CBS Radio Event Guide - [ Vol #5 Mar | Apr 08 ]
Are you a parent who has a child using a computer? Have you heard about Kiddix?
Safety and fun for kids on computers is what local Pittsburgh, PA company Kiddix Computing is all about. The company began on its mission a few years ago when founder, Michael Gualtieri, began creating a piece of software he later named “Kiddix”.
Kiddix is more than just an application. It is actually an entire operating system for kids; think “Windows for kids”. It comes with thirteen educational games, seven regular arcade and puzzle games, and a suite of applications designed for children (including a word processor, web browser, calendar, email, etc.). It also features a parent desktop, where you can customize parental controls.
“Simplicity for parents and ease-of-use has a been a huge focus for the company”, explains Gualtieri. “Most parental controls and security tools are difficult for regular people to configure properly. We have taken a lot of care in packaging everything to be family-appropriate right out of the box. Everything from the installation to day-to-day use is straight forward, and most important, fun!” The company works with parents, teachers, and developmental psychologists to ensure the software is engaging for children.
If you want even more educational value, the company also offers a service called Kiddix World, an interactive magazine that is automatically delivered to your child's computer desktop. Each month features ten articles on a variety of subjects and includes links to activities and approved websites. This is an invaluable resource for any child with a school project.
The Kiddix Platform retails for around $75 and can be bought off Amazon.com. Kiddix World is currently available for free, but is expected to switch to a paid for service some time later this year, costing about the price of a children's magazine.
Kiddix Computing is running a special sale for the 2008 kid-a-palooza event, and will have a booth where parents and kids can try the software.
More information can be found on their website: www.kiddix-computing.com
