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as KidZui,Inc. | founder = Cliff Boro, Thomas Broadhead, Vidar Vignisson | location_city = 2448 Historic Decatur Rd. Suite 105, San Diego, California | location_country = USA | homepage = (KidZui.com ) }} KidZui was a web browser designed for children developed by KidZui, Inc. The KidZui browser used a Zooming User Interface paradigm to make browsing easier for children.〔"KidZui offers safe surfing for kids," (British Computer Society ).〕 Search results appeared as scaled down images of websites, videos, and pictures that children click on to zoom in and see content. Children can also browse by category without typing search terms. The KidZui browser did not access the open Internet. KidZui uses teachers and parents to screen content and maintains a database of approved URLs.〔Taylor, Paul (March 27, 2008). "Safer surfing for the kids," (Financial Times ).〕 The KidZui browser could only access URLs in the approved database. Children built avatars called Zuis to represent themselves online.〔Parker, Dolores (July 7, 2008). "Glubble and Kidzui - good kid browsers, silly names," (downloadsquad ).〕〔Reeks, Anne (April 14, 2008). "KidZui finds good stuff for youngsters," (Houston Chronicle Online ).〕 They earned points for web browsing and used points to gain levels and buy clothes and accessories for their Zuis.〔Tiemann, Amy (March 20, 2008). "Kidzui creates a new online environment for kids," (CNET ).〕 Children could share KidZui content with friends online.〔CSM Reviews KidZui (March 20, 2008). (Common Sense Media ).〕 To add a friend online, children needed to know the friends Zui name. There was no online directory of Zui names, so children needed to get their friends Zui names offline in order to add them. Friends also needed to be approved by parents before they become available in the browser. KidZui also tracked children’s Internet usage and sends reports to their parents on what their children looked at online.〔Rubenking, Neil (June 25, 2008). "KidZui," (PC Magazine ).〕 KidZui began development on the product in the summer of 2006.〔Olsen, Stefanie (March 18, 2008). "KidZui vets Web for kids," (CNET ).〕 After beta testing, KidZui was offered to the general public on March 19, 2008.〔〔Mossberg, Walter (March 20, 200). "KidZui's Parent Plan Lets Children Explore In Safe Corner of Web," (The Wall Street Journal ).〕〔Hendrickson, Mark (March 18, 2008). "KidZui: The Kid Safe Browser," ( TechCrunch ).〕 The KidZui browser and basic reports for parents are free. KidZui makes revenue through a paid membership program.〔Hendrickson, Mark (June 4, 2008), "KidZui Persuaded by the Power of Free," (TechCrunch ).〕 Membership gives kids additional features like more available clothing and accessories for Zuis, more background and themes, and the ability to get to higher levels with points. Membership gives parents more reporting capabilities to track their children’s online activity, and more ways to customize the KidZui browser for their children. KidZui was designed for children between the ages of 3 and 12 years old. KidZui had a focus on children’s online safety, but they also tried to expand the content available to children online. Rather than solely using filters, KidZui trained and enlisted parents and teachers to search out content that is appropriate for children even if it was not designed expressly for children.〔〔Telaroli, Gina (June 4, 2008). "KidZui: Internet for Kids (and Those Young at Heart)," (takepart ).〕 Websites that had been reviewed and approved by KidZui could carry a KidZui seal of approval that indicate the site’s content is appropriate for children.〔Press Release from KidZui, (Reuters. )〕 Websites that carried the seal agree to abide by KidZui’s content guidelines. Kid Zui was also a prize on the 3rd round on the ''Nickelodeon'' game show ''BrainSurge''. In August 2014, LeapFrog purchased KidZui. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. ==History and development== KidZui was started in 2006 when Vidar Vignisson was frustrated because he couldn’t find a safe and easy way for his own children to use the Internet.〔Bell, Diane (March 20, 2008). "Quest for kid-safe surfing yields new Web browser," (San Diego Union-Tribune ).〕 Vignisson joined with Cliff Boro and Thomas Broadhead to create KidZui.〔Thomas, Dave (August 8, 2008). "A Safe and Fun Solution," (bizSanDiego ).〕 Vignisson was frustrated by the approach of existing technologies that were available at the time; online filters helped keep out dangerous content, but could only be used in conjunction with adult browsers, which are hard for children to use. Existing children’s browsers were easier to use, but had access to very small amounts of content. Vignisson, Boro, and Broadhead set out to build an easy-to-use children’s browser with access to a large and diverse set of online content and activities.〔〔 KidZui is a venture backed startup. Investors include Maveron, Emergence Capital, and First Round Capital.〔Chris (March 19th, 2008). "Online kids’ application Kidzui launches safe search service," (VentureBeat ).〕〔"Kid Browser KidZui Wins Funding," (February 22, 208) (alarm:clock ).〕 Prior to founding KidZui, Vignisson, Boro, and Broadhead had been partners on other Internet startups including Infogate, which they sold to AOL Time Warner in March 2003.〔Himelstein, Linda (July 14, 2003). "Dusting Cobwebs off a Web Staple," (BusinessWeek Online ).〕〔"Infogate (formerly Pointcast) Sold to AOL," (MarketingSherpa )〕 KidZui began beta testing with children in 2006.〔 KidZui was released to the general public on March 19, 2008〔〔〔 to generally favorable reviews.〔〔Hopkins, Mark (March 20, 2008). ""KidZui Browser: A Youngster's Perspective," (Mashable ).〕 The original release of KidZui required a paid subscription.〔 KidZui experienced some early criticism for not offering a free version of the product.〔''See comments in response to'' Hendrickson, Mark (March 18, 2008). "KidZui: The Kid Safe Browser," ( TechCrunch ).〕 The company released a free version on June 4, 2008.〔 The free version of the product offers the same features as the original subscription-based product. KidZui introduced a membership program that same month.〔 The membership program unlocks additional features in the kids’ browser and comes with more advanced reporting features for parents. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「KidZui」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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