Ian's Shoelace Site

Welcome to Ian's Shoelace Site!


Fun, fashion & science in this quirky site about shoelaces. Whether you want to learn to lace shoes, tie shoelaces,
stop shoelaces from coming undone, calculate shoelace lengths or even repair aglets, Ian's Shoelace Site has the
answer!

Pogo Games

• Play Word Whomp Free Now! Visit Pogo.co.uk to play tons of online games free.

KidZui Kids Browser of the BEST KIND

KidZui is now FREE.



FOR KIDS

Built just for kids, the revolutionary new KidZui browser makes surfing the Internet fun and engaging for kids from ages 3-12.

KidZui has all the sites and games your kids love and tons more. With the KidZui browser, you have access to over 600,000 websites, pictures and videos.

Membership includes enhanced features like exclusive tags, backgrounds and Zui accessories!

FOR PARENTS

Trained parents and teachers have reviewed KidZui content so your kids can surf independently.

With regular e-mails and online reports, you stay up-to-date with what your kids think is cool.

Membership includes enhanced controls and reporting within the Parent Account.

KidZui is in the business of making an alternative browser for kids. What is amazing about this kids product is that it is geared towards the child. The browser interface is something that I am sure any 4 year old will like Their other huge selling point in my eyes is that instead of limiting the websites that they feel are negative or could be deemed inappropriate, the took the opposite approach. They have white listed sites that they feel are of good value for kids and parents. Their reviewers are “trained parents and teachers” so that makes me feel good about the filtering.

I am new to the service, but I think it has been around for some time. I found it because it is now free and I was told about it by Marcus Hamaker

Neopets

NEOPETS
Now that I know more about Neopets, I fear for the productivity of the world.

The Web site is all about virtual pets that you customize and take care of. We’ve all heard of these concepts before, but Neopets has developed quite a large following online. Players use a currency called Neopoints to buy food, toys, and other virtual goodies for their characters. You can participate in a variety of games and contests to win these Neopoints for your collection of digital pets. More than likely, Neopets will be a fun Web site for the kids in your life, but if you’re interested in creating an account as well, then go ahead. Your secret is safe with me.

Online safety push for children

By Angela Harrison
Education reporter, BBC News
BBC NEWS
Online safety push for children


The UK police body which works to stop child sex abuse has launched a new campaign aimed at helping young children to stay safe online.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has designed a new programme for teachers and parents.

It is targeted at children aged from eight to 11 and covers all kinds of internet and text activities.

Chief Executive of CEOP Jim Gamble says the body receives 10 reports a month about children in this age group.

"Children as young as eight are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their use of the internet," he said.

"But where the natural, innocent naivety of children collides with the open and often unrestricted nature of the virtual world, then their safety is always going to be called into question.

"We see that danger first hand all the time."


8 - 11 year olds (source: Ofcom)
41% regularly use the internet
32% regularly use a mobile phone
56% play computer games
7% of 10 year olds have a web cam

He said there was a growing trend of children going online.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre works to catch paedophiles, many of whom use chat, messaging and social network sites to find victims.

It has designed a series of online activities, resources and lesson plans for children, parents and teachers.

Children can play a series of games in a "Cybercafe" on CEOP's Think U Know website, advising characters on what to do in various online or text scenarios.

'Exciting place'

The programme was developed with Becta, the organisation charged by the government with improving the use of technology in learning. Teachers and children were involved in designing it.

Stephen Crowne, chief executive of Becta said: "The internet provides a world of possibilities and is an exciting and informative place for young people to explore and enjoy, but we must do everything we can to make sure that this is a safe environment.

They were telling her she was beautiful, they said she should come to their house
Mother of nine year old

"This means that there is a duty of care on parents and education practitioners when children are at school or at home."

Last September, CEOP launched a campaign for secondary schools and reached more than a million students.

The team say they want to "empower" children by giving them safe surfing guidelines and by telling them how to report online abuse. With so many internet-aware children online, this will make the web a hostile environment for paedophiles, they say.

