controls

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a U.K.-based charity that aims to protect kids, offered up an interesting study recently. According to the organization, 75 percent of children have seen disturbing images online.

Now, it should be noted that the study polled only 477 kids who went to the charity's site and asked them if they've seen disturbing images, so it may not necessarily reflect the true number of kids who have been exposed to images of pornography, violence, or any other content that would be deemed "unsuitable" for children.

That in mind, the most we can really gather from this study is that some groups believe children are being exposed to too much on the Web. Sure, that might be true, but how can we really solve it?

Oh, wait, the NSPCC has an answer: more parental controls.

"Children are just a few clicks away from innocently stumbling across upsetting or even dangerous pictures and films such as adult sex scenes, violent dog fights, people self-harming and children being assaulted," NSPCC Policy adviser Zoe Hilton said in a statement. "High-security parental controls installed in their computers would help shield them. Social networking sites must also put more effort and resources into patrolling their sites for harmful and offensive material and ensure their public complaints systems are clearly marked, easy-to-use and child-friendly."

You just have to love it, don't you? Instead of looking at parents and saying, "Um, mama, papa, uh, don't you think you should watch your kids a bit better than you have in the past?," the NSPCC is calling on companies and service providers to protect the children instead.

What a joke.… Read more

You could be forgiven for thinking that Logitech's Harmony line has all but taken over the universal remote market. But--just as the iPod isn't the only choice for portable media players--there are still plenty of alternatives out there. One of the latest is the URC Digital R50. (URC is short for "Universal Remote Control," the aptly-named company that also makes remotes under the Home Theater Master brands, as well as many of the "generic" remotes that are packaged with cable boxes and other devices.)

The Digital R50 is a $150 clicker that includes a … Read more

Recently at the Abitare il Tempo trade fair in Verona, TM Italia Cucine introduced their version of the kitchen of the future. Presented in two styles, Petra and Mondrian, both feature recessed appliances that are revealed at the touch of a button.

While the style is certainly exciting on both variations, I like to think of this as just another step in the direction of the future. Customizable, space-saving kitchen designs are nothing new. After all, they just make sense. Nobody would complain about being able to easily use their stovetop as a worktable. If it's not being used … Read more

Engadget has noted the appearance of a new PlayStation 3 accessory in Japan: a USB charger that can juice up two PS3 controllers at once. While we wouldn't be surprised to see this thing appear Stateside as well, the problem is: there's really no reason it should need to exist. And if the PS3 were better designed, it wouldn't have to. In fact, the existence of this sort of accessory just serves as a reminder of some of the PS3's biggest annoyances--all the more evident because the superb gaming console/Blu-ray player/media hub is otherwise close to perfection. … Read more

At first glance, the new Wing Wireless Classic Controller from Nyko looks like it's everything the original Nintendo Classic Controller should have been. While the Nintendo controller is oddly rounded, the Wing looks much more ergonomically satisfying with its edgier sides and form factor. It's almost as if they combined the Nintendo Classic Controller with a PlayStation DualShock.

Most noteworthy, the Wing will use a wireless dongle system, similar to the Kama Wireless Nunchuk setup where a dongle is attached to the Wii remote. This will eliminate the awkward wired connection that the Nintendo Classic Controller uses, but will also require two AAA batteries to work. However, if you decide to use rechargeable batteries, Nyko has fitted the Wing with a mini USB port that will allow for convenient charging.

Like the original Nintendo Classic Controller, the Nyko Wing will work with all Virtual Console games, select Wii games, and the recently added WiiWare library of games.

The Nyko Wing Wireless Classic Controller will ship sometime in October for $30, about $10 more than the Nintendo original. Check CNET in the coming weeks for a full review. For now, click through for some more photos of the Wing.… Read more

Don't expect to see Universal Remote Control's MX-6000 on the shelf at Circuit City or Best Buy--it's strictly intended as part of a custom solution that a professional installer would set up. Thankfully, the $1,500 touch-screen unit does offer quite a few bells and whistles that take it beyond mainstream consumer remotes such as the $200 Logitech Harmony One.

An update to URC's previous touch-screen model, the MX-3000, the MX-6000 is the company's first wide-screen (480x272) remote. Beyond standard device control (infrared and RF control), the MX-6000 adds Wi-Fi to the mix for access … Read more

It appears T-Mobile has started a trend. On Monday Verizon Wireless announced a new parental controls program for family plans. Usage Controls will allow parents to limit how phones on the family plan are being used. Features include controlling when calls can be made and how many minutes can be used; setting limits for text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging and data use; blocking numbers and creating a list of trusted numbers; and employing content filters. The service is available on all Verizon phones for a fee of $4.99 per month.

The carrier also has added to its Chaperone … Read more

Asus has announced its first-ever motion control wireless joystick that the company is calling the Eee Stick. Now where have we seen this before? Ah that's right; it's almost an exact copy of the Remote/Nunchuk combination that you use with your Nintendo Wii. The Eee Stick uses a 2.4GHz RF USB dongle and requires two AA batteries for each controller.

The Eee Stick will allow you to "get into the swing of gaming" as it will be bundled with certain Eee PC and Eee Box products. While the Eee Stick will work with any … Read more

Network access control (NAC) has certainly had a boisterous lifetime.

Cisco Systems first coined this term in 2005 when introducing an initiative to ensure that only "healthy" endpoints could access the network. In the intervening years, the NAC concept gained popularity, drove tremendous VC investment, and most recently came crashing down in a micro boom-to-bust cycle.

So what's the future for NAC? Out of the ashes, NAC is slowly changing and moving in the right direction toward identity-based networking. Rather than a myopic security tool, identity-based networking initiatives:

• Span the enterprise. NAC was primarily based upon … Read more