Microsoft said this week that Windows 8 will allow parents to monitor their kids' Web activity and receive weekly reports describing their PC use.
For secondary accounts, Windows 8 users can check a box that says, "Is this a child's account? Turn on Family Safety to get reports of their PC use." No downloads, installation wizards, or configuration is required, Microsoft said in a blog post.
Monitoring a kid's Web activity "may be difficult to employ if your household has multiple PCs or if your kids use laptops and tablets," wrote Phil Sohn, the senior program manager lead for Family Safety at Microsoft. "And glancing over a teenager's shoulder can be awkward for both parents and kids."
The report activity option is less time-consuming and complex than traditional Web filtering and software-based restrictions, Sohn argued. "The end result was that many parents abandoned family safety products and returned to in-person supervision only—a tactic that has become less effective as computers have gotten more mobile," he said.
As a result, Windows 8 is going with the "monitor first" approach.
If you find that junior is navigating to websites of which you disapprove, you can block access simply by clicking a link in your emailed activity report. Changes are stored in the cloud and applied to all Windows PCs where Family Safety is activated.
More traditional filtering options are still available in the updated OS, which lets parents: choose a list of approved websites; opt for child-friendly sites only; allow general interest sites only; block adult sites; or allow all sites but warn kids about those that might contain adult material.
Parents can also turn on SafeSearch, which filters search results, limit the amount of time kids spend online, prevent kids from seeing particular apps in the Windows app store, and restrict apps or games with certain ratings.
Microsoft said the Family Safety features will be on display in the upcoming Windows 8 Release Preview, which is expected in early June.
For more, see PCMag's Hands On With Windows 8 Consumer Preview and the slideshow below.
Earlier today, Netgear announced what it claimed to be the first 802.11ac adapter for notebooks, as well as a cheaper version of the R6300 router it unveiled in April. One of the features Netgear touted was its "Genie Apps," which include parental controls at the software level via the router. They block unauthorized access from kids' PCs, phones (on Wi-Fi), and devices guests bring in to the home.
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