How to Protect your Kids online

In our household, a fast and reliable internet connection is becoming just as important as electricity, A/C, and running water.  Our kids are using the internet more frequently for entertainment, communicating, and school work.   Most of us run antivirus software on a home computer to protect it from a digital intruder.  But what do you do to protect a child from the Internet?  

As you know, there are a lot of good things to be found on the Internet but there is also a lot of bad.  As a parent, my wife and I protect our children from the outside world but the online world is another matter.  There are a lot of software based Internet filtering programs that you can install on a computer just like antivirus software.  However, I have found none of them to work well.

Open DNS is a cloud based Internet security that works excellent and is free to home users like you and me.  It provides web filtering and protection from malware too.   What is so nice about Open DNS is that it filters all devices you connect to your home internet connection.  So, your laptop, iPad, PC, Mac, and mobile phone connected to your wifi connection are all protected and there is no software to install.  This is because OpenDNS works with your router not with the Internet device.  

Once setup, you can choose a level of protection that fits your family’s individual needs.  For example, you may choose to block all pornography and hate groups, but allow information about guns.  Or, you can choose a custom profile where you can individually block or allow particular websites.  I love youtube but I can ground the kids from it by blocking the site using OpenDNS.  It’s kind of like a digital pattle for the kids. Lol.

Anyway, I am very pleased with OpenDNS and highly recommend it.  Keep in mind your children may not be 100% protected with this tool.  If they can communicate online with the outside world, they still need to be monitored.  Again, OpenDNS is a tool that empowers the parents.  It took me about 10 minutes to setup and just a few minutes to adjust the filtering to our needs.  I found it to be very useful and hope that you do too.  To find out more click here.

Microsoft rolls out major Dashboard update on the Xbox 360

Microsoft makes the xbox 360 an even better platform for internet TV.  More details click here.

A Christmas promotion like no other

If you haven’t already considered RTC’s Christmas promotion, I suggest you check it out.  It is not the usual take $10-$15 off your bill for the first 3, 6, or 12 months with a contract.  It is something new and surprisingly different for a Telephone Company or Cable Company to be offering.  

You see, most Internet providers are scared of an online streaming service such as Netflix.  Not only is it expensive for the ISP to serve but it cannibalizes the TV offering too.  For example, the cable company doesn’t want you to stream when it can provide you with 250 channels of junk you’ll never watch for $70/mo.

RTC is different and has a progressive vision on Internet TV.  It is actually promoting it!  Like me, RTC is focused on consumer benefit.  When you sign up for RTC Internet service, they bundle it with a Roku or AppleTV box and 1 year of Netflix service.  For more information, I highly encourage you to check it out here.  Even if you don't sign up, you gotta admit it is pretty unique.