News for the Week of January 8, 2006

There seems to be a growing need for group therapy and support for tech users and/or their parents! "Convergence" was the buzzword that turning up in the reporting from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week - media and tech convergence that puts any content on any device anywhere.

But for most of us, it's more about Confusion. My prediction for 2006? Parents' confusion - over PC security and devices for games, music, TV, movies - will peak this year...

Kids will keep updating their wishlists and parents will keep wondering what devices are worth buying, how they work, what contents works on them, what they plug into (and vice versa), if they have/need parental controls, and whether they're obsolete (in kids' minds or in fact) by date of purchase! Of course, on the upside of this is the reality that the tech industry is struggling to overcome this befuddlement (their own and their customers'!) simply because it's good business - they don't want to alienate us (with the possible exception of media companies whose concern and confusion are such that it can't stop suing customers). But of course this will not stop the tech industry from continuing to unveil new products (Xbox 360's here, but watch for PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution later this year!).

The following link to stories that either illustrate convergence confusion or help alleviate it. As for group therapy, email us your comments and experiences with family technology, and we'll consider publishing them here at staysafe.org (include your email address so we can ask your permission).

• "Teen's-eye-view of tech in '06": Who better to clear up some confusion than a young tech pundit himself? See what 14-year-old podcaster, Web publisher, athlete, sports fan, gamer, and honors student Corey Durkin told NetFamilyNews.
• "CES 2006: Gadget glitz in Vegas" - CNET's round-up of all the stories from a tech show that pulls all the latest developments together each year (includes video of Google co-founder Larry Page announcing Google Video, where - among other sites - kids can upload and download online video for free).
• PC security confusion: Because of a new kind of critical flaw that reared its head over the holidays (and all the confusion that ensued), Microsoft announced its plans to "scour its code to look for flaws similar to a recent serious Windows bug and to update its development practices to prevent similar problems in future products," ZDNET reports.
• "Everywhere TV": Just as NBC and Apple's iTunes teamed up, CBS and Google have, so people can download popular TV shows onto PCs, MP3 players, probably game players, and eventually phones. Here's a brief overview (with links to articles) at the NetFamilyNews blog. [Here's the part about downloading to handhelds.]
• "How do you catch your tunes?: Beyond CDs into a world of confusion" - a wonderful, thorough look at digital music that's a few months old but still relevant and helpful - at the Washington Post. Don't miss sidebars that explain: the various online music stores, XM and Sirius satellite radio, digital-music players other than iPod (with comparison chart).
• Bill Gates on being "consumer-friendly" in an interview with Engadget.com.