Before the Internet, child safety measures largely applied to monitoring one's children as they ventured outside the safety of the home. Children could only meet strangers and threatening individuals once they moved into an uncontrolled environment. With the rise of the World Wide Web, came instant communication in chat rooms, web sites, streaming video, and email, now our children have access to the outside world with the click of a "mouse". The outside world is now inside the front door. And now, with the possibilities of wireless Internet service on children's cell phones, the threat has been expanded. As parents and grandparents, we want to provide every opportunity to our children to expand their knowledge of the fascinating world of cyberspace. However, we must also be diligent and raise their level of understanding to deal with and recognize a possible threat.
The Yankee Group research organization estimates that over half of the 20 million preteens (8-12) living in the United States will be carrying a cell phone by the end of 2008. And while wireless service provides myriad child safety protections-the ability to phone for help if a kid gets lost or physically threatened and ensured communication with a parent-it also bears potential threats.
Cyberspace can unfortunately sometimes place kids dangerously close to sex predators, criminals, or simply inappropriate content. LA Times reports, for example, on how kids visiting popular website and virtual worlds like Webkinz and Club Penguin are being harassed by cyber bullies-kids stealing each other's virtual goods, or discovering how to swear and curse at each other. But even if wireless service is responsible for the problem, it can also provide the solution in cyber security measures and education programs for young children.
New Zealand 's law enforcement organizations have given education high priority and adopted a national interagency approach to cyber safety education called NetSafe. Many New Zealand Police officers have worked with NetSafe since its inception in 2000; including members of the fraud squad, the E-Crime Lab, sexual abuse teams, and police youth education officers
NetSafe seeks to get children excited about cyber security with a separate, charitable subsidiary of the site called Hector's World, created in 2006. In its high-quality animated episodes, Hector Protector is a dolphin in the underwater realm of Silicon Deep. The site lends children a fictional and appealing context in which to learn cyber security guidelines; in the eight minute clips, the first set focuses on privacy and personal information online, while the rest of the storybooks tailor to specific age groups (5-6 or 7-8, for example) to reach out to the child viewer. Hector's World even has a free downloadable Hector Safety Button, a child-activated safety device which installs a swimming Hector in the corner of the computer screen; if the child is disturbed by something online, he or she can click a button so that Hector swims across the screen and covers it from view. The site's applications thereby stimulate proactive cyber safety in children who end up emulating the behavior of Hector Protector as he swims through his own watery community.
If children can be taught at an early age general guidance for online safety behavior, they can adopt healthy habits for when they later become engaged with more extensive online-browsing. The wireless Internet undoubtedly presents some risks for children playing with their cell phones, but it also offers valuable opportunities to combat those risks with early education.
As the parents of an active teenager, my husband and I are constantly texting, phoning, and otherwise using our daughter's cell phone to keep track of her. And, as summer vacation frees children across the country from their classrooms, it becomes more difficult than usual for parents to keep track of their roaming kids. Cell phone and wireless communication enable parents, grandparents, and other concerned adults to stay in touch with their preteens at the beach, playground, or friend's house. Parents can rest easy knowing that their child is not only capable of being reached, but also phoning for help in a moment of peril.
Summer is when police departments receive the most missing child calls, and with the speed of wireless communication, even the surrounding community can assist in providing child safety. Summer vacation spots like Kittery, Maine participate in the "A Child is Missing Alert Program," where law enforcement officials send a customized alert message to all registered numbers in the area in question. Wireless communication, when utilized correctly, can thereby alert individuals in a crowd at a fair, amusement park, or beach where a child has gone missing.
Of course, preteens tend to be less interested in these wireless capabilities, and more interested in their cell phone's multimedia, games, and text messaging. So it's important to teach kids the responsible use of their cell phone, particularly when it can keep them from harm. Already a third of the 20 million American preteens between the ages of 8-12 have a cell phone, a number that will jump to nearly half by 2010.
Nicholas P. Sullivan and David Aylward are proponents and researchers of cell phone safety and head COMCARE Emergency Response Alliance, a nonprofit educational and advocacy group of more than 100 organizations representing emergency responders nationwide. "Children need to be taught that the cell phone is a tool, not a toy. It can play an important role in emergency situations involving children, but only if their parents have taken the time to teach kids what they need to know," said Aylward.
Aylward and Sullivan outline the basic ways each parent can teach their children cell phone safety in the summer months.
One should teach their kids how to press 9-1-1 and SEND on their cells, and then stay on the line to explain their emergency.
Parents should stress, however, that calling the police is not a game, as some children unfortunately sometimes fail to grasp, resulting in disruptive and illegal prank calls.
Also, adults should pre-program their kids' cell phones with all emergency phone numbers and precede them with ICE, for "in case of emergency."
Parents can also take advantage of some cell phone companies' more customized child-friendly provisions. There are some service plans that can be prepaid, which limit kids' free talking and encourages children to "budget" their phone time. Other phones allow only numbers pre-approved by parents to be called and accepted by the child, including offering a special emergency key. These are great tools to focus and monitor kids' cellular activities.
