Family Tech Blog

Tag: pc

  • Minecraft Update will Add a Marketplace and Virtual Currency

    Minecraft Update will Add a Marketplace and Virtual Currency

    Minecraft is still one of the most popular video games on any platform. What started as a small building game has become a National phenomenon with billions of dollars (2.5 billion in 2016) made every year on downloads and merchandise. Microsoft is soon launching another avenue for profit and an opportunity for Minecraft content creators to split that profit. Later this month they will be launching the Minecraft Marketplace.

    The Minecraft Marketplace will feature user made products such as maps, skins, and textures. The items in the store will be curated so it won’t be filled with tons of useless products made by just anybody. In fact, they aren’t allowing random users to upload content, just creators with an established and registered business. Products in the store will be purchased with a virtual currency called Minecraft Coins that can be bought with real money. This currency will be purchased through your XBox Live account. There is no way to earn these coins in the game. Microsoft is launching the store on Android public beta (a test version) this month with several content packs already available. These packs include pirate, fairy tale, and stone age map packs and some pastel textures among other items. The full public release is coming later this spring to pc and mobile platforms. It isn’t clear if and when the Marketplace will be available on console platforms.

    What Parents Should Know

    Obviously it’s important to know any time the apps your children use have an in-game way to spend money. Minecraft adding a Marketplace will undoubtedly lead to more of kids asking parents if they can buy something on their computer or mobile device. Since true money will only be spent on purchasing coins it is likely that a message will pop up when you tap an item to purchase that will lead you to a way to buy coins. If in app purchases are disabled on your device it shouldn’t be much of a problem. If they are not disabled then you’ll want to be sure that a password is required to make purchases.

    The fact that the content on the marketplace will be curated is a good thing. This means that your child won’t be spending money on something that isn’t guaranteed to work in-game. It also means that they should keep any adult themed or inappropriate content from making it’s way into the store. While I’m sure that’s a goal, it’s still important for parents to look at the store every now and then to see what kind of content is available. If there’s something you wouldn’t want your kid to see then you should consider disabling the marketplace if and when that feature is available.

    The Minecraft Marketplace won’t be available to everyone right away but a public beta means that it’s coming soon. Be sure to be talking to your children about the time they spend on Minecraft, explain to them what virtual currency is and that purchasing those coins costs real actual money. Also, be sure that if your kid wants to download a new skin or texture pack that they know how to implement it so they won’t be buying something they don’t even know how to use. Start the conversation now so you’ll have a head start when the Marketplace launches to everyone.

  • Firefox “Focus” Private Browsing Poses a New Risk for Your Kids

    Firefox “Focus” Private Browsing Poses a New Risk for Your Kids

     

    Private browsing has been around for a long while now.

    Whether incognito mode, private mode, or InPrivate, there has long been a way to visit whatever sites you’d like without worrying about being tracked or accumulating a history of sites visited. Mozilla has released a new browser called “Focus” that is designed to allow users to browse privately. The idea is to keep advertisers from storing information on your computer or phone and using it to target their ads while you surf the internet. This can be a good thing, but it’s important to understand some risks involved with private browsing.

    Focus is designed to block ad trackers, analytics, social trackers, and can seek out and block other trackers as well. It can also integrate into Safari on ios (the ios standard browser) and Firefox on your computer. After downloading the app you just open it and begin browsing, searching (on Yahoo,) or surfing as needed. There are no extra tabs or any bells and whistles at all but when you are done you just close the window with the “Erase” button and start again at the first screen. All the data is gone at that point. Like you were never there.

    What Parents Should Know

    focussettingsWhile I am all for the battle for internet privacy and freedom from being tracked by marketers, private browsing presents a major problem when trying to protect our kids from inappropriate online content. Keep in mind that a popular name for private browsing is “Porn Mode.” The ability to view sites without anything being stored on your computer, including a history of your surfing habits, is, of course, a way for our kids to view adult content without us knowing.

    Part of setting protections for your kids on their smartphone or tablet is turning off the ability to install a different browser. If you have installed an accountability or filtered browser then a new way to surf the web will completely undermine your attempts to protect them. While on the computer, filters like NetNanny will continue to block sites and accountability software such as Accountable2You will continue to report (though, with less detail) inappropriate activity. Even in private mode. While on mobile devices, however, especially ios devices, the accountability and filter app should be the only browser available to our kids.

    Learn more about privacy and security from our Mobile Device Vocabulary Series.

     

     

  • The ONE Thing You Can Do to Protect Your Family Online

    The ONE Thing You Can Do to Protect Your Family Online

     

    I’m often asked what my “diagnosis” is for a family’s internet safety. I usually have them fill out a one page form and it tells me what I need to know to give them the basic steps I would take to help them protect their family. Sometimes, though, parents want to make the most minimal changes possible. Maybe it’s a budget/financial thing, maybe it’s just time, or it’s a lack of true motivation. I don’t know. What I do know is that there are two major tools that no family should be without when it comes to being protected online.

