Amazon Promises a Makeover of Kindle FreeTime

Amazon Promises a Makeover of Kindle FreeTime

Earlier this week Amazon announced a new version of Kindle FreeTime that will be coming too its lines of Kindle Fires in the coming weeks. The update adds time limits for weekdays and weekends and a curfew time called “Bedtime”. The update brings educational goals: parents will be able to set educational goals such as reading from Common Core standard-aligned books for a set amount of time before going on to play a game or video. Amazon also promises a much larger library of educational books, apps, games and videos to be added to Kindle FreeTime Unlimited. In the press release Amazon states, “in the coming months, parents will be able to borrow a Kindle book from a participating public library, and make it available to their kids in FreeTime”. Owners have been able to borrow Kindle books from participating public libraries for sometime but the ability to share library books with children through FreeTime is a welcome addition. Amazon is anticipating that these updates will make their line of tablets even more irresistible for parents.

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Review of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9

Review of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9

Is the high end Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 really worth the price? This review takes a hard look at the usability aspects that come from living with and using the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 in a family environment. Having a background in educational technology, human computer interface, usability and interactive design I tend to look at things a bit differently. This review will explore the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 from the aspect of both an educational technologist and a father of four. 

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Which Tablet is Best for Your Child?

Which Tablet is Best for Your Child?

The pros and cons differ with each tablet and the ecosystem that it represents. However, the most important feature with any device a parent hands to a child is the maker's implementation of parental controls, how easy they are to set up, and the granularity of control they give the parent.

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