iPad parental controls

Thank you Christina Bonnington of WIRED via CNN, for posting a great article: "iPad a solid education tool, study reports". We pulled some highlights from the article however we encourage you to read the article here: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/tech/innovation/ipad-solid-education-tool/index.html.

And the Mobicip team completely agrees - the iPad is a solid education tool and Mobicip's Safe Browser offers a safe, secure and educational Internet for your child's iPad. Parents and educators can get peace of mind knowing their kids can use the mobile web without being exposed to inappropriate content.

-- "More and more schools are jumping on the digital bandwagon and adopting iPads for daily use in the classroom."

-- "In a partnership with Apple, textbook publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt performed a pilot study using an iPad text for Algebra 1 courses, and found that 20% more students (78% compared to 59%) scored 'Proficient' or 'Advanced' in subject comprehension when using tablets rather than paper textbook counterparts."

-- "The iPad seems to help students better connect with the content at hand" 

-- "Students' interaction with the device was more personal. You could tell students were more engaged," said Coleman Kells, principal of Amelia Earhart Middle School."

-- "Another study centered on an iPad game, Motion Math, has shown that the iPad can help with fundamental math skills. Fifth graders who regularly played the game for 20 minutes per day over a five-day period increased their test scores by 15% on average."

-- "…the iPad is starting to do an impressive job of improving the education space. And now that publishers and instructors have these iBooks tools at their disposal, students can continue to reap the benefits of increased understanding and greater participation."

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." 

 Mobicip recommends www.iautism.info for App reviews that support children with autism and parents that have children with autism. According to their site, "the purpose of this blog is to work in this direction by collecting information related to the use of visual and tactile technology such as the iPhone, the iPod touch and the iPad for people with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders)."

They ask and share, "Can cell phones and touch-type devices like the iPhone, the iPod touch or the iPad be used to enhance learning, communication and entertainment for people with ASD? Seeing the first worldwide experiences, the feeling is YES!, and even in a very notable way."

The iAutism blog was born on September 11, 2010 from the hands of Francesc Sistach and Susana Vila, parents of Sara, a beautiful girl with autism. The founders share, "for some years now there have been a few specific apps for people with autism (as well as for people with Down’s Syndrome, etc.) based on the iPhone and the iPod touch, many of which are beginning to appear now for the iPad. In addition, there are thousands of educational and entertainment apps, some better adapted than others for people with various disorders. In any case, as with any “new technology”, it will be good to study this thoroughly, to see how to integrate it into the environment of the person with ASD, to test it, and to help their creators to improve it."

We completely agree with iAutism.info about the importance of mobile education and we applaud them for taking the time to educate readers about helpful apps for children with autism and learning disorders.

It is never too late to say "Thank you" to our loyal fans, schools, students and online education bloggers. When you get a break, take the time to read the following articles about keeping online education safe and secure on mobile devices (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad), Windows PCs, and Ubuntu Linux netbooks, laptops, tablets or desktops. You might notice that some of these authors do not mention Mobicip Web filter HOWEVER these articles touch upon the problem  we solve and we are happy to share in order to keep the Internet safe and secure.

1. Parental Control on Smartphone

2. Mobile Malware Crisis? Not So Fast

3. How are you monitoring internet when kids play on your phone?

4. Tech Journal: Making the Web Safe for Your Kids

5. KinderTown Launches Educational App Store For Parents

6. Kids and technology: The new rules of online safety

7. Committee proposes purchasing iPads for teachers, every high school student

8. ERFAE members get student demonstration of tablet computers

9. How to share one Mac with your family

Jean, from Deepthoughtsbyjean.wordpress.com, recently posted a great blog titled: "Parental Control Resources for iPod, iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac".  She shares that she just got a new iPhone for her birthday (her first smart phone ever!) and her daughter inherited her iPod touch.  

Jean's immediate question was: "Are there any parental control options available on these devices?" And so her research began. 

For child Internet safety tips and advice, we recommend you read the complete blog here: http://deepthoughtsbyjean.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/parental-control-resources/

Moms With Apps recently published an article, titled: "Promo Codes: What are they and how do they work?" that Mobicip CEO and founder, Suren Ramasubbu, gladly contributed to.  He is credited in the article and we are happy to feature a section of the article on the blog, please read the rest of the article on Moms With Apps.

"This week we explain promo codes and how they are redeemed in the iTunes App Store. After noticing how many of our Facebook fans are interested in promo codes to trial free apps, it seems necessary to explain what they are and why they are helpful. Special thanks to Suren from Mobicip, Madhavi from MazeArt, Jill from SmartyShortz, Jayne from Let’s Bead Friends, and Julie from Snow Globe Maker  for providing content for this post. Readers, please let us know if you have more questions so we can keep the article relevant and useful.

What is a promo code? A promo code is a special code that can be used to download a particular app for free in iTunes. It looks something like this: WJH3KW3A9EFR. Developers receive an allotment of promo codes for every app they launch.  They send these codes to bloggers, reporters, and users who are reviewing or testing their products. Codes expire after four weeks from the time they are requested by the developer, so it is important to use them promptly. Also, each promo code is unique and can be used only once.

Why should I care? Promo codes enable you to download an app for free. Most apps are pretty inexpensive, but as your app library grows, having access to a free download can help expand your selection while getting to know new apps and developers."

Please read the rest of the article on Moms With Apps.

HealthNewsDigest.com recently published an article, titled: "Tips on Child Mobile Internet Safety" that our proud CEO and founder, Suren Ramasubbu, gladly wrote.  To ensure that your mobile kids are safely surfing the mobile web, read the article to learn the 10 tips to keep your child safe online.  We are happy to feature the first three tips on our blog, however please read the rest of the child mobile internet safety tips on HealthNewsDigest.com.

