Google gets called out for questionable YouTube Kids advertising

In February Google launched a new app called YouTube Kids. This app is specially made for kids to watch YouTube videos, and for parents to feel safe about the videos their kids can find. YouTube Kids highlights videos from top children-focused channels such as Dreamworks, Sesame Street and Thomas & Friends. Sounds great, right? Not everyone is happy about it.

Consumer groups are upset about the way YouTube Kids advertises to children. They claim that the app mixes entertainment and commercials in a way that would not be permitted on regular television. Google says they have a strict screening process for the ads, but the consumer group says they aren’t doing a good job. Here is an excerpt from a letter sent to the FTC:

“Many of the video segments endorsing toys, candy and other products that appear to be ‘user-generated’ have undisclosed relationships with product manufacturers in violation of the FTC’s guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.”

Have you had any experience with the YouTube Kids app? Have you felt the advertising is not suitable for children?

YouTube Kids | Google Play Store

[via Star Tribune]

Photoshop Touch is being discontinued May 28th to make way for the new kids

Adobe has announced that Photoshop Touch will be discontinued May 28th, after which the apps will cease to exist in mobile app stores everywhere. Those who have bought Photoshop Touch will be able to continue using the app beyond then, though they won’t be able to redownload it unless they back the .APK file up using something like Titanium.

Why’s Adobe doing this? Well, the company recently expressed their intentions to bring more of their latest photo editing suites to Android, such as Photoshop Sketch and Photoshop Mix. These tools combine to give you much of the same functionality you enjoy now, only they are under the new Adobe Creative Cloud banner with collaboration and synchronization tools.

With that, Adobe announced that they are working on a new mobile image retouching tool called Project Rigel. They promise it’ll give you a “serious” retouching experience if you can’t get to a computer to use versatile tools like Photoshop and Lightroom.

Unfortunately Adobe still doesn’t have any specific timelines for any of this stuff, with the company still sticking to their “later in 2015″ routine.

[via Adobe]

Teachers: your kids will love VR field trips with Google Cardboard [VIDEO]

During today’s Google IO keynote, Google unveiled a new refresh of Google Cardboard. If you’re unfamiliar with Google Cardboard, it’s a super cheap way to get on the virtual reality train, by providing you with a virtual reality headset made out of cardboard. You simply fold the view finder together in a few simple steps, plop in your smartphone and strap it to your head for a quick way to check out a virtual world through many supported apps.

While the new Cardboard will feature a larger design to support larger phones like the Nexus 6, the biggest new feature is its application in the classroom. Google showcased how Cardboard could be used in the classroom by debuting its new service called Expeditions, which are like virtual reality tours that the teacher controls. Expeditions works by synchronizing all the devices in the classroom to the tablet used by the teacher, so whatever presentation is selected can be viewed individually by each student using their own Cardboard headset.

By using a tablet, teachers can interact with the student’s devices and control what they’re seeing, switching from 360 degree photos of numerous locations across the globe or some taken right in the back yard. Google confirmed that they’re working with The Planetary Society, The American Museum of Expeditions, and The Palace of Versailles to bring new content to the system.

If this seems interesting to you and you’d like to experience Expeditions in your classroom, be sure to sign up to show your interest. More information about Expeditions and the Google Cardboard platform is available as well.