Finally, parents should always insist that their kids keep their cell phones on at all times, and provide an extra battery for the kid to prevent any possible excuses. Wireless technology is a gift to families-in Sullivan's words, a "safety blanket" that adults may extend to their loved ones when they leave the security of the house-and so it is crucial for children to understand that wandering around in the summer months without a powered phone is not an option.
We recently covered how to make the movies when on the move. In addition to catching the blockbusters this summer, you can have your dinner reservation set on the go too!
OpenTable, the leader in facilitating restaurant reservations around the globe, has recently introduced a mobile version of the popular website. OpenTable first opened for business in San Francisco and has been very successful over the years. OpenTable now has affliations with 8500 restaurants and serves 3 million folks a month. This service is quite timely (with the surge in smart phone demand) and I expect it will become a favored mobile service for consumers.
Although an early review of the service was mixed, in time, I'm sure OpenTable will seek to augment the initial product... Additional FAQs about OpenTable mobile can be found here.
I recently had the honor of being profiled in a new Montana magazine called 406 Woman. The title of the article was "No Penalty for Paradise", reflecting an ongoing discussion between me and my fellow entrepreneurs in rural America about whether living in a desirable location was inconsistent with the idea of successful business formation. For many of us, transplants from urban life, when we first arrived in our new communities, we questioned whether building a business beyond a small sole proprietorship was realistic. We had the same concerns as any new business owner - staffing, funding, lines of credit, healthcare, and so forth. But added to those concerns were other worries specific to our locations - Can we hire qualified staff? Will they work hard? Do we have the necessary communications infrastructure? Can we get flights to required destinations? Will our infrastructure costs and capabilities allow us to remain competitive with businesses located in more accessible locations?
Question by question we figured it out. Staffing was the most pleasant surprise. Our employees want to live here, resulting in a highly qualified, truly dedicated team. Funding and lines of credit were a challenge because investors simply weren't familiar with investments in remote locations. But, even though money players would rather you were right next door, if the business plan works, the money will come. It's amazing the number of angel investor networks and strategic investors available to businesses in rural areas - never easy, but manageable. Healthcare costs were staggering no matter where we were located but not particularly higher here than elsewhere. Flights were and still are a problem. But, because flights were challenging, we relied even more heavily on our communications infrastructure. And the communications infrastructure is what truly allowed us to finally conclude that there is "No Penalty for Paradise".
For rural communities, distance has too often been a significant business challenge. But, as a result of advances in technology and infrastructure over the past decade, those of us living the rural life can now "reach out and touch" our colleagues nationwide and even internationally in a cost-effective and service-effective fashion. In my hometown in MT, we have great cell phone service with national calling plans. We have wireline DSL and cable broadband. We have more Wi-Fi'd coffee shops (all with free Wi-Fi) than I can find when I'm back in the city. We also have video conferencing facilities for hire if we need them. As a result, we can stay on-line, talk live, and stay in touch with our customers, employees, vendors, and the myriad of others with whom it takes to launch a successful business. It's truly remarkable the difference that our communications advances over the past decade have made for businesses - so much so that we are now planning for our next title - "Rural America, Open for Business".
Summer is here in full swing and that means some hot new blockbusters are here! One way to keep up with what is playing at the box office when you are on the go is with moviefone.
Moviefone is packed with information regarding the lastest flicks. It has news, clips, and even a blog! Moviefone also offers a mobile website that is quick and user-friendly. Moviefone Mobile can be accessed by going through your web browser or you can download the application directly to your device (feature only available for Sprint consumers). I connect to moviefone mobile via browser and have my favorite theater saved to easily access showtimes near me. You can also easily enter other locations by zipcode (and get directions) when you are not in your neighborhood. An additional function Moviefone Mobile offers is a brief synopsis of the movie you have selected.
Check out Moviefone Mobile, bookmark it, and never worry about missing a movie when your on the move!
Congressman John Culberson has joined the mobile revolution and is currently utilizing his wireless device to stream video to his constituents. On a related new media note, the Congressman from Texas is also blogging. These are huge developments in the district of communications.
At a time when Congressional approval is at historic lows, looking for new ways to connect and communicate with Americans is the right thing to do. With the Congressman mobile broadcasting, he is allowing constituents to see and experience a typical day in the Capitol. Congressman Culberson is also showing his colleagues that devices today can do more than just make calls and send text messages. I applaud the Congressman's efforts!
As the famous coach John Wooden stated, "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." On that note, I hope other lawmakers join Congressman Culberson and the mobile revolution.
As some of you may have seen, we used to have a section our Web site called "Mobile Moments." Mobile Moments were for the times when you saw something and thought "I've got to take a picture of that," so you pull out your cell phone camera and snap a pic. The other day I had the misfortune of experiencing the kind of Mobile Moment that no one likes to have - a car accident.
