24/6/2017 0 Comments An important warning about a new Snapchat feature that could put your child in dangerIf you have a child who uses Snapchat (which is rated as a 12+ app in the iTunes App Store), you should be aware of a new feature that appeared in this week's update to the app. After the update is installed, the user (e.g. your child!) will be asked if they would like to use the new 'Map' feature, which will allow them to see their own location and that of their friends on a Map. Read the article below, then make sure you check that your child is not giving away their location - even to friends. You just never know who might end up on their 'friend' list! Related Handy Hints and Articles
0 Comments
iTandCoffee is presenting at local primary schools during term 2 of 2017, talking to parents about the topic of "Keeping Kids Safe on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch".
One of the questions that so often comes up during these sessions is whether there is a way to centrally control internet access to each and every device that is on the household Wi-Fi network. The answer is: There is! I wrote an article on this topic over a year ago, where I described the device that we have installed in our own home - one that blocks 'Adult Content' for all devices in the house, and that 'switches off' the internet ever night between 10pm and 6am. We have set exceptions for our own (parent) devices, but all the kids' devices are subject to the router-level controls. I have an app on my computer and my iPhone that allows me to adjust controls as needed, and even completely BLOCK certain devices. I can even choose to turn off social media sites at certain times of day! Here is the article, including the details of the device that we use. iTandCoffee can help with setup of a device such as this. Just call 1300 885 420 to make an appointment. Are you interested in arranging a free "Keeping Kids Safe on the iPad, iPhone and iPhone Touch" session at your school?
iTandCoffee is offering free sessions on this topic to all local primary schools (within 10 kms of iTandCoffee's shop in Glen Iris), for sessions booked during term two of 2017.
Find out more about these free sessions and register your interest here » Thanks to Francine and Bernadette who emailed me about this article from News.com.au. It describes how a 'games site', one that comes up as top result in Google when typing the simple phrase 'funny games', includes all sorts of games to entice kids. But it also includes 'sex games' and other nasty content. When I clicked on the top search result (as shown in the image below), I must say that the page stood out immediately as being quite 'dodgy', as the 'League of Angels' game image looked like something from an adult website (and not a kid's website). (These images change each time you refresh the page, so the image is not always as racy as the image shown here. The good news is that Parental Controls that filter adult content WILL block this page. So, there is another good reason to get those Parental Controls set up - here is how to do this on iPad/iPhone, and on Mac. Related articles from iTandCoffee
27/8/2016 1 Comment Two quick videos that show how to restrict 'adult' websites on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and on a MacHere are a couple of videos that show how to set up 'parental controls' to limit what websites kids can access on an iOS device and on a Mac. These two videos are included in another blog article this week (Here's a word you should consider typing on any computer, tablet or smartphone your child (or grandchild) uses ...), but I figure it is worth pulling them out into their own article for those who don't read the other article. It is really very quick and easy to make a simple change that can stop inappropriate content from popping up in Safari on your child's device. Instructions for restricting websites on an iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch (7.9MB, 2m13s)22/8/2016 0 Comments Here's a word you should consider typing on any computer, tablet or smartphone your child (or grandchild) uses ...Here's something that every parent should try on any computer, tablet or smartphone that a child uses. Before you actually do as I suggest in this article, there needs to be a warning. You may find yourself needing to avert your eyes in disgust. And make sure no child is looking over your shoulder when you do this. Let's back-track a minute, so that I can explain why I want you to do something that might cause you disgust. Curiosity, when mixed with Google, can be very dangerousAn article that I have just read has once again re-enforced a concern I have long held over the whole issue of keeping our young children protected from dangerous online content. Today’s article in The Age covers a topic that has been previously highlighted previously in this blog, about how early contact with pornography - especially online pornography - can ruin a person’s childhood, teen years, and their adult life. It is not enough for me, as a concerned parent, to ensure that our own home internet is protected from inappropriate content, and that devices used by children have parental controls in place. My own child will never be safe from dangerous online content unless other homes he visits have the same sort of protections in place. As is so often the case, 8 year old boy described in the article had his first encounter with pornography on a computer at a friend’s house. Sadly, there were no protections from this content at his own home either - allowing his obsession to grow. Please read this article and consider what parental controls exist in your own home. Even though you may consider your children are currently too young and innocent for this to be an issue, I firmly believe in closing that gate before the little horse bolts through it. This is so important - not just for your own kids, but for the other children who come to your home. Remember, you may have secured your own family’s devices, but another child’s device may not be secured. Your best bet is to ensure that parental controls exist at the router level so that ALL devices connected to your internet are protected from dangerous content. This is a matter for grandparents to consider as well. Are your grandchildren protected from unsafe content in your own home, and on your own devices. Here is an article that I previously published, about how I achieved this router-level control in our own home. If you need any help securing your home internet or devices, contact iTandCoffee on 1300 885 420 or at enquiry@itandcoffee.com.au. Related articles
30/5/2016 1 Comment The 'blacklist' of apps that are dangerous to kids. Parents, check your children's devices!Following up on yesterday's post about the dangers of the app Musical.ly (see Is your child using this app? Frighteningly, it is a new favourite with tweens), I have gathered up some recent articles that warn about the apps of whicht parents need to be aware - especially if they appear on primary school aged children's and younger teenagers' devices. Read up parents, then check your kids' devices to see which ones they have!
