Best Kid Technology

all about technology for kids, and the grown-ups who love them

Making a Case for Cell Phones for Children November 7, 2007

Filed under: health and wellness concerns — bestkidtechnology @ 3:04 am

You may have heard a lot about the benefits that cell phones for children can provide. Alternatively, you may think that getting children cell phones is unnecessary. Regardless of your current position, you can really benefit from understanding more about cell phones for kids.

Cell Phones are Great for Responsibility

Those who are sitting on the fence may feel that their child doesn’t have enough responsibility yet to handle having a cell phone. Parents should rest assured that cell phones for children are now geared towards helping their child become more responsible.

Some companies have a place on the Internet where kids can go to keep track of their minutes, as well as outgoing and incoming calls. When they know they have a certain number of minutes per month they will learn when they should and should not be using their phones. Cell phones for children can be a great learning devise.

Built to be Tough and Appealing

Most cell phones for kids are built tough to withstand heavy use. However, your children will still have to take special care with their phone. And they will want to! Most children feel such a strong sense of pride when they are trusted with a cell phone that they’ll do their best to keep it good as new.

Many cell phone companies do a lot to make their phone more appealing to children. Some cell phones for kids have changeable skins or partnerships with popular cartoon networks. They will be the coolest kid at school when they show up with their new Spongebob cell phone!

Cell Phones are Great for Safety

One of the top reasons parents want to buy their children a cell phone Is for safety purposes. In this day and age, more and more kids are involved with after school activities and are always running here and there. If they have a cell phone it is a lot easier to keep tabs on them and make sure they are safe. Companies are improving the safe use of cell phones for children all the time.

For safety conscious parents, they don’t really care so much about how the phone works; jut that it will be helpful in case of emergency. Most cell phones for children have a one touch dialing for police and for mom and dad. This can be very important when they don’t have time to dial a full phone number

Additionally, many cell phones for kids have a built in GPS service. This can help a parent locate their child if they are ever worried about their whereabouts. GPS can also tell how fast a person is going in case they are in a quickly moving vehicle.

Parents concerned about the safe use of cell phones for children will be delighted to know that you can set boundaries for the GPS locator. Once the child is out of the boundaries, you will be notified as well as the authorities. This kind of peace of mind is priceless.

Why Should My Child Have One?

Cell phones for children are really essential these days. They offer a way for everyone in the family to stay in touch. They also allow your child to stay safe with the use of GPS technology. As long as you teach your child responsibility for using their cell phone, it will be a great investment in your peace of mind and their happiness.

 

Verizon’s LG Migo November 7, 2007

Filed under: Uncategorized — bestkidtechnology @ 2:53 am

LG Migo VerizonThe LG Migo phone is another option in the world of cell phones for kids. It is a bright green color that will immediately attract children who want a cool looking phone to impress their friends. This phone is geared towards a slightly younger audience, which is something to keep in mind.

The phone has five speed dial buttons that you can program. This is a great option for younger children who are unable to remember phone numbers.

LG Migo also has a Chaperone service that is ideal for parents. The system acts as a kind of GPS device. You set the boundaries that are ok for your child to be in. If they leave that area your phone will be notified with a text message. This is something to keep in mind for safe use of cell phones for children.

 

Pearson To Develop iPod Educational Material November 6, 2007

Filed under: Education, Uncategorized — bestkidtechnology @ 4:03 pm

[Digital Lifestyles - 25 May 2006]

All of those children who have been struggling to get their parents to buy them the playground-must-have, an iPod, now have the ultimate excuse – “But it’s for my edukashon!”

Pearson Education are to develop educational content for teachers and students which will play on an iPod. What a perfect strong-arm tactic, one that I’d imagine parents will find hard to refuse.

Pearson will also be buying Apple’s PowerSchool, their student information systems division for an undisclosed amount. PowerSchool is a Web-based system that reports on the performance, grades, homework and attendance of many US school children.

Pearson To Develop iPod Educational MaterialDeja Vu
John Couch, Apple’s vice president of Education, gave forth, “Apple’s commitment to education has never been stronger, which is why we’re excited to broaden our relationship with Pearson. Our customers will love having Pearson’s education content on their iPods, and we’re confident that PowerSchool will continue to flourish and grow with Pearson.”

What to expect on the iPod
Both students and teachers will have great reason to become iPod owners.

Pearson To Develop iPod Educational MaterialStudents will be able to download study guides that work with Pearson’s educational texts and listen to review notes to prepare for exams.

They also hook in the teachers by giving access to podcasts on professional development, helping with lesson preparation and guidance in connecting with students struggling with specific content.

Pearson To Develop iPod Educational MaterialApple has used this approach previously. Many years ago Apple started selling their computers to school children at a discount, with the logic that if they were hooked early, they’d be in the Apple-way for the rest of their lives.

This latest iPod-driven move is genius – but we can’t help feeling it’s eering on the evil-genius side.

 

parent’s dictionary: MP3 November 6, 2007

Filed under: Parent's Technology Dictionary, Uncategorized — bestkidtechnology @ 2:30 pm

Basically, MP3’s are compressed, electronic music files. You can pay for and download these music files online (ie. at Napster, Ipod, etc.) and play them on an MP3 player like Apple’s Ipod or the Sony Walkman (can you believe they’re still around?).

 

parent’s dictionary: Media Convergence November 6, 2007

Filed under: Parent's Technology Dictionary, Uncategorized — bestkidtechnology @ 2:21 pm

This term simply refers to the notion that there are disappearing lines between the various forms of media. For instance, we can take photos with our cell phones, play video games on the net, and watch movies on our ipods. Ultimately, the way things are moving, soon we will have the capability of any and all forms of media through cell phones that we can hold in the palm of our hands.

 

Hello world! October 31, 2007

Filed under: Uncategorized — bestkidtechnology @ 2:00 pm

Best Kid Technology is absolutely the best place to find the best info about technology for children and the adults who love them! What you won’t find here is a lot of confusing techie talk.

If you’re a non-techie parent or simply a concerned grown-up just trying to keep up and understand the world of kid technology, then Best Kid Technology is the place for you.