The new campaign is aimed at pupils from Year 3 upwards and the plan is to have one for even younger children next year. The organisation thinks it is vital children are made aware of the possible dangers.


TIPS FOR CHILDREN (from CEOP)
Don't give your real name on gaming sites
Best not to have anyone on your IM (instant messaging) list that you don't know in the real world
You can block people in IM and chat areas
Best not to meet people you meet online, they might not be who they say they are
Tell an adult you trust if an online friend asks to meet you
Report a contact to CEOP if you think they might be an adult

A CEOP spokeswoman said: "We receive over 400 online reports a month from children, young people and adults and we are seeing reports from younger and younger children, some as young as seven."

Schools which opt to take part can access resources, including games and lesson plans, to help give children safe guidelines on e-mailing, mobile phones, cyber-bullying, social networking and online "stranger danger".

In secondary schools, the approach of the Think U Know campaign was to go into schools directly - but to let children take the lead and speak about their experiences.

Helen Penn, head of CEOP's education team, said: "We have been rolling the Think U Know campaign for more than a year now and have reached over one million young people with the message on how to report a problem online and the message is getting through.

Personal information

"In October last year, we went into school after school and saw a big increase in the reporting of online abuse. There were significant peaks."

Although the approach with younger children is less hard-hitting than that aimed at teenagers, many safety tips are similar: not giving out personal information such as names, ages and addresses, where they go to school, their instant messaging address.

The body also works with partners in the internet industry to make web sites "safer by design", for example in encouraging them to give users automatic anonymity unless they choose to publish their personal information.

Mick Brooks, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, says the issue of children and internet safety is one of "constant anxiety".

"It's a bit like sending your children out anywhere - there are dangers.

"The two main ones are that they might access sites and experiences not appropriate to young children and that they are vulnerable to predators."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/education/6982428.stm

Published: 2007/10/22 23:37:39 GMT

© BBC MMVII


RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Think U Know
CEOP
Get Net Wise
Becta

COMMONSENSESECUITY

Common Sense Security

This site is designed to give an overview of what we can do to keep our computers safer and more secure while we are on the Internet. I have known the owner (Mark Rider) for a long time and confirm that his site is secure AND gives out some very useful advice. I can  recommend it highly.

Tony

Retro64 Great Games Site

Retro64

Small, independent developers have historically had a rough time competing in the computer games industry. But take my word  for it when I tell you that Retro64 can compete with AND outdo most if not all of the big boys.

Retro64, Inc. was created by a professional game developer, Michael W. Boeh, to revive the creative spirit of the C64. There games aren't Quake 3, and they don't want them to be! In There words:-

"We strive to make small, fast, polished games that take no time to learn, yet are fun to play over and over again. And while we do look back longingly at yesteryear, we understand that we want our games to play like those great games of the past- but not look that way! We use the latest hardware 3D accelerated graphics and digital stereo music to create game environments that are pleasing to the eye and ear. Sure, our games are based on concepts that are 10 years old, but they look great and are a complete blast to play."

 

"We also feel that with today's Internet technology, there is no reason for a small company to sacrifice service and support. At Retro64, we partner with only the finest services to keep our gamers happy. When you buy a game from Retro64, you can rest assured that your order is safe, and you will get your game right away. We also stand by the quality of our games and provide free technical support, even if you haven't purchased our games."

Retro64 has only begun to create great games, so look out!

A Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to one an` all.
May the year ahead bring all that you desire and more.
If that includes a substantial lottery win my address is available on
request.

Best Wishes
Tony

Build your own SNOWMAN

Build Your Own Snowman

Build a snowman (for kids)

KidRocket Web Browser (FREE)

KidRocket Web Browser v1.0

A GREAT Idea for your Kids safety online.

What is it?

Its a Flash based web browser for kids!

How does it work?

Its really simple really. Instead of letting the browser have access to the whole world wide web & 'trying' to filter out the bad content, like most childrens internet browsers & filtering software do. We blocked out the entire internet & only let the browser access limited, top quality, child related sites that we programmed into it!
Its kind of a K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach, but it works great!