Keeping kids safe on the iPad and iPhoneiTandCoffee is offering a FREE 1-hour session for school parents, called 'Keeping Your Children Safe on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch', for schools in Boroondara and surrounds (ie within a 10km radius of iTandCoffee's Glen Iris shop).
This information session provides vital information about how to use the Parental Controls features of the iPad and iPhone (and iPod Touch) - controls that so many parents are not even aware exist. Many other 'cybersafety' classes do now cover the specifics of how to set up and use these features on Apple mobile devices. If you would like to request this session be run run at your own school (or want to check if we can come to a school that is a bit 'further afield'), click the below button and fill out some details. We will then be in touch about arrangements. If you would like to come to a class on this topic at iTandCoffee, keep an eye on our Class Schedule for details of when this class will next be run. Or contact iTandCoffee at enquiries@itandcoffee.com.au This week, I was visited by a very distressed client. Her 11yo daughter was an avid user of an app on her school iPad - an app that so many of her friends are also using. The app is called Musical.ly. Apparently its use is spreading like wildfire among young children, especially girls. It is an app that allows kids to records videos of themselves singing, lip sync'ing and dancing. They then share these videos on Musical.ly - so that their 'followers' (who you would hope are just their friends) can see their work. In turn, the kids follow others who post their own videos. They can post comments on the videos they watch. In allowing their daughter to install this app, the parents had checked the age rating (12+) and decided to allow the download. After all, 12+ seems like a very safe rating for an app - so it must be designed for kids (one would think). After creating the child's account, they had gone into the settings for their daughter's Musical.ly account and set it to 'Private' - meaning that only 'friends' could view the videos their daughter would post. They thought this would be enough to protect their daughter while using this app - that this would mean that the girl's videos. They also discussed with the child the importance of only following and being followed by true friends - people she knew is real life! The trouble with apps like Musical.ly The trouble with Musical.ly is that you cannot stop a child's profile photo, name and 'bio' appearing for the whole world to see! So, anyone scanning the list of Musical.ly users would easily see which users are young kids. As can occur with many apps like this one, this child received a 'follow' request from someone that she did not know - someone who appeared to be a cute young boy who was, co-incidentally (!), exactly the same age as the girl. She had accepted his invitation, despite her parents' warnings. This meant that this 'boy' could see the various videos the child had recorded - sometimes in her school uniform, sometimes in PJ's, and sometimes with her little sister. Direct messaging in apps like this What the parents also did not realise is that the Musical.ly app has a 'messaging' feature built into the app - one that allows Musical.ly users to chat with each other in 'private' conversations. So this 11yo girl had been chatting with this 'boy' over a period of time - during which time, the boy had provided his iCloud email address and suggested that they continue their online conversation via the Messages app instead of Musical.ly. The girl agreed and initiated an Messages conversation - meaning the 'boy' now had the young girl's email address. It was only when a teacher noticed the child using Messages during a class - and then noticed the tone of the Messages conversation - that alarm bells went off and the parents were alerted. The school was that concerned that they contacted the police. It's frightening how far this could have gone In the Messages communications, this 'boy' had been trying to get the 11yo girl to Facetime (ie video chat) with him. He was trying to help her work out why she could not seem to find the Facetime app on her device. Luckily, this girl's parents were very proactive in 'locking down' features such as Facetime on their children's i-Devices, so that the children have to ask for permission to use this app. At other times, the app is completely inaccessible. This may have saved this child from an experience that doesn't really bear thinking about. While this 'boy' may have actually have been an 11yo 'boy', it is highly likely this was an online predator. Do your kids use Musical.ly? Musical.ly is supposed to be restricted to 13+ users, and users aged 13-18 are supposed to require parental approval. However, this all means nothing - since anyone can set up a Musical.ly account, and no birthdate is requested. If you do allow your kids to use Musical.ly, be aware that making the account 'Private' is not enough. Make sure in settings that the 'hide location info' and 'only friends can direct.ly me' settings are On (green). Their photo should not be included, and any name/bio information should not identify their sex or provide an indication of their age. Unfortunately, there is no way of stopping kids from changing these settings to become less 'private' - since there is no 'parental control' aspect to this app. Personally, I would not allow any child under 13 to use this app. For young teenagers, I would suggest close monitoring of any use of the app and any 'followers' in their list that are not real friends. Want to read more about Musical.ly? Here is an article containing similar warnings to above, which I found while assisting this iTandCoffee Client. As this article states, make sure you download and familiarise yourself with any app like this. It is critical to ensure you fully understand what the app involves, and the risks to which you may be exposing your child - both in terms of content and potential predators. Do you need help or adviceiTandCoffee can help. We offer classes and private appointments, to help parents navigate the tricky area of how to keep their kids safe online. We can also help you with issues around setting up iPad and iPhones in a family environment (including sorting out issues with iCloud!). Email enquiries@itandcoffee.com.au or call 1300 885 420 for further details. Related articles
