By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
YouTube releases a new video app just for kids
df8a58ddcfcfe8a442db73e605b590b5241ac841ad04362902c1792c66c57c47
Worried about your child finding adult content on YouTube? Google's video service is set to announce YouTube Kids, which will feature videos aimed for families. - photo by Herb Scribner
Earlier today, popular video site YouTube unveiled a new app called YouTube Kids, a family-friendly version of YouTube made just for children. It will be available starting today on Google Play and in the Android app store.

"Families worldwide are watching millions of videos on YouTube," a YouTube press release said. "And lately, those of us at YouTube have been working on a new way for our kids and yours to discover and explore videos on every topic in, well, the universe."

The app will feature original videos from current YouTube content creators that cater to children, such as Dreamworks TV, Jim Henson Family TV and the Mother Goose Club, the press release said. National Geographic Kids will also produce episodes of Reading Rainbow and the Thomas the Tank Engine series for YouTube Kids.

The app will feature a bright design with large icons to help children easily choose their content, according to YouTube's press release. The app will also include a voice search function.

"At a time when a child's access to media can be overwhelming and filled with empty calories, I'm excited that YouTube Kids is making this commitment to give families a safe environment to spark curiosity while still entertaining," Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton told PC Magazine.

YouTube's press release said the app comes with parental controls, including a built-in timer to limit how long children use the app, sound settings to keep the background noise to a minimum, and a new search filter that keeps children from searching for mature content.

This is wonderful news for parents who are concerned about online content that is harmful to children, Parent Television Council president Tim Winter said in an email. It is also a wise business move for Google to address the needs of an extremely underserved market. With the Wild West nature of video entertainment on the Internet, this new Kids App is an important step towards protecting children from offensive or indecent content.

This has been YouTubes plan since March of last year, according to insiders who spoke to The Information. But YouTube isnt the only video service making itself friendlier for children. As I wrote about earlier in February, Vine, the video smartphone app, launched Vine Kids earlier this month, which comes pre-loaded with child-friendly content like silly sounds and animations.

And this may prove to be a smart business strategy. Seventy-five percent of children ages 0 to 8 own a smartphone device, and 72 percent of them have used that smart device to play games, watch videos or use an app, according to Zero to Eight, a 2013 study from Common Sense Media.

The Common Sense Media study also said that 38 percent of children use mobile media for educational purposes, even though television continues to be the main source of educational content.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.