Teen Checkup | Internet Safety

Teens in Tech Conference

Calling all techie teens in the San Francisco area. The Teens in Tech Conference is right around the corner.

January 31st to be exact.

This cool event is the brain child of teen entrepreneur Daniel Brusilovsky and his business partner, Sam Levin. The conference will give techie teens a chance to learn more about the current trends in technology and small business. From developers, to entrepreneurs, to video-bloggers - all teens from every realm are invited to attend.

Among the amazing featured speakers will be teen entrpreneur & blogger Jessica Mah. Jessica and her colleagues run a company called InternshipIN. Their site matches students to Internship opportunities with start up companies. While Jessica states that there are a host of other internship companies their niche is that they are focusing on those start up companies who want to connect with university students (where larger companies tend to currently dominate that space).

Other fascinating speakers will include: Daniel Ha (CEO of Disqus), Eric Kerr (CEO of AppLoop), Adam Jackson (Evangelist at Yoono), Jake Jarvis (Facebook developer), Sam Purtill (Engineer at YouNoodle), Derek Johnston (CEO of Tatango)

When: Saturday January 31, 2009
Where: Microsoft San Francisco - 835 Market St Suite 700 - San Francisco, CA 94103
Time: Registration opens at 9:00 AM PST.

This conference will be an amazing opportunity for any teen who’s looking for both inspiration and a business venture. As you’ll learn from other teen entrepreneurs - all you need is a little know-how and determination to make your start-up successful.

This post was written by: Erin

Photo Blogging a Money Maker for Teens

As you know, I’m always prowling around for great money making ideas for teens. I’m come up with quite a few in recent weeks - and many of them involve working right from home.

This new job I found is one of those gigs I think people - teens especially - will really like. All you need is a computer and a digital camera - and you’re all set.

I’m talking about photo blogging.

A majority of image weblogs are run by professional photographers, but photographic blogging is a popular hobby with amateurs and others who just like taking images. When looking at a blog, the first thing that will catch your eye is the photos in it and you should know that numerous individuals who run striking blogs are graduates of art schools and or have an stunning professional portfolio. It is a well known fact that some of the best and the most visited photo weblogs are as widely known for their constructs as they are for their pictures. Some internet popular photo blogging sites like “attractive Overload”, that feature images of cute animals, focus less on the quality or style of the image and more on the actual image’s content.hoto blogging is an extremely diverse medium, displaying everything from playful amateur oddities to portfolios of highly skilled craftsmen’ work. The fact that photo weblogs are so simple to build and to update makes this kind of visual communication very common. It also enables individuals at all skill levels to become a part of the global conversation concerning the nature and value of picture taking today.

Photo weblogs can be great places to learn concerning other parts of the globe and great experiences whether you are a creative person or just interested in how other individuals live. You will be able to journey to another place or time when you see pictures of far away places as well as long gone eras. With a new viewpoint you can see your own neighborhood, by seeing how area artists capture your housetown in photos. Photographic blogging is an exciting part of the modern blogging community because it allows individuals to communicate all of this and more. Internet technology enables individuals to interact with others who are far away in a genuine manner, therefore, phone weblogs are the best of this type of web website.

So what’s the bottomline here? How do you actually make money photo blogging?

Checkout my post on how to make money as a blogger to find out. It’s really quite simple - and fun!

This post was written by: Erin

Teen Bathrooms Go Digital

Teen bathrooms are going hi-tech, especially in the UK.

The room that’s long been considered a “man’s throne,” is now a stress relief sanctuary for teens - and so much more. In order to take full advantage of the bathrooms, teens are “blinging” their rooms out by installing wireless devices, portable music players, and computers to access the Internet.

In fact, research conducted by Ideal Standard International, found that one in ten UK teens is already using the Internet as well as other gadgets (like electric game consoles) in their bathrooms at least once a week.

Research discovered these other interesting facts about teens and their bathrooms:

• The number one reason why people would use digital products in the bathroom is “to be entertained” (30% in the UK). Mostly used for entertainment are TVs, radios, DVDs and CD players, portable music players and electronic game consoles. The main reasons why people use their mobile or wireless landline phone in the bathroom are: to save time (46%), to be more available (29%) and to have more privacy (29%).
• Six out of ten UK consumers indicate that they would spend more time in the bathroom if they had more digital products – especially if they were products designed for entertainment (32%), wellness (24%) and communicating (14%). Overall, eight in ten British consumers are interested in buying one or more types of digital products developed for the bathroom.

The digital age is here. Hi-tech gadgets are no longer intruders. They are necessities - even when it’s potty time.

Anyone up for a mean game of bathroom guitar hero?

This post was written by: Erin

Santa Claus 2.0

No more looking up in the night sky for Santa and his reindeer. In this Web 2.0 age, now we can track Santa in more clever, technological ways.

One of my favorite sites, MommyPoppins, recently posted a great list of hi-tech tools and social media sites that are sure make the magic of Saint Nick come alive on Christmas Eve.

