This week we calm ourself with Looom’s animations, get glitchy with the GlitchCore music chopper, capture time-lapses with Moment, and more.
How sneaky kids use AirPods to ‘talk’ in class
When I was a kid, we communicated in class by writing notes on pieces of paper, and passing them to other kids. It was called “passing notes,” and is now probably taught in schools as an artisanal pastime, along with “going outside” and conkers. In 2020, kids use insane workarounds to avoid actual writing.
Today we’ll see how to “pass notes” using nothing but two $700 iPhones and two $160 pairs of AirPods.
Peek-a-View lets you safely limit the photos someone can see [Review]
If you’ve ever found yourself showing other people pictures on your phone, you’ve probably also been trying to micromanage what they can and can’t see. And, if you’re a parent of a young kid, it’s likely that you’ve let your child look through a photo album on your device. In that case, you’ve certainly been worried about their ability to delete or accidentally modify an image.
There are ways to limit what a person — or child — can or can’t get to on your device through the Guided Access settings in iOS. But nothing is as simple as using a new iOS app called Peek-a-View to lock down your photos.
How to stop your kids from wasting their lives on Apple Arcade
New subscription gaming service Apple Arcade is here1, and it looks like an incredible deal. For just $5 per month, everyone in your family gets unlimited access to dozens of exclusive games (with a free month-long trial to check it out). Even better for parents, there are no in-app purchases in Apple Arcade, so your kids won’t be begging you to buy more coins or whatever every five minutes.
However, they can still spend way too much time on games when they should be out playing with kilometer-zero, organic wooden toys, or pretending that old washing machine delivery box is a panic room. Thankfully, Apple’s own Screen Time feature already works with Apple Arcade, so you can restrict access to any and all games.
Apple Camp for kids returns to U.S., Canada, Mexico this summer
Apple is inviting children aged between eight and 12 to attend this year’s summer camp.
Its sessions give kids the chance to learn art, coding, design, music, and moviemaking. They’re all free, but you’ll need to register for a place in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico starting June 17.
Tynker Junior teaches kids to code before they can read
The ability to code is becoming an increasingly important skill, and the sooner you start learning, the better. That’s why you should introduce your little ones to Tynker Junior, the app that teaches them the fundamentals of coding from as young as four.
Inspired by the award-winning Tynker programming language, which has been used by over 60 million kids worldwide, the new iPad app uses puzzles and games to make learning fun and easy.
How to restrict what your kids can watch on YouTube
Kids on YouTube are like rats at a food dispenser. Tap, tap, tap, next video please. But unlike the rats, which get “rewarded” with an electric shock or worse, kids just end up surfing the Up Next links until they end up seeing a rat getting shocked, or worse. A more pompous writer would point out here that it’s a parent’s job to monitor their child’s YouTube activity, but actual parents know this isn’t particularly realistic. So how do you stop your kids watching the wrong thing? Let’s see:
How to use age restrictions to protect your kids from adult apps and movies
The iPad and iPhone can be great learning tools for kids, just the same as they are for adults (only with more clowns and talking animals). But even if you don’t want to fully lock-down your iPad to restrict what your kids can do, you might want to stop then from downloading adult-oriented apps. That includes violent games, scary books, and dirty movies.
How to track your kids with your iPhone
Using the Find My Friends app to track adults is creepy stalker-type behavior. But using your iPhone to track your kids is like totally cool, right? After all, no child is safe if left to their own devices. Better to let them know as soon as possible that they should let others be responsible for their well-being.
Luckily, iOS has a bunch of neat, easy-to-use and (mostly) non-creepy tracking tools built in. Let’s see how to use them.
How to keep your kids safe on the App Store
Kids love iPhones and iPad, but kids are also experts at doing the exact opposite of what you want them to do. That’s why Apple has built parental controls into iOS, so you can limit the mischief your kids can get up to, and even get notifications if they try to spend your money. Let’s see how you can make the App Store safe for your kids, how to choose what apps they can use, and how to control their in-app purchases.
Apple is working on extra parental control features for iOS
Apple has wasted no time responding to a request from investors that it look into the public-health crisis concerning young kids and smartphone addiction.
Specifically, the company says that it plans extra features and enhancements for iOS parental controls.
Apple shareholders demand study on smartphone addiction among kids
An activist investor and pension fund with shares in Apple is asking the company to respond to a “growing public-health crisis” concerning smartphone addiction among young people.
Jana Partners and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, or Calstrs, sent a letter to Apple over the weekend, asking it to develop software to let parents limit phone use. They also want Apple to carry out a study investigating the impact of smartphone overuse on mental health. The two groups control a total of around $2 billion worth of AAPL shares.
Teach your kids healthy digital habits [Week’s Best Deals]
Fall is about to drop, and with the new season comes a bunch of great new deals at the Cult of Mac Store. This week, we’ve got a sleek 6-port USB-C hub and a lifetime subscription to Sticky Password. Additionally, we’ve got an amazing glowing guitar instruction tool, and an app for teaching kids more healthy online habits. Everything’s on sale at big discounts, read on for more details:
Apple’s free Summer Camp teaches kids to code
Parents looking for a cool summer activity for kids will soon be able to drop their youngsters off at the Genius Bar for a programming upgrade.