Minimum System Requirements?

A Windows PC running Windows 95, 98, 98se, ME, 2000, XPhome or XPpro and Internet Explorer 5 or greater.

Instructions to Install & Un-install KidRocket?

INSTALL:

• Simply click the button above to download the latest KidRocket.exe file.
• Save the file to a place that you will remember, preferably your Desktop.
• Then double click on the KidRocket icon to launch the application.

UN-INSTALL:

• Simply right click the KidRocket icon & choose 'Delete'.
• Thats all there is to it!

Notes:

• The Kidrocket Kids Browser is a 'Standalone' application, meaning it runs from within itself & does not actually install to your computers main C:\\ drive Programs folder, like most applications do.
  It is totally non-invasive, 100% adware and spyware free!

RE: Firewalls and Anti-Virus Software.

• KidRocket is a 'Web Browser' & therefore, will REQUIRE permission from your firewall to access the internet for the web browser feature to work.
• The first time you launch the web browser, you will most likely receive a prompt or popup from your firewall or A/V software?
  You will have to answer "Yes" to allow KidRocket.exe to access the internet, so it will be able to retrieve and display webpages.
• We recommend that you stay in unlocked mode the first time running Kidrocket and the web browser feature, so you can simply minimize the application to answer "Yes" to the prompt.

What kid safe sites are included?

• KidRocket - KidSafe Version
• PBS Kids - www.pbskids.com
• Sesame Street - www.sesamestreet.com
• LEGO - www.lego.com
• National Geographic Kids - www.nationalgeographic.com
• Disney - www.disney.com
• Starfall - www.starfall.com
• Crayola - www.crayola.com
• SFS Kids - www.sfskids.com
• Nick Jr - www.nickjr.com
• Cartoon Network - www.cartoonnetwork.com
• TVOKids - www.tvokids.com
• noggin - www.noggin.com
• See our complete Kid Friendly web site list with screenshots »

Its Fun, Simple, Safe, Secure & best of all...its FREE!

Free Games

About Free Lunch Design
Free Lunch Design is an independent game developer established in 1998 by Johan Peitz. Our objective is to develop fun, high quality games with focus on gameplay. At the moment, all the games you find here are completly free. Just download and play, you get the full versions. Our biggest hits during the last few years have been the games Happyland Adventures, Operation Spacehog and Icy Tower. Millions of copies have been downloaded and distributed via magazines.

Wik And The Fable Of Souls

Wik And The Fable Of Souls: Download the latest game taking the Internet by storm! Wik and the Fable of Souls has over 120 jaw-dropping levels, enchanting atmospheric music, stunning effects, and never-before-seen game play. This is a delightful game featuring superbly detailed graphics that will keep you spellbound with amazement. Download and discover the mystery of Wik! Reflexive Entertainment is proud to announce that Wik and the Fable of Souls won three awards at the 2005 Independent Games Festival
How much free time in the demo?

1 Hour is free. After that we hope you’ll support us with a full version purchase so we can make more great games.

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Government fights online child abuse
The government has today launched a new law enforcement agency to tackle online child exploitation.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre headed by the former deputy director general of the National Crime Squad, Jim Gamble, will work with charities and IT firms to take down criminally obscene material from the internet.

Internet and online payment firms such as Microsoft, AOL and Visa will also co-operate with CEOP to track down internet sex offenders.

The centre will develop IT systems to track sex offenders and disseminate intelligence globally.

CEOP chief executive Jim Gamble says the launch of the new centre is the most significant development in child protection in years and is a response to an explosion in child abuse.

'What we have to understand is that behind every image online there is a child in the real world being abused. Behind every online chat there is the potential that your child may be speaking to a sex offender. That is a harsh reality,' said Gamble.

The agency will also launch an online awareness campaign to educate parents and children about the risks associated with chat rooms.

CEOP will also have direct input into the development of new security features online, which aim to make browsers and websites safer for children.

