I like OpenDNS’s DNS servers since the company makes money by selling home, business, and enterprise solutions, not from tracking what you do online or selling advertisements. It translates human readable addresses like to its respective IP address. If you’re wondering what DNS is, it’s the mechanism that lets you visit websites. OpenDNS is a three part solution that involves you having to change the DNS address in your router, download an updater to associate your home network’s IP address with your OpenDNS settings, and choose what you want to filter in an OpenDNS account. You can use OpenDNS without creating an account or choosing any filters if you desire, simply for the benefit of using private DNS servers. The categories are broad and many, but selecting a few of the important ones continues to let the adults browse the sites they want to while the kids won’t wander onto anything parents would deem inappropriate. In a few clicks, you can block websites that showcase sexual activities, sell firearms, are drug related, and are scam or phishing sites. OpenDNS, free for basic Home and Family use, lets you filter out categories of websites. Filtering websites on your home network with OpenDNS (Advanced) In the app you want to lock down, simply press the home button three times. Once it’s enabled, you’ll again be prompted for a separate four digit code that’s used to turn Guided Access on and off. Libraries and museums use it for public access computers or guided tours. To turn on Guided Access, tap on the Settings icon from the home screen, General, then Accessibility, and finally Guided Access towards the bottom. It’s particularly useful if you want to limit a child’s session to a particular education program, game, or an app like Video if they’re watching a movie. Introduced in iOS 6, Guided Access can lock you into an app and lock what buttons a person can or can’t press. The latter lets you whitelist specific websites that you deem safe for your child, like Disney. The former is aggressive, and will prompt you for your PIN any time you remotely come across anything that could contain explicit language or show anything revealing. Tap Websites, and you’ll find that you can Limit Adult Content or allow access Specific Websites Only. One particularly important section in Allowed Content is Websites. Restrictions are split up into four groups: Allow, Allowed Content, Privacy, Allow Changes, and Game Center. Pick a good one, preferably nothing in this list or a guessable birth date. You’ll be prompted to enter and confirm a four digit code. To find Restrictions, navigate to Settings, tap on General, then scroll down and tap on Restrictions. If you’re afraid of a child installing an app without your permission, downloading a movie not appropriate for their age, or changing a setting, Restrictions is where you’ll want to look. Restrictions are the equivalent of Parental Controls, and can be used to determine what someone can or can’t do with their device without a password. One of the easiest things to do, especially with children, is to enable Restrictions on your iOS 7 device. How do you make it comfortable for the grownups in the house who want to use their devices as is, while keeping your child safe online? In a family setting, it’s about striking a balance. Parents want to create safe and fun environments for their children, especially if the intention is to use an iOS device as an educational tool. Parents don’t want their young child stumbling upon anything they shouldn’t, and we certainly don’t want curious kids making accidental in-app purchases, rummaging through our email, or deleting personal apps. We either have parents or grandparents who’re just learning about what devices like the iPad can offer them, and it’s our job to make sure they stay safe. At the same time, I want to make sure their experience is pleasant, and that they don’t accidentally enter a password in a phishing site or stumble upon something that might be offensive to them. iOS devices like the iPad are lauded because they make doing things like this ridiculously easy for someone who isn’t computer savvy, and I’m comforted in knowing that the iPad isn’t likely going to suddenly stop working or become infected by a virus. For the first time, they could access the news and weather, research articles, and Google just about anything without having to rely on me or someone else to help them. When I handed down my iPad to a loved one, they were given a device that would give them unlimited access to the Internet.
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