an online safety net through its parental control solution, Mobicip gives parents and educators the ability to safeguard their children on their favorite mobile devices. Mobicip does more than block website addresses; the software dynamically views the entire web page to determine if there is offensive content even on an allowed site based on the parent’s choices.  Mobicip Safe Browser is one of the top downloads available on the App Store and the premium content filtering service is available at www.mobicip.com.

Media Contact
Nicki Gauthier
Mobicip, LLC
501-I South Reino Rd. Ste 212
Newbury Park CA 91320
pr@mobicip.com
805-380-5687
http://www.mobicip.com/
 

Apple has released the iOS4 upgrade for iPhone and iPod Touch users.

It is absolutely free this time for all users. Click here to upgrade your iPhone, and here for your iPod Touch. ZDNet has published a helpful tutorial to help you with the upgrade. We highly recommend that you upgrade immediately since it includes several improvements that make these devices a pleasure to use. Learn more about the iOS4 upgrade and the features it includes in this review by Macworld.

Some early adopters of iOS4 identified a problem with Mobicip's Safe Browser, and it has since been resolved. We have posted an update for Mobicip's Safe Browser to take advantage of iOS4 features like multi-tasking and state restoration. What it means to you is zippy and instant-on performance. We will post a note here as soon as the update is available on the App Store.

UPDATE: As promised, Mobicip Safe Browser's update for iOS4 is now available on the App Store. The update is a free download for existing users. Simply launch the App Store on the device to download the update.

Please upgrade to the new OS and enjoy the new features!

Suren Ramasubbu, mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leader in Internet filtering and parental controls for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad shared the following about protecting your children's privacy online:

“While Apple and Google provide some of the most innovative tools for improving education and communication, they recently declined to participate in the Congressional hearing on children’s web privacy. With these 2 major players showing a lack of interest in protecting children's privacy online, it's more important than ever for parents and educators to be proactive and have the tools necessary to enable children to surf the web safely. As the web quickly becomes more mobile and accessible with the iPhone and iPod Touch, and now the iPad, parents will surely need help protecting their children from the new wave of Internet hazards stemming from mobility. Both parents and educators must take advantage of mobile Internet safety solutions that allow them to track usage, filter content, and ensure kids and teens can use the Internet safely and securely while on the go.”

Comal Independent School District in New Braunfels, Texas had identified a subset of the student population as English Language Learners (ELL). The district launched an ELL program for these students, as part of which each student was provided an iPod Touch. Given that the iPod Touch is an internet-enabled powerful computing device, the school had to overcome several challenges before they could deploy the solution.

Comal ISD decided to deploy Mobicip’s Safe Browser app as the window to the Internet on the iPod Touch. The Safe Browser app offers a safe, secure and educational Internet environment for school-age children.

“Mobicip fills a critical need for us. Students still have access to the Internet on any WiFi network and teachers and parents can feel confident that they are not accessing inappropriate sites.”, says Jennifer Wivagg, technology coordinator at Comal ISD.

Comal ISD has found Mobicipʼs solution to be effective, affordable and instrumental in enforcing CIPA compliance and implementing a managed one to one learning program using the iPod Touch, while allowing teachers to find innovative educational uses for safe and secure Internet access.

Click here to download the full case study.

Suren Ramasubbu, mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leader in Internet filtering and parental controls for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad shared the following about iPad's popularity:

“Apple’s iPad is selling faster than the iPhone and industry experts project that it will have sold 1.5 million units by June. While the iPad is a revolutionary device that will surely transform how kids and teens interact with the Internet and enhance the social and educational benefits of the Web, parents and educators need to be aware of the hazards that young people can encounter online. The potential perils especially affect young children and teens, who start using mobile devices much earlier than their parents, who need to know how to ensure that their kids learn safe and responsible use of all mobile devices.  With Apple’s iPad quickly becoming the fastest selling consumer product, parents of today’s mobile kids need to encourage positive dialogue about Internet safety. This includes taking advantage of mobile Internet safety solutions designed to ensure kids and teens are securely and responsibly using their iPhones – and now iPads -  wherever they go.”