Apple opened registration for its annual summer Camps this morning which give children 8 to 12 the opportunity to come into the Apple Store to learn coding, robotics, moviemaking and storytelling using iPads and Macs. Best of all, the three day camp is totally free.
Today in Apple history: Apple Logo teaches kids to code
Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple has been upping its focus on teaching kids to program — thanks to events such as its free “Hour of Code” classes at Apple Stores around the world.
But Apple’s been helping introduce young people to coding for far longer than that. In fact, years before Apple ushered in its Swift Playgrounds app as it did this week at WWDC, it helped popularize home programming thanks to Apple Logo, a basic coding language which found success on the Apple II.
Woz would have disagreed with Jobs about screen time for kids
Despite being a veritable genius when it comes to selling the masses on the latest tech product, Steve Jobs once candidly admitted that he set strict guidelines for how much time his own kids were allowed to watch screens at home.
It seems Jobs’ Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, isn’t quite on the same page, however — as Woz argues in a new interview that kids should be able to spend as much time on the computer as they want.
Why you shouldn’t let an iPad raise your kids
Steve Jobs didn’t let his kids play with iPads and, far from being out of touch with modern parenting, it turns out that he was being quite progressive.
That’s according to a recent study carried out by the University of Michigan, which found that parents with “difficult” children are far more likely to give them iPads to pacify them — particularly during high-stress times like eating, being in public, doing chores, or going to bed.
Apple offers kids free ‘Hour of Code’ programming classes
Apple is once again supporting Code.org’s “Hour of Code” initiative by offering a range of workshops and other special events for kids aged 6 and above at Apple Stores around the world.
Other participating tech companies include Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon. Apple is presenting a range of interesting sessions, including a free one-hour introduction to the basics of computer programming taking place on December 10 at local Apple Stores.
Psychologist: Giving your kid an iPad is ‘child abuse’
Steve Jobs didn’t let his kids use an iPad at home for fear that they would become technology addicts.
According to a leading child psychologist it’s a whole lot more serious than that, however — giving very young children an iPad to play with may be “tantamount to child abuse.”
Make your Mac safer for your kids
Keeping your kids safe on your computer is one of the more important things you can focus on as a parent. Mac OS X has a great tool built right in to do just that: Parental Controls.
It’s fairly easy to set up Parental Controls on Mac, but if you need a quick hand at making them work for you, our video will walk you through the process.
Apple launches revamped App Store category just for kids
Apple may be in the middle of its biggest ever month in App Store history, but it’s not resting on its laurels — having just announced a new App Store category, aimed at the littler members of Cupertino’s fanbase.
Called “Games for Kids,” the section will include everything from “cute puzzlers to accessible tower-defense games,” with a focus on children with a “wide range of skill levels and interests.”
Since a survey of youngsters aged 6-12 recently named the iPad a more beloved brand than Disney, Nickelodeon, Toys”R”Us, McDonald’s and YouTube it’s no surprise that Apple would want to continue hooking children young. And apparently that’s exactly what it’s doing.
The reason for the season: affordable tech gifts for kids
Kids everywhere are looking to Santa to bring them the hottest tech toys around, including iPhones, iPads, Nintendo 3DSes and Sony PlayStations, but these types of gifts can certainly strain a lowly elf’s meager paycheck.
If you’re looking for engaging and interesting gifts that won’t burst Santa’s money sack, take a look at the list we’ve put together for you below. It’s full of fun stuff that won’t leave you unable to afford a plate of cookies for that big red jolly fellow.
Kids love iPads more than Oreos, Disney and YouTube
It’s official: kids love the iPad more than they do Oreo cookies. According to the “2014 Young Love” study — an annual survey carried out by leading youth and family research firm Smarty Pants — the iPad beat out 255 other brands (including Disney, Nickelodeon, Toys”R”Us, McDonald’s and YouTube) to be named the #1 brand among children aged 6-12.
The survey was conducted among a representative sample of U.S. households, with a total of 256 consumer brands evaluated as part of a three-month study of 6,661 children and their parents. Scores were based on a composite scale of 0-1,000 based on brand awareness, love, and popularity.
The top ten brands can be seen below:
iPad Play May Damage Infants’ Ability To Use Building Blocks
iOS devices might be ruining your child’s ability to play with building blocks, according to a recent report.
Members of the UK’s Association of Teachers and Lecturers claim that addiction to iPad and iPhones mean that children aged between 3 and 4 have no problem swiping a screen, but have difficulty understanding real space, and possess “little or no” dexterity in their fingers.
“I have spoken to a number of nursery teachers who have concerns over the increasing numbers of young pupils who can swipe a screen but have little or no manipulative skills to play with building blocks or the like, or the pupils who cannot socialize with other pupils but whose parents talk proudly of their ability to use a tablet or smartphone,” says teacher Colin Kinner.
Growthy Tracks Your Kids’ Height, Weight, Milestones
Growthy is an app that finally – finally! – replaces the biro-etched notches on your kitchen door frame with a series of in-app purchases, codifying your precious memories as stars on your iPhone screen. Welcome to the future.