Important Parental Control Google Feature, Safe Search

The SafeSearch setting you select on the Search settings page applies to anyone using the same Web browser and computer as you. If you have a Google Account, you can lock the setting so that other users of the computer don't change it.

Watch the video below to learn more about locking SafeSearch.

You can tell at a glance if the lock is engaged

When the SafeSearch lock is on, the top of the search results page looks different in two ways: 'SafeSearch is locked' is displayed below the search box, and the colored balls appear on the right. The results page is designed to look different enough that you can immediately tell whether the lock is on or off -- even from across the room.

Results page when locked



Follow these steps to lock SafeSearch:
1. Visit the Search settings page.
2. Click Lock SafeSearch below the filter levels.
3. If you're not signed in to your Google Account, you'll be prompted to sign in.
(Don't have a Google Account? You can create one.)
4. Once you're signed in, click Lock SafeSearch. This step takes a moment,
because strict filtering is being applied to all Google domains.
5. You'll see a confirmation page once the lock is engaged.

Tips about browsers and settings
* If you have more than one browser on your computer,
you need to set the lock on each one individually.
* If your computer has more than one user profile (for example, a family
computer), you need to set the lock on each appropriate profile.
* Make sure your browser is set to allow cookies.

Using Safari? You may need to change the default setting and enable third-party cookies for the lock to work.

'Why Firefox?' and 'Why Windows?'--same answer?

Is Mozilla becoming too much like Microsoft?

In a strange bit of irony, Mozilla, the foundation behind the popular open-source Firefox browser, increasingly relies on Microsoft's playbook to promote Firefox adoption. No, Mozilla executives aren't secretly plotting an open-source monopoly to replace Microsoft's, and, indeed, are focusing precisely on doing the opposite.

But the answer to the "Why Firefox?" question increasingly sounds the same as the answer to "Why Windows?"

Two peas in a pod?

Namely, community/application support, to the exclusion of significant improvements in its performance.

I've been using Google's Chrome browser on Linux, Mac, and Windows during the past week and it screams. While Firefox hogs system resources, Google Chrome gets its job done much faster and with far fewer resources.

So why do I continue to promote Firefox? For the same reason and in the same way that Mozilla does: community.

There's more to Mozilla's marketing, of course. Mozilla executive Mitchell Baker talks urgently and eloquently about the importance of an open Web, served by a community-driven, completely open browser.

But at its foundation, Mozilla's argument sounds eerily similar to Microsoft's: we may not be faster, but we have a better community.

After using Chrome for a week, I'm not sure this will be enough. Chrome, after all, has support for the Firefox extensions that I care most about (like AdBlock), and it has internalized others within its standard features (like "Pin tab" instead of relying on Faviconize, as I do in Firefox). And Chrome marries these to a super-fast browsing experience.

Microsoft for years has argued that it's better simply because it has broad application support.

This is a compelling differentiator, but is it the one that we really want for Firefox?

I know I don't. I love the Firefox browser. It has been my preferred browser for years, and I expect it to remain such.

But however much I may prefer Firefox because of its third-party extension support and its cross-platform approach, it's not going to be enough if Chrome pulls significantly ahead in performance and catches up with add-on support. Not while Firefox consumes so much of my system resources and follows, rather than leads, Google in speed.

Mozilla has been improving Firefox performance, but not as rapidly as Google has been increasing Chrome's, in my experience. This needs to change.

Community is a compelling differentiator for Firefox. But it's not the only one, and it may not be enough if Mozilla doesn't leverage that community to outpace Google Chrome performance.

February 15, 2010 11:21 AM PST

by Matt Asay

Parent's Guide to Internet Safety

The Internet is a valuable tool for education and business. There is, however, an alarming rise in cyber threats, which affect our children.

The Internet is now the primary research tool for a majority of students. Even the most responsible students stumble across web sites that expose them to pornographic content.  Many such sites contain software harmful to your computer, putting all of your family's private data at risk and might possibly even lead to identity theft.

     Beware!
     • 65% children admit to unsafe, inappropriate and/or illegal activity on the Internet.
     • 50% of high school students "talk" in chat rooms or use instant messaging with strangers.
     • 49% have posted personal information on the Internet.
     • 20% have gone to meet face to face with someone they have met on the Internet

Out of concern for our children's safety; Geeks On Call has created the Parents' Guide to Internet Safety, a comprehensive guide to web-safe practices for children and parents. The guide is designed to help children and parents avoid the negative side of the Internet and see the internet as a tool for learning and entertainment. To download your free guide, please click below.Parent's Guide to Internet Safety

Surf Safe!
 
Click Here to Download our Free Parents' Guide to Internet Safety. 

Web Safe Technology for Babies and Young Children

Kids are getting computer savvy from birth now, it seems. Not only are our young children adopting animals online, but now they can surf the web on their own with new toys that control the sites they visit.

- Many toys for babies and young children are being created to help kids make use of computer technology earlier. You’re probably all familiar with WebKinz, the interactive character site with adoptable plush animals. Now there are keyboards built just for babies and toddlers, such as the Comfy Easy PC Keyboard Learning System, and programs that allow babies and toddlers to touch computer keyboards with fascinating results, seeing that their actions have reactions. Try Baby Keyboard from CNET, available at download.com.

- And Fisher Price has come up with a toy with figurines that plug into a circuit board to take your child straight to a web site featuring the figurine’s character: the Easy Link Internet Launch Pad for toddlers. You can disable the mouse and the keyboard, and your child can only go where the toy permits, though he has control over which site.

- Leap Frog has the ClickStart My First Computer, which will turn the TV into a computer for toddlers. There are many other special keyboards with hardware built just for small children that can connect to your computer by USB.

Keep on the lookout for more fascinating new technology developments for small children. And to ensure your kids' continued safety as they surf the Web younger and younger, download our free Parents' Guide to Internet Safety at www.geeksoncall.com/guide.

Geeks On Call is a leading provider of computer repair and computer service for home and business. Call Us Today: 1-800-905-GEEK

Visit Us Online: www.geeksoncall.com/blogger and http://geeksoncall.wordpress.com/, or check out our videos on YouTube.

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Technology to Monitor Your Child's Care

Many sites offer tips for monitoring your children on the Internet, and we have those, too--but what about monitoring your care providers? Technology is good for that, too.

• Many day care establishments are now using web cams, so that you can check on your child at any time during the day from home or work. Ask your day care if they use a web cam. If not, see if they might be willing to, or ask around and find one that does.
  
• Nanny cams are good for in-home day care. Though nannies and babysitters are getting wise to this technology, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It keeps them on their best behavior, which is what you really want for your child anyway.

Geeks On Call is a leading provider of computer repair and computer service for home and business. Call Us Today: 1-800-905-GEEK

Visit Us Online: www.geeksoncall.com/blogger

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