23/3/2016 0 Comments Worried about your young teen's online safety? Here's a book they (and you) MUST read.Last Saturday saw iTandCoffee present an iPad information session in the north-west Victorian town of Hopetoun, at the annual Women On Farms Gathering - a wonderful event where farming women gather from all over Victoria. One of the keynote speakers at this event was an amazing women and author who hails from a small town in that region - Fleur Ferris. She has written a novel, titled Risk, which is targeted at teen girls. It is about the dangers of the online world - how a young girl can be so easily 'groomed' by online predators and, potentially, put herself at risk. She spoke at Saturday's gathering about how the book culminated from her own experiences as a police officer, paramedic, and neighbour of someone whose daughter was directly impacted by this dangerous world. She has three young daughters, and wanted to find a way to educate and protect them from harm. The book is now a best-seller in the teen category, and is being translated into several different languages. It is also appearing on the English curriculum in some schools. I would highly recommend buying this book for your teenage daughter (and perhaps son) - and even reading it yourself, so that you too are aware of the dangers our kids face. I had an email from a client this week that raised something that, I have to admit, I had not thought to cover when running recent 'Keeping kids safe on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch' information sessions at schools. This client asked me if I use my fingerprint to access a particular Password Keeper app on my iPhone. She was concerned about whether she should do the same on her own device. In her email, she said that her kids know her device passcode, and had even set up their own fingerprints on her device, so that they could easily unlock Mum's phone. I know from my experiences with helping lots of mums and grandmums with their i-Devices that she is not alone in having kids that have guessed (or been given) the passcode for the parental device. But now, with the newer iPads and iPhones, there is the possibility that any child accessing your device could set themselves up with a fingerprint to access the device. Even if you decide to change your passcode to 'lock them out', the child would still be able to use their saved fingerprint to unlock the device. Not sure I like that idea. If I had kids accessing my device, I would be sure to remove any fingerprints that were not mine. In fact, it would be a rule that, in using my device, they agree not to even try to save their own fingerprint to the device. Does the fingerprint unlock more than just the iPad/iPhone? Before the advent of fingerprint technology on i-Devices, a child who could unlock a parent's i-Device would then need to also know the separate passwords/passcodes that have been set up for any other password-protected apps and features on the device - for example, a Banking app, a Password Keeper app, iTunes downloads and more. These days, however, it is possible to have your fingerprint unlock protected apps and approve iTunes downloads - a great help for those of us who hate entering different passwords in different places. On my own iPhone and iPad, I have certainly enabled this fingerprint unlock feature on any applicable app, as well as for iTunes and App store purchases . However, if my kids had my device's passcode, I would certainly not enable fingerprint access to any of these password-protected apps or to allow fingerprint approval of iTunes download. It's not that I don't trust them. I would just rather protect sensitive information and only allow my bank accounts to being accessed by me. And I don't want any accidental deletion of files and content that are important to me. Do your kids know your device's passcode? Do you allow fingerprint access to apps and approval of iTunes purchases on that device? What advice would you give my client? Another interesting article about parenting kids with smartphonesThis article appeared recently in The Age, and talks about the issue of whether or not you should monitor what your child does, uses and says on their mobile device. How far should you go in trying to keep your child 'safe' on these devices? 'Keeping your Children Safe on iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches' - Guide now available
The guide can also be downloaded as a PDF from the iTandCoffee online store, at a cost of $9.90.
|
What's on at iTandCoffee ?Below is our list of videos, classes and other events that are coming up soon.
Videos shown are offered for eligible members of the iTandCoffee Club. If you have questions, why not join fun and informative 'user group' meetings, held once a month. All iTandCoffee classes are run as online classes (using Zoom), which means you can attend from anywhere. |
27 Sycamore St, Camberwell, Victoria Australia
Call +61 444 532 161 or 1300 885 320
to book an appointment or class, or to enquire about our services and products
SENIORS CARD WELCOME HERE:
Seniors Card holders qualify for a 10% discount on all classes booked and paid for online (excludes PTT sessions and classes already discounted during COVID-19 crisis). To activate the discount at the time of booking, select Redeem Coupon or Gift Certificate and enter 10OFFSEN before selecting Pay Now. |
© 2012-2024 iTandCoffee Pty Ltd. All rights reserved ACN: 606 340 434