Circle can manage a variety of devices, be they iOS, Android, Microsoft, or a smart home device.
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This new hardware appears to be a pretty harmless cube, but it gives parents the power to control the Internet.
Today, the two companies will be launching a device that costs only $100 and supposedly has close to absolute control over any device in your home network, and easy access to Walt Disney Studios’ vast catalog of wholesome, kid-friendly content. The Circle with Disney device is a 3.25-inch box that connects to your home network wirelessly and comes with its own mobile companion app, and once it’s installed, it can detect all the gadgets in your home that make use of its Wi-Fi network. This is a brand new device which will assist parents when it comes to keeping tabs on their little ones when they are busy surfing the Internet, as well as limiting the amount of screen time on every single device in the home. It can also block ads for specific family members, which could be a great benefit for protecting the easily impressionable from marketing targeted towards them.
FILTER: Families can set individual filter levels for each family member.
You can customize what each individual in your family can access on your devices from. You can customize the default age group settings.
When you apply a filter to a particular Circle member, that filter will apply to all their devices. It can even set on and off times for the router to prevent late night gaming or chatting, and it can even cut off internet connection entirely to one, a few or all devices in the house. You can also set which devices are on pause.
This allows you to see how long your kids are spending their time on certain apps or websites and compare their usage on a weekly basis.
Circle with Disney is available to buy from today for $99, it’s just a bit of a shame it conjures up such unpleasant connotations for anyone who has read Dave Eggers” excellent book called “The Circle, ‘ which is largely based around the monitoring capabilities and role of technology provided by a company of the same name. All connected devices are managed via the accompanying iOS app.
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Circle with Disney’s Kickstarter page explains that the device offers people the possibility to not only monitor what their families do online but also decide how kids can spend their time on the internet by offering options such as advanced filters that offer a wide range of possibilities and time managing systems as well as extensive information about the family’s internet activities. It also shows them when, where and how the network was used.
