Top notch parental controls put child-centric Kurio tablet in a league of its own
It’s not often you’re presented with a brand new product and every potential problem you can think of is met with a satisfactory response. But when MFM was shown the brand new family-friendly Kurio tablet, quite frankly we were stumped.
The Kurio looks like a standard tablet, launching in August with a 7-inch screen (RRP £149.99) before the 10-inch arrives in September (RRP £200). It’s Wi-Fi enabled, has a front and back camera, lets you browse the Android Market and even has Flash already installed – a major plus point, so that popular children’s games such as Disney’s Club Penguin and Magic Town will work from the start.
Now the clever bit. You can have up to eight profiles on the tablet and dictate the level of access each user is permitted. This means you can have a profile that allows you to browse the internet as you please, while your child has a separate profile with your choice of restrictions. This can be as simple as opting into the Kurio’s suggested parental controls for their age. Or you can make the most of CronLab’s filtering system and physically dictate exactly which website(s) they can visit. If you’re thinking your techy tots will find a way around the restrictions, the CronLab filter is a tailored version of the same software used in many large businesses (often used to keep employees out of their personal social media accounts).
CronLab’s Guy-Edward Waterland told us, “There’s no fool-proof option, we’re not sure there ever will be, but we believe this is the best option out there.”
Plus, giving mums a hand in the ‘one more game before bedtime’ department, you can set time limits on sessions, as well as telling the Kurio what time a child can and cannot enter their profile. Just don’t let savvy kids spot that mummy’s profile still works after bath time!
If you’re a hardened iTunes fan and are worried the same games won’t be available through the Android Market, the Kurio comes loaded with some of the most popular apps for kids, including Angry Birds and Where’s My Water. And forget about ‘accidental’ in-app purchasing. If children want to buy a new app or add a new level, it has to be done from your profile (which is password protected), and you tell the Kurio which profile you want the app to appear in.
You can view your pictures and videos on the tablet, hook it up to your TV or PC and even add external storage. The signature colour for the case is green, but John Lewis is going to stock exclusive pink and blue options. Argos will also offer an Angry Birds pack, which includes a themed case and bag.
We finally thought we’d found a negative when we learnt the Kurio doesn’t come pre-charged (visions of impatient, sobbing children on Christmas morning spring to mind), but you’d want a chance to add your parental settings before you gave it to them anyway – so Kurio slugs another ball out of the park.
So, while the tablet is aimed at children from 4-years-old, it’s the adults that are getting the attention here. Not only can you breathe easy that kids won’t stumble across inappropriate content, you get to have a go once the Kurio (wink, wink) kicks them off. Nice!
You'll find the Kurio in Toys R Us, Argos and John Lewis from August. Find out more on their website.
