KidZui.com
© 2008 Kidzui, Inc.
Looking for a combination browser and search engine, for younger children? Keep reading. Well-designed and rich in features, KidZui is a subscription-based service that you install on your Macintosh or Windows computer, much like you would a regular browser. First you go to www.kidzui.com and download a small file (about 6.4 MB as of January 2009 -- we tested the Macintosh version). After you install the program, you create an account for each child in your family. Next, you create a parent account (password and screen name) where you can customize your child's screen by adding custom links, say, to your family's online photo album or your YouTube channel. Later, you can see a listing of every site your child has visited. Children can customize their screen to some extent with the free option and are teased with additional options that come with the paid subscription. Herein lies the catch -- this site uses a velvet rope approach to pull you and your child in for free, and then shows you some premium features. In addition, free access means providing your email and subjecting yourself to weekly reports with offers to upgrades. The site provides access to a large number ("500,000") of websites, pictures and videos. Content is previewed by an editorial team that claims to use educational guidelines, although no specifics are provided on the website. Because the site literature claims to use educators, we asked Kidzui's CEO to provide us with a list of the names and/or qualifications of the people who screen the sites, and he declined, saying that it is a continually changing group of people, who are paid hourly. In testing the site's filter, we were not able to find any worrisome content. When we searched for some questionable "kissing" sites, for example, access was politely declined, with the message "wow, you've found a new page that we haven't reviewed yet. Thanks for finding it -- we've added it to our list." Parent options let you see what your children have browsed. If the service has a downside, it is that it leads children to fun-looking features that require a payment. For example, customizing their online avatar, or Zui, is only available to paid members. In addition, there's nothing that can prevent your child from using your regular browser, just in case they feel that the KidZui results are too limiting. All in all, KidZui is the best product of this type we've seen, and we fully understand the complexity of the task; certainly well worth the annual subscription fee of $40, if your child uses it.
$8, Internet Site
Teaches: reference, a search engine for kids and an Internet utility for parents
CTR Rating: 90%