Check them out with your son or daughter and relive the innocence and wonderment of Christmas.

• Vmail Santa
  Instead of doing a face to face or sending a snail mail to Santa, this Holiday kids can send Santa a video mail on TokBox.com. All you need is a web cam and an internet connection and your kids can record a message that will be sent directly to Santa. For every video sent to Santa Claus between December 10-25th, TokBox will donate 5 cents to Child Foundation, which supports children around the world.
• Twitter Santa
  Follow Santa on twitterand you can get up to the minute reports about his preparations news from the North Pole, like the elves’ progress making all those Wiis and iPods. With your own twitter account you can also send santa personal messages and you’ll probably get a reply!
• Track Santa with NORAD
  At NoradSanta.org you can track Santa as he makes his way around the world bringing toys and goodies in his sleigh. Norad is the North American Rapid Air Defense (or something like that) and finally it’s being put to good use - protecting American children from the threat of not believing in Santa.
• Capture Santa
  Capturethemagic.com is a website that allows you to upload a photo of your living room and place Santa into the image from one of over 200 poses so that you can prove to any little skeptics that Santa did indeed visit your home and it wasn’t you that ate those cookies. This would be a lot cooler if it didn’t cost $10 (for the first image. $.99 for additional shots),
• Santa Email
  Vonage is bringing Santa to life with their Call Santa program. Kids just call 1-700-CALLSANTA and leave a message with their Christmas wishes for Santa Claus and the message will be emailed right back to mom and dad, (who can forward it straight to grandma and grandpa).

This post was written by: Erin

10 Video Gaming Tips for Parents

I know, I know. You’re probably thinking that video gaming is the root of all evil. It consumes your children, calling to them at night and in school. And your children answer back by playing hours of mindless games.

Well parents, I have news: video games are not your enemy. In fact, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, has published some tips for parents that will help them understand - and even, perhaps, feel comfortable with - the world of gaming.

• 1. Parents must check the ratings and examine the rating symbol on the front of the package as well as read the content descriptor at the back when buying a game.
• 2. Never depend on advertisements, always talk to parents and older children to get an holistic view of the game you intend to buy.
• 3. Be a friend to your child and play the games with him or her. There is nothing like a hands on experience.
• 4. Beware of online gaming as very often the game has unrated components. Online gaming also has features like chats and exchange of ideas and information. Parents must teach their kids especially very young ones about the dangers lurking on the Internet.
• 5. Learn all about downloadable mods that alter the content of games. Mods can change the appropriateness of the game for young players so parents must be vigilant.
• 6. Always invest in video game consoles and handhelds that have parental controls. This will enable you to limit the gaming content your children can access. Using parental controls will ensure that the children only play games that are appropriate to them.
• 7. Know your child’s nature and buy games that will nurture the child’s holistic growth. Games are known to have many benefits, us them to your advantage.
• 8. Know the games your kids play by reading their reviews online and joining gaming blogs and forum. Read game reviews and watch game trailers and demos.
• 9. Make time to interact with your children. Play games with them and teach them that gaming is not harmful if played right. Win their confidence so that they are open with you and share their fears and joys.
• 10. Take the kids to game expos and exhibitions. Learn all about the gaming world. Keep one step ahead at all times and your kids will be able to play games without any problems.

So go ahead and buy that Wii or xBox your child has been pining for this Christmas.

Embrace and enjoy it. Your child will love you for it all the more.

More from around the sphere:

This post was written by: Erin

Why Is Microsoft Ripping Off Your Kids?

Last week I posted a blog about cool video games that were safe for kids and fun for the family to enjoy together. I know that seems like an impossible combination, but Ifound some great posts!

The same mom who wrote that post was obviously a gamer in her own right, and she rattled off the family’s various gaming systems like she was pointing out a child’s trophies.

Of course, she had an X Box 360.

She seemed really enthusiastic about it so I suppose she didn’t get one that scratched all of her game discs .

You won’t belive this:

Microsoft is currently facing legal action over defective design of early Xbox 360 consoles leading to problems, not just to the hardware itself but to the game media as well.  One motion filed in the U.S. District Court in Seattle seeks a class-action lawsuit on behalf of fellow Xbox 360 purchasers over the console’s potential to damage game discs if tilted or otherwise moved during operation.  Moving any console with an optical drive during operation is hardly ever recommended, but recently unsealed court documentation from said motion highlights how Microsoft acknowledged the 360’s design was prone to scratching discs.  What’s more, it failed to act upon implementing measures to decrease the chances of disc damage.

The documents quote Microsoft program manager Hiroo Umeno, who explains that their optical disc drive team identified disc scratching as an issue for the 360 as far back as September to October 2005, just a few weeks before the 360’s North American launch.  Microsoft would even prepare a team of engineers to further investigate the issue of disc-scratching through tests involving sample consoles at retail outlets.  The team confirmed the 360’s lack of a safeguard to prevent spinning discs from getting loose in the disc holder during movement of the console, not matter how involuntary, meant discs were at risk of hitting the 360’s internal optical/laser pick-up unit.

