Blizzard’s Snow Job: Security About As Tight As Parental Controls

Nov. 14, 2012 Call it karma, payback, or just ‘got caught,’ the class action lawsuit against Blizzard Entertainment (makers of mega-hits like Diablo, World of Warcraft, Starcraft etc) is really about gamers tired of being played.Anyone who thinks youth and gamers “don’t care” about privacy and security might want to watch closely as this media mess unfolds, because it’s an … [Read more...]

Life 360: Testing Family Safety Apps With Teens (Part 2)

Oct 21, 2012 Any parent who has ever ended up in a glorified game of ‘Where’s Waldo’ hunting for their offspring after temporarily ‘sliding off the grid’ with whereabouts unknown (homecoming, prom, New Year’s, or playing loose with the facts in sins of omission sidewinders) will have a pretty strong snapshot of Life 360's strongest ‘target market’…parents of teens.In part one … [Read more...]

Life 360: Family Locator Apps-Mapping the Shades of Grey (Part 1)

Oct. 15, 2012  Teens call them ‘trackers,’ parents call them ‘tools,’ and the telecom industry refers to GPS and LBS (location based services) as sheer “growth” in a mobile market that’s booming with map-based apps that pinpoint the whereabouts of users. We need to uncork this whopper of a conversation beyond the micro (oooh, handy! or ewww creepy!) and into macro … [Read more...]

Stop Texting While Driving: Will People Learn To Steer Clear?

Feb. 4, 2015 Update! Tomorrow on Blog Talk Radio, impaired survivor of texting and driving Liz Marks shares her truth in a powerful show to get teens to LISTEN about putting down the phone. Lauren Galley of Girls Above Society hosts, with special guest and Shaping Youth ally Diana Graber of Cyberwise.org. Important topic that impacts us all. I plan on tuning in with my teen and … [Read more...]

Best Childrens’ TV You’ve Never Seen: Ameba TV

Dec. 2, 2011 Heard of  Ameba TV yet? For world-weary parents of kids aged 2-12 who'd like to allow media in moderation but are sick of monitoring cruddy channels of influence being served up by 'big media' monetization and merchandising models 24/7, Ameba TV's multi-platform subscriber service is an exhale and a welcome gift. (for about the cost of a flippin' Frappuccino … [Read more...]