In an Huffington Post article, Suren Ramasubbu, CEO of Mobicip.com interviews an high school student Travis Allen. Here is an excerpt: 

 At Mobicip.com, we work with schools deploying iPod Touch-based 1:1 learning programs for their students. That is how I heard about a high-school student campaigning for the use of technology in education. I believe his voice should be heard, and this interview is my contribution towards that end.

For the benefit of people who are not aware, what is iSchool Initiative?

iSchool Initiative is a student-led non-profit organization dedicated to bringing technology to the classroom. We have three objectives - raising awareness for the technological needs of the classroom, providing collaborative research on the use of technology in the classroom, and guiding schools in the implementation of this technology.

Can you describe that "aha" moment when you came up with this concept?

After receiving an iPhone for Christmas in 2008 I began exploring the use of applications, and particularly how I could use them to help with my school work. I was amazed at all the many wonderful things I was discovering. One day, I was using my iPhone in class when something hit me. What if everyone in my class had one of these? What possibilities would there be then? In my excitement and desire to share my discovery with everyone, I made a YouTube video to share what I had found. I called it the iSchool Initiative. From that point on, I expanded the concept, did my research, and found out that this idea was catching on. Thus the iSchool Initiative was formed.

You can read the full article at  http://huff.to/ao4OTa

Our May newsletter (copied below) was sent over the weekend, generating an overwhelming response in referrals, phone calls and emails. Thank you parents for your wonderful feedback!

Schools Choose Mobicip for Safe iPod Touch Use.  Mobicip is most popular among parents as an Internet filtering and parental control service for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. However, the original intent behind Mobicip was to create a safe Internet for K-12 schools for mobile learning. This vision has been borne out by the increasing adoption of the iPod Touch as a mobile learning device by hundreds of schools across the US. In the last few months, we had the unique opportunity to work with pioneering schools, administrators and teachers who are implementing 1:1 learning programs based on the iPod Touch. A 1:1 learning program is where the school provides a learning device with instructional activities and curriculum-aligned content to each student for use in the classroom and at home. That Mobicip has been adopted by these pioneering schools is a testament to how critical filtering is for schools, and to the effectiveness of Mobicip's dynamic filtering engine and Internet activity monitoring. Does your child's school use mobile devices for education?  Let us know so Mobicip can make sure your kids have access to a safe, secure and educational Internet. Email Reports Now Available For Premium Users Premium Mobicip.com subscribers can now opt to receive reports of Internet activity via email. Simply login at www.mobicip.com and navigate to Settings > Email Reports to enable the option. To upgrade to Premium, login at Mobicip.com and click Upgrade Now. Safe Browser Update 2.5.1 - iPad Support! The latest update of Mobicip's Safe Browser is now available for download from the iPhone App Store. The update features Support for the iPad Blazing performance next only to Safari Reorderable bookmarks Bug fixes making the Safe Browser one of the most reliable and fully functional Safari Mobile-alternatives available on the App Store. Yes, the update is absolutely FREE! We have listened to your requests and the next update we are working on includes full-screen browsing, bookmarks syncing, visual bookmarks or weblinks, and the ability to exclude local IP Addresses. If there are other features you want to highlight to us, please send a quick note to support@mobicip.com. Sincerely Mobicip.com Crew become a fan on Facebook follow us on Twitter

Hear'em Say It "Even with the free account, Mobicip offers more than enough protection that parents can rest easy. For a mere $5, you can keep your kids from accidentally (or intentionally) wandering into the Web's red-light districts. I'm sold." Rick Broida - CNET "Mobicip allows us to unleash the web on these (iPod Touch) devices, address parental control wishes and let our students learn in and out of school, both on their terms and parent/educator’s terms." Dr. Brant Myers, Superintendent, Jim Ned Indep. School District "I haven’t the faintest idea how all the technical voodoo works to block/allow websites so I’m grateful they’ve kept the parental account features simple. A fabulous product." The iPhone Mom.com   Mobicip Protects iPods at Comal ISD Mobicip for iPad Useful Links Watch Demo Frequently Asked Questions Need Help / Report Problem User Community Forum   Top Blog Posts How To Setup Parental Controls on iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad Five Must-Have iPhone Apps Mobicip Ensures Safe Student iPod Use in Schools