Child mobile Internet safety tip #1: Safari could be a safari of unfiltered content.
As great as Safari is at displaying sites (as long as they don’t use Flash), it has no web filtering parental controls. None. Zip. Zilch. If your kids want to chat on PredatorsRUs.com, Safari will let them. First and foremost, change the iPod’s Safari browser to one that allows web filtering.

Child mobile Internet safety tip #2: Invest in a leading online content filtering service.
Services like Mobicip (http://www.mobicip.com/) have won Parent's Choice awards and are used by school districts across the country to filter dangerous online content. There are a number of child-safe iPod browsers on the market. Read the reviews and choose the best-rated child-safe iPod browser in your youngster’s age range.

Child mobile Internet safety tip #3: Use the iPod’s basic parental controls.
Once you have installed the child-safe iPod browser, disable Safari. But be warned, kids are clever. If kids don’t like using a child-safe iPod browser, they will simply download another browser. Here’s how you stop them.

Please read the rest of the article on HealthNewsDigest.com.

Dynamic internet filtering service enables Erie 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services to roll out iPod Touch devices to students in the component districts and schools, putting parents and educators at ease.

Thousand Oaks, CA - Mobicip.com, the leading internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, partnered with the Erie 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services, a regional public education service organization in Buffalo, NY, to safely equip iPod Touch devices with content filtering for home use in public and private schools in the region.

BOCES is an acronym for Board of Cooperative Educational Services, a regional public education service organization. Established in 1948 by the state legislature, a BOCES provides quality, cost-effective educational services to school districts in New York State. Erie 1 BOCES serves 20 component school districts surrounding the city of Buffalo.

The Erie 1 BOCES has launched a 1:1 program pilot where administrators in 16 public school districts and 15 private schools are given a school-provisioned iPod Touch. The unique program not only allows the school administrators to use the iPod Touch in school, but also allows the device to be taken off campus to continue to be able to access and perform a variety of administrative tasks. Through the iPod Touch pilot, school and district administrators were able to explore and experience the Internet, App Store, music, videos and podcasts, with safe school-generated and approved content to gain first-hand insight about the appropriateness and practicality of integrating mobile devices in the classroom.

Mobicip’s internet safety and parental control service allows educators to embrace new technology while ensuring a safe learning and secure learning environment. “We are thrilled with the Mobicip application,” says Jenny Conklin, Erie 1 BOCES Professional Developer, who is in charge of the program pilot. “The superintendents in the school districts have been very impressed with the simple, easy to use web interface that allows them to monitor the Internet activity by users and customize the filtering settings. The Mobicip team has been very helpful and supportive as we went through a trial period and decided to use Mobicip for this pilot program.”

After a careful review of available online security options, Erie 1 BOCES selected Mobicip's Safe Browser app and web-based monitoring service for this pilot due to the high quality of the app and Internet filter. Mobicip’s service ensures CIPA-compliance, supports school acceptable use policy, and is an eRate eligible vendor.

"Mobicip.com was launched with a vision to serve the needs of mobile learning in K-12 education. We have been amazed by the rapid adoption of the iPod Touch in schools, and more so by the innovative uses that educators have come up with for the device and applications like Mobicip," says Suren Ramasubbu, Founder and CEO of Mobicip.com. "Mobicip's service is being used by thousands of parents around the world, and the fact that it has been selected for use in this pilot at Erie 1 BOCES is a testament to its capabilities."

The Safe Browser app is available on the iPhone App Store, and the service is available at www.Mobicip.com. The full press release is available at www.Mobicip.com/press.

About Mobicip Web Filtering and Dynamic Parental Control Software
Mobicip is a 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.  Learn more about Mobicip at www.Mobicip.com.
 

Thousand Oaks, CA - Mobicip.com, the leading internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad is getting more and more adoption by family friendly groups, associations and organizations due to the rise in mobile web usage by their constituents.  Smart families use Mobicip to help keep the quality of content intact while making mobile learning a safe, secure, family-friendly experience that everyone can enjoy. Mobicip.com’s mobile application software provides the most comprehensive online content filtering service to protect kids and teens’ mobile experience.

“As a father of two, I personally understand the concern families have about the quality of content their kids and teens may access on mobile devices” says Suren Rammasubu, founder and CEO of Mobicip.com.  “We created the most intelligent content filtering technology so parents could allow their kids to use popular sites like Google but be able to screen inappropriate content that is not family-friendly.  We are seeing more family-focused groups like PTAs, church groups, etc. recommend our service due to the comprehensive technology, ease of use and controls, which makes me a proud family man.”

Mobicip's service is being used by thousands of parents around the world, and by many school districts to enable safe mobile learning in and out of the classroom. Comal Independent School District Teacher, Ann Jeanette Patton, shares: “Had we not had a restricted internet service like Mobicip, I wouldn’t have allowed them (the mobile devices) in the room as a tool, because of the monitoring that would have had to have occurred and plus they couldn’t have taken them (iPod's) home. So, I very much (sic) strongly affirm that Mobicip is an integral part of this process."

“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.”

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 Online Content Filtering for Family-Friendly Mobile Use
Mobicip is the most powerful Internet filtering and parental control software designed specifically to work with mobile devices.  Parents, educators and family friendly groups 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.

This video shows you how to use your Mobicip.com Premium Web Monitor account to customize the Internet filtering to meet your specific needs.

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."

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.
 

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/
 

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.”

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.”