While activity by the Internet Watch Foundation has dramatically reduced the number of child abuse images hosted in the UK, paedophiles are also distributing images via chat rooms and emails.

A recent police operation seized over 750,000 obscene images, while over eight million children and young people in the UK use the internet.

'That is not to say of course that the internet isn't a great place. It is a great environment – one that is full of learning and fun opportunities. What we are saying to children, young people and parents is that by putting awareness first you will reduce the opportunities for harm,' said Gamble.

The agency will also increase its fight against the paedophiles spreading the images over the internet, he said.

'If you are a sex offender – get help or get caught. The internet will increasingly expose you to new policing powers and will cease to be the anonymous place that it once was,' said Gamble.

PLEASE NOTE



The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has set up its own young persons website which has been designed and written specifically for young people of secondary school age.

It will at a later date include content and interactive games for primary aged children.

The website is called 'thinkuknow' which you may have heard of already or seen a presentation at school. You can access the site at www.thinkuknow.co.uk.

Mousebreaker FREE online games site

Have tried this site and it seems GOOD.
Siteadvisor Gives it a clean bill of health

BBC Jam

BBC launches learning site
The BBC is launching a new learning service for five to 16-year-olds this weekend.

BBC Jam aims primarily to put children in charge of what, when, where and how they want to learn, although it also hopes to encourage parents to be more involved in their children's education. The service will combine curriculum-based activities, video games, audio and animation. It works best with a broadband connection but will still function with dial-up services as it detects what speed a user has the first time they log on and remembers the settings for subsequent visits.

There will be 20 topics throughout the year. The first six are maths and English for five to seven-year-olds, science for seven to nine-year-olds, geography for seven to 11-year-olds, French for 11 to 14-year-olds and business studies for 14 to 16-year-olds.

It will continue to add content and topics covering all areas of the national curriculum until the autumn of 2008, making it the BBC's most comprehensive education service. It is available free of charge at any time.

Mark Thompson, BBC director-general, said in a statement: "Learning has been one of the three pillars of the BBC since the 1920s and it remains so today.

"I'm extremely proud that we have been able to design a service in discussion with the young people who will use it, to bridge the gap between home and the classroom by creating something innovative and distinctive which really works for them."

Turkey to go:

Try to collect all Turkster's feathers before time runs out.

Snowbazooka

Some pesky elves have decided to raid Santa's stock of presents. Using your snowbazooka help Santa save this year's Christmas!

Light_saber2: GREAT online game

Your job as a Jedi Trainer is to strike, dodge, and block while killing droids--armed only with a light saber. Be sure to stay within the screen boundaries.

Don't drop that egg!

If you like the game then

PlayFreeGamesArcade

Would . . .you . . . like . . . to . . . play . . . a . . . game?”

The famous line from the 80’s classic film War Games said a lot about human nature. Twenty-something years later, what do we do with our computers? Play games, of course!

PlayFreeGamesArcade.

Its name says it all. There are hundreds of games here available for you to play online absolutely free! You’ll need Flash, but other than that, most any OS or browser should work. I’m an avid FireFox user, and everything I tried performed flawlessly with it.

The site is well organized according to game genres. For instance, if you like flying games of various flavors, these are grouped. They range from fighter planes to bone-dropping birds to landing balloons safely.

Perhaps adventure games are more your flavor? Then try any of the dozens of Batman games, including Batman Crime Wave, Batman in Cobblebot Caper, or Batman’s Gotham Dark Night. There are more heroes here than the Caped Crusader, though. For instance, try getting Space Dude past the monsters and get him back to his home planet.

I know, I know, you love arcade games. Never fear! You have your choice of 135 arcade games like Atomic Pong, Cannon Commander, Homer’s Beer Run, Monkey Cliff Diving, etc. etc.

Personally, I prefer the puzzle games. In fact, I’m a mah-jongg addict! I could spend hours on Flash Tile alone. It’s way cool! As you defeat layouts, it moves you on to tougher and tougher ones.