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Tablets for education and entertainment [Arab News (Saudi Arabia)]
(Arab News (Saudi Arabia) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) According to a Nielsen survey of US adults with children under 12 in tablet-owning households, in Q4 2011 seven out of every 10 children in tablet-owning households used a tablet computer - a nine percent increase compared to Q3 2011. Of those surveyed, 77 percent said children play downloaded games on their tablets and 57 percent said children used tablets to access educational apps. The portable gadget also keeps kids quiet while families are on-the-go, often being used for entertainment while traveling or in restaurants. Communicating with friends and family is a less popular function on tablets; only 15 percent of kids engage in this activity.
In the past, Arab News has written about the uDraw, Vinci, Nabi and LeapPad, all tablet devices for use by children. Now, the MEEP! and Kurio are vying for attention. The Wi-Fi enabled MEEP! tablet from Oregon Scientific, runs on the Android operating system and offers music, movies, e-books and apps from leading developers - all on a 7-inch color touch screen. The device features a tough design and an enhanced rubber silicon sleeve for added protection. Geared for children ages six and up, content can be downloaded to the tablet's internal memory or SD card and viewed from any angle courtesy of the tablet's internal G-Sensor. All websites and content can be monitored through intuitive parental controls that are adjusted remotely on any computer or mobile device with a browser and an Internet connection. The MEEP! will feature a variety of accessories sold separately, including musical instruments. No release date has been announced but launch notification is available through registration at www.meeptablet.com.
The second new tablet announced last week is the Kurio from Techno Source. This is also an Android-based, 7-inch multitouch-screen Wi-Fi-enabled tablet that offers full parental controls. Kurio has more advanced options than some of the adult oriented tablets on the market. It is Flash 11 compatible and allows users to view content in HD on a TV, as well as content from external drives. Each Kurio tablet can store up to eight profiles and adapt settings and themes according to each user's personal taste. This allows the tablet to be shared by several children in one family or in a school with multiple users. The Kurio has an advanced exclusive content based filtering system that provides accurate and always updated protection, covering more than 450 million websites in 170 different languages. It relies on blacklists that allow adults to block specific websites and inappropriate terms, as well as white lists that allow care givers to identify sites that are appropriate for their children. There's also a complete range of Kurio add-on accessories which include travel carrying cases, car mount systems, headphones, external speakers, styluses, shaped USB keys, digital cameras and external keyboards.
While kid-focused tablets are all the rage, for younger children parents may be interested in a lower cost device that simply entertains. Preschoolers who want to take their favorite content on the go will be delighted with the Fisher Price Kid-Tough Portable DVR that connects directly to a TV and set top box to record children's favorite TV shows. The Kid-Tough Portable DVR gives parents and preschoolers the best of both worlds: parents can maximize TV content they're already paying for at home and preschoolers can take along their favorite TV shows for entertainment anywhere. The device is scheduled for release in May at a cost of about $150.
(c) 2012 Arab News All rights reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
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