It was a Monday morning and I was driving to work in DC-rush hour traffic, something I try to avoid at all costs. As I was circling the block looking for a parking spot, I got into a fender bender with a delivery truck. Luckily, no one was hurt and there was only some superficial damage to my car. However, as with any accident, my reaction to said incident was to become flustered and discombobulated. As I surveyed the scene and tried to keep from crying and/or cursing, one of my coworkers happened to be walking down the street. Fortunately, he was more composed than I was. He quickly assessed the situation and helped me tremendously by getting the other driver's information, saving it in his cell phone, taking pictures of the scene from all angles on his phone (Mobile Moment!), and then emailing all the information to me.
It probably only took about five minutes, but proved to be so helpful when I was making the claim to my insurance agency. Thanks to my colleague's help, I was able to reference the pictures to answer all of my agent's questions clearly, and was able to forward them to her so she could evaluate the situation herself for her report. While being in an accident is never fun, his cell phone assistance made the experience much less painful. While I hope that no one else has to experience the kind of Mobile Moment that I dealt with, it pays to keep your head and use your cell phone should it happen to you.
In the tech community, Robert Scoble is a titan. Accordingly, there was a great deal of buzz online about his trip to DC this week.
Scoble who many credit as successfully changing public perception about Microsoft (remember "Evil Empire") is currently Managing Director for Fast Company.tv. Mr. Scoble is also known as "Scobleizer" online and his blog (by the same name) is a favorite destination for many techies.
In any case, Scoble decided to follow the advice of Andrew Feinberg (tech blogger) who opined a few months ago that many policymakers in DC were disconnected from the tech community and that a more concerted effort to enlighten the folks who make the laws needed to occur. Accordingly, Scoble arrived this week where he had a few meetings on Capitol Hill and it culminated with a party last night which I attended (with about 200 other people).
I met Scoble nearly two years ago at a VON conference and I am glad that Scobleizer took the time to come to DC. His enthusiasm for "bright shiny objects" is second to none. Accordingly, it is extremely important for those who are passionate about tech (not politics) to discuss what is on the horizon and how future decisions in the regulatory arena can affect our future. This is a cause I have been committed to since starting mobile diner and joining mobile future's efforts in February.
Consumers depend on their wireless devices and the rules being made will impact everyone. This isn't the 80's when you had to work on Wall Street to own one (channel Michael Douglas). Today everyone can participate and we hope you'll stay tuned to our efforts.
On Friday, I attended Blog Potomacover at the State Theater in Falls Church. Blog Potomac is a gatheringof local bloggers and social media experts discussing the latest trendsand best practices.
With that in mind, I had the opportunity to do a brief mobile broadcast with Maggie Fox (CEO, Social Media Group). Maggie is a social media guru and has developed some high-profile marketing campaigns for Ford and other companies.
Inthe following interview, I asked Maggie about the mobile opportunityand whether companies were utilizing this channel. She gives her takeand videoblogger extraodinaire Jonny Goldstein decided to capture the action via Utterz (a member of Mobile Future).
The Meridian International Center in Washington DC, with Mobile Future Coalition as a co-convener, hosted last week a productive roundtable focusing on how technology can catalyze international engagement and cultural understanding. It was a fascinating and highly practical brainstorming session on where and how new platforms like mobile and wireless technologies, social networks, virtual worlds, and other technology applications and services are inspiring important forms of civic and social engagement, and facilitating the development of civil society and diplomacy.
Ambassador Stuart Holliday, the President of The Meridian Center, convened a diverse group of practitioners from the worlds of business, technology, new media, government, and academia to begin this important discussion. At issue was "what technologies can and can not do to accelerate international engagement on social, political, and economic issues, and what are the "best-of-class" examples of technologies and technologists that are deploying useful products and services to these ends.
"In a short amount of time, there will be more cell phones than human beings" said Ambassador David Gross, the coordinator of International Communications Policy at the US State Department, in his scene-setting introductory remarks to the group. The policy and social implications of this massive transformation towards mobility need to be thought through with care.
On behalf of Mobile Future Coalition, I presented an assessment of how mobile technologies, services and applications are shaping entirely new paradigms of human interaction and offering powerful new solutions to such important human needs as data aggregation for public health, early-warning indicators for human and natural disasters, and cross-border diplomatic interaction.
Mobile Future member and CEO of the political social network Politics 360, Greg Fawcett, offered an illuminating survey of the inroads social networking has made in connecting communities of interest across geographic and demographic lines.
Some of the innovative technologies that have been deployed to facilitate cross-border engagement include "Peacemaker", the serious game published by Impact Games, whose founders, Eric Brown and Asi Burak, demonstrated at the roundtable the power and ubiquity of gaming - including mobile applications for gaming - in the service of international understanding. Peacemaker is one of the world's fastest growing gaming platforms focusing on diplomacy simulations.
The founders of Dancing Ink Productions, Rita King and Joshua Fouts, offered a glimpse into the work they have been doing to facilitate greater understanding of Islam through the vehicle of virtual worlds.
What is striking about these examples, and many of the other creative projects and innovations that were introduced at the forum, is the increasing centrality of technology - as well as mobile technology - to the pursuit of human understanding and well-being.
Mobile Future was proud to participate in The Meridian International Center's path breaking roundtable, and is looking forward to continuing to participate in this increasingly important dialogue.
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