Kids, Gadgets | featured news

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages use of electronic media by kids under age 2 and recommends older kids be limited to one to two hours of educational programming daily. That may make intuitive sense to any parent who has watched a kid grow slack-jawed in front of the tube or beg for just five more minutes on the iPad.“That look on their faces – it’s panic-inducing. They look transfix...

A child-focused software developer on Monday accused Toys "R" Us of stealing its strategy for selling an Android-powered computer tablet for kids.

Summer travel season is here. And whether you plan on traveling by train, plane or automobile, the chorus of "Are we there yet?" is inevitable. You may be able to stave it off, though, if you pack your kid's travel entertainment kit properly.

Mobile devices have become mini-pacifiers/babysitters for many wee ones: 52 percent of all children 8 and younger have access to mobile devices at home like a smartphone, video iPod, iPad or other tablet, according to Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that studies children’s use of technology.

"The Smurfs' Village," a game for the iPhone and other Apple gadgets, was released a month ago and quickly became the highest-grossing application in the iTunes store. Yet it's free to download.So where does the money come from? Kelly Rummelhart of Gridley, Calif., has part of the answer. Her 4-year-old son was using her iPad to play the game and racked up $66.88 in charges on her credit card without knowing what he was doing.

More than half of children who use electronic media before bedtime may have mood or learning problems during the day, a preliminary study of 40 young people suggests.

More parents are handing their smartphones to their young children in restaurants or on car trips to keep them entertained. That may be why almost half the top-selling iPhone apps are games for kids.