Computer Support Blog

One thing technology has given us, particularly devices like tablets, is a new and more effective way to keep children entertained.  It allows parents to do more than simply sit children down to stare at a TV screen, providing for more educational, thoughtful, and interactive entertainment.  Many apps offer such a service, but one called Hullabalu offers a new take on children’s storytelling.  Rather than providing digital books containing interactive segments, something very common in mobile apps for children, the app itself is the story, which progresses as children engage with the magical world it introduces.  It introduces your child to a purple panda bear called Pan, a strong female character who has adventures alongside a cast of other characters.  It is not strictly educational in nature, as many children’s apps are, meaning it is not curriculum-based.  That said, it does teach logical thinking in the sense that actions have consequences, and it offers some text at the bottom of the screens.  The purpose of the app is less about learning to read and more about sparking a child’s creativity and imagination. Read more »

There are many websites and apps dedicated to user reviews for businesses and services, and many of them indicate to potential customers whether they offer child-friendly amenities.  Unfortunately, very few if any apps or products exist that offer rating services specifically to assess and inform users of how welcoming and accommodating an establishment is for children.  Kidscore works by providing a collaborative database with ratings that quickly let you see how a community of parents measures how friendly a place is to children.  The app’s rating system aims to help busy parents determine how kid-friendly a variety of places are using an array of criteria. Read more »

The Internet changed the nature of healthcare in many ways and one of the biggest ways was the amount of medical knowledge available to the general public.  Sites such as WebMD have allowed people to save time by checking for medical information and advice about minor and major health issues.  Online medical sites have even saved lives in some cases by giving people information that alerts them to potential health problems they could have without realizing it.  Furthermore, sites like WebMD help people with chronic medical conditions deal with issues by allowing them to learn more about how to handle their health problems appropriately.  However, when children experience serious medical issues and have trouble understanding, online medical sites aren’t much help to them.  Places like WebMD explain things in advanced language and use terms that children will not understand generally.  That’s why cool person in technology Dr. Kim Chilman-Blair founded Medikidz.  Medikidz provides children with a medical website that explains different medical conditions to them in ways they can understand.  Anyone with a child who wants explore the Medikidz website but can’t seem to connect to the web will want to see if they can get home network support to fix the issue. Read more »

Despite what all of the major computer and smartphone manufacturers might want you to believe about their products, there is one of the bestselling computer products in the world that they do not manufacture.  The computer device that is facing almost no competition from any of the major manufacturers is the LeapPad.  The LeapPad is an educational tool that LeapFrog designed to look like a tablet computer, but is programmed exclusively with educational software for children from ages 3 – 9.  This is a noble idea, but it is hard for educators not to be wary of it. Read more »

Protecting your family’s Internet security is a major concern.  RESCUECOM offers some summertime tips for protecting against online dangers and computer repair.

Summer vacation means more time spent online, and more chances for kids to fall victim to scams or predators, jeopardizing your Internet security.

Imagine your child on Facebook, staring at a video link from a “friend”.  Which do you think wins out – your child’s concerns about Internet security, or curiosity over seeing the “hot” new video?

Online scammers thrive on that curiosity.  That Facebook video link might hide a damaging virus.  Every click your child makes risks your Internet security.

So what can you do? Read more »