    The first tool is a filter. 

    A filter blocks content that you don’t want accessible on your device. These filters are usually specific to a browser and so you should keep track of any new browsers that may have been installed on a device you are trying to protect. I recommend that you use  filter that “reads web content in real time.” This means that instead of just looking at the address or ip of a site, they are actually using the content to decide if the page should be blocked or not. This is critical because of a workaround called proxies, that can bypass filters that only look at the web address or ip.

    When choosing a filter you get what you pay for. The more controls and user friendly the UI (user interface) the more it’s going to cost you. You usually pay for the filters annually or monthly. There are also filters that come built into hardware that you may use. Some routers are now including basic filters in their “back-end.” Or something like circle will allow you to set up controls on any device using your wifi.

    “Giving your kids a smartphone without a filter is like putting them in an adult book store and saying, ‘Be good!’ It’s a bad idea.” -Joe White

    The second tool is accountability software. 

    Imagine a high security building. They have the laser grids on the doors and windows and an alarm system that will go off if someone tries to break in. Security guards patrol outside to keep an eye out for any possible intruders. With all of that work to keep anything unwanted from getting in you’d think they’d be satisfied, right? No, they’re not. You will always see security cameras in high security buildings. This is because things can slip through. This is why I always recommend accountability software.

    accountable2you
    Click to Sign Up for Our Favorite Accountability Software

    Accountability software will identify any unwanted online content and send a report to the person set to be notified. Some even send text messages immediately when something was accessed. This is the security camera inside your online safety net. It’s another layer of protection that will allow you to see when something you aren’t expecting slips through your safeguards. Conversations with your kids are more important than any software or hardware you can use and accountability software allows you to know exactly what conversations you need to have.

    Not either-or, both-and. 

    The answer to “what is the ONE thing I should do to protect my family online” is to do TWO things. Install accountability software and use the filters built into your operating system. If you have had some problems with catching someone viewing things they shouldn’t you may be concerned they would go looking for it again. In this case I recommend purchasing and downloading a more feature filled filter software.

    These steps are really just the beginning. Obviously staying informed on what is happening in your kids’ digital world is critically important which is why an annual membership to this site would be a major help. Click to go register. 

  • Mobile Device Vocabulary Lesson 4: Privacy and Security

    Mobile Device Vocabulary Lesson 4: Privacy and Security

     

    Conversations about internet privacy and security have been in the news a lot lately. Questions about who has the right to track you on your smartphone and who doesn’t. Terms and agreements that don’t really help you understand how companies use your information once they’ve gained if from your device usage. Below are three common terms that will help you walk through the minefield that is internet security and privacy. Learn what these terms mean so that you can make the right choices for your child’s online safety as well.  (more…)

  • Mobile Device Vocabulary Lesson 2: Gaming (1)

    Mobile Device Vocabulary Lesson 2: Gaming (1)

     

    Smartphones and tablets have brought a whole new set of tools to game developers. It’s critical that you, as a parent, understand some of the language used in the descriptions of these games. Since you know your kids you’re the only one that can decide if a certain game is dangerous for your child or not. For instance, our oldest is pretty analytical and has an addictive personality. Because of these traits we are very careful how much time he has in front of a screen, especially in un-controlled, purely recreational activity. We know that he can get obsessive very quickly so we have some pretty strict boundaries on his screen time. Hopefully the following terms (the first three of six gaming terms) will help you better understand some game descriptions so you can pick the right ones for your kids.  (more…)

  • Mobile Device Vocabulary Lesson 1

    Mobile Device Vocabulary Lesson 1

     

    Lesson 1 – Why you should know this basic Mobile Device Vocabulary

    To handle a language skillfully is to practice a kind of evocative sorcery.  – Charles Baudelaire (Poet)

    Working with digital devices requires the knowledge of a certain language. If you understand what certain words mean you are able to know what is happening in a certain device with just a glance. As parents, it is imperative that we can understand the activities our children are engaging in on their smartphones, tablets, and computers. This is why the thirteen words in this tutorial, of sorts, will be so powerful in your hands as a parent. (more…)

  • Your Family Device Security Checklist

    Your Family Device Security Checklist

     

    There are many steps to take in order to start protecting your family online. Below is the checklist from our book What’s in Your Pocket? (more…)

  • How to Find Your Operating System

    How to Find Your Operating System

    Excerpt from our book, What’s in Your Pocket?

    Finding your operating system is the first step to protecting your children online. Follow the process outlined for your device below to learn how to lookup the controls tutorials that meet your needs.  (more…)