Microsoft is really crazy to take these kinds of risks. Mac is taking over the youth market and all those kids are going to grow up to be adults who tell their kids, “Don’t buy Microsoft. They’ll rip you off.”

This post was written by: Joe Nolan

Keep In Touch, Safely

When teens are online, they like to do lots of things: play games, listen to music, watch videos and do school research. But more than anything else, teen just like to keep in touch with their peers, classmates, team mates and siblings.

For today’s teen-on-the-go, we know that this can involve a number of devices and techniques, depending on tastes, preferences and availability.  Whether teens are talking on cell phones, texting, IMing, emailing, blogging, twittering or surfing a social network site, they can be headed for trouble if they don’t know the risks involved with these various technologies.

We spend a lot of time talking about these subjects, but this new post I found is really impressive. It covers everything from cell phones to IM’ing with lots of great tips.

Check out these great texting tips from the article.

• Many teens talk on their cells while driving. Recent studies show that driving and talking on a cell phone is as dangerous as drinking and driving. If your teens drive, make them pay for a hands-free phone installation in the car.
• As texting can get quite expensive (usually $.10 a message), make sure you comparison shop for plans. Optimize your teen´s text plan with your phone service provider. Be sure your teen understands the plan, and if they exceed the plan limits make sure they are responsible for paying the overage.
• Be sure your teen never responds to text messages from anyone he or she doesn´t know or gives out his location on a networking system like Dodgeball.
• It´s hard to purchase a cell today that´s not a cameraphone. Remind your teen that pictures are fun, but they can´t be used to photograph tests for cheating schemes, take embarrassing shots, and humiliate others.

This post was written by: Joe Nolan

Last Minute Gift Ideas for Kids

I’m not going to beat around the bush here. The clock is ticking. Christmas is right around the corner and, let’s face it, some of us still need help buying gifts.

Yes, there is a whole host of popular gift ideas out there, but some parents just don’t want to give in and spend gobs of cash on iPods and xBoxes.

If you’re one of those parents, it’s time to start getting creative.

That said, I’ve dug up a few good guides that’ll point you in the right direction. A site called Geek Dad (which, by the way, is very cool) has published several gift buying ideas for kids. I took a look at the lists and I must admit, I wouldn’t mind finding of a couple of these gizmos and gadgets under the tree for me on Christmas morning.

But I digress.

Here now are those helpful gift buying guides:

• Gift Guide: Kids’ Gadgets and Videogames
• Gift Guide: Kids’ Books and Activities
• Gift Guide: Kids’ Games and Building Sets
• Gift Guide: Toys for Dads and Kids to Share

Happy shopping!

This post was written by: Erin

YouTube Keeps An Eye On Content

Most of the time, it seems parents are down on YouTube because they see the video-posting site as a wastes of time: “Surely you have something more important to do with your time than sit around watching one minute clips of some guy finding more and more elaborate ways to bounce a ping pong ball into a glass?”

I have problems with this analysis. In a way, YouTube is like watching television, but the commercials are nearly invisible. In addition, much of the content on the site is created, found and posted by teens themselves. This kind of creativity is something to be encouraged and celebrated. But are there other concerns that have parents worried?

YouTube is a very clean site when it comes to nudity, and I’ve never seen anything like pornography there. However, there may be material that some parents of some children may have a problem with. For instance, there are television shows that some kids I know are not allowed to watch. The funniest - and many times the most questionable - scenes from these shows regularly show up on YouTube. See the problem?

In order to address this issue YouTube has announced a kind of hierarchical content-search algorithm that will make more questionable material harder to get to. They are even setting up 18 and older classifications for some posts on the site.

Our friends at Youth Culture have the skinny on the new rules:

• Stricter standard for mature content - While videos featuring pornographic images or sex acts are always removed from the site when they’re flagged, we’re tightening the standard for what is considered “sexually suggestive.” Videos with sexually suggestive (but not prohibited) content will be age-restricted, which means they’ll be available only to viewers who are 18 or older.

• Demotion of sexually suggestive content and profanity - Videos that are considered sexually suggestive, or that contain profanity, will be algorithmically demoted on our ‘Most Viewed,’ ‘Top Favorited,’ and other browse pages.

This post was written by: Joe Nolan

Holiday Gifts For Your Geeky Mom

Moms.

They may be uncool, even geeky, but we love them just the same.

So the big question: What to get mom for Christmas?

The possibilities are endless. Thankfully though the folks at the Wired Blog Network have put together a handy list of cool gifts for even the geekiest of moms.

Kids, check out the Star Wars Cookbook or the Beating Heart Stress Relief Pillow. Both are sure to get a chuckle out your mom on Christmas morning.

So before you tear your hair out searching for the right gift - check out Wired’s holiday gift guide for geek moms. You’ll be glad you did.

And a big thank you to John Baichtal for compiling the list. It’s a thing of beauty for any stumped teen.

This post was written by: Erin