When I was a kid, fighting dog McGruff the crime was a big deal. It was on TV and he sometimes appearances at local events (or at least someone who wears his suit). I still remember the slogan "Take a bite out of crime." I've always wondered who would win in a fight between the bear McGruff Crime Dog and Smokey.
McGruff had submitted my radar until I saw the McGruff SafeGuard browser application in the iTunes App Store. I thought the concept was a great idea. I've always wanted to be the iPad able to filter inappropriate content if my children use. McGruff SafeGuard is a free browser application, so I decided to try it.
After installing the application, you have before you is set up your children. You must specify your e-mail address, a password for the parental and in the age of the child, who will use it, probably to set the content filtering for age verification.
You must also turn the child lock on your iPad (from the Settings icon), so that their children can not ignore the browser, just using a different browser, such as Safari browser built into the iPad. The best way to do this is to disable Safari range limitations in the configuration and uncheck "Applications" and installation. You have to eliminate all other third-party browsers on your iPad.
After the installation is complete, you are using a custom Google search page that select for compounds that will be presented in order to prevent inappropriate content. Your child can also go the address bar at the top of the screen and manually enter a web address, if you want. I went to Google and took me to the main Google search homepage.
I decided to kick the tires and clicking on the thumbnails on the first page of Google. I typed in a search term that each hormone erythrocytes boy try 13 and greeted us with the results, though not very explicit, were still very inappropriate.
I tried typing in the URL of some well-known adult sites and McGruff browser can not allow one of the sites to try to visit me.
One feature that promotes the browser is the ability to control what your child is doing online. The first place I checked was the History tab. Unfortunately, it seems there is a problem with the application, because it does not show the story for me, but I had with the browser for several minutes. There is another area in the password-protected area, which has an option to "record screen", but the paper is very cryptic and difficult to understand the child lock. He seemed rather trying to figure out where your child tries to get his visit anywhere on a developer debug a program with respect to a parent.
Finally, I was able to see what sites have been blocked by visiting the Settings area "Allow sites recently rejected." Although it is not intuitive, at least a list of sites that have been blocked by filters. Therefore not blocked websites show showed have successfully visited the sites or you block the possibility of using certain websites that may have escaped the filter.
McGruff The application also indicates that a summary of Internet activity (or inactivity) Send your child every day. I received an email from McGruff, however, did not give details, saying only that she XX number of sites and the number of sites were blocked were visited. As a parent, I need more information. What sites were blocked? What are sites? These are the basic things that parents want to know.
Another thing that bothers me is that although it is a free application by advertising with in-app purchase to disable ads financed by 99 cents, the ads in the free version are completely irrelevant. My son was advertising for cars, insurance and all the other things that were not appropriate. If you have ads, unless the age group that will be using the browser.
The application itself is a bit rough around the edges and has a very "1.0" in order to feel it, despite his nickname version 2.4. I had some trouble rotational orientation of the screen where you click on something and the screen would rotate from horizontal to vertical, I would not have moved the iPad.
All faults aside, the app is free and is a great concept. Filter the contents of the evil that is in the network is a challenge, to say the least. McGruff people should be commended for even trying. If they can work in a future update some kinks so I think this application has the potential to be a great tool to help parents to protect their children, at least some of the garbage that is on the Internet, be.
McGruff SafeGuard browser is in the iTunes App Store for free here.
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