Young people, when asked to justify so many of their actions, often offer: "No reason."
So why could anyone raise their arms and cant calamity merely because of a new Pew Research Center study revealing that on any given day 53 percent of young people (aged 18-29) say they go online for absolutely no identifiable reason whatsoever?
The study delved as deeply as one can into the minds of these mindless, rudderless, and very possibly jobless humans.
The Web surely offers infinite mental stimulation.
(Credit: Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
It showed that the younger you are, the more likely it is that you go online to do, well, something. Something undefined, indefinable and perhaps definitely indefinite.
To be fair, older adults aren't always filled with great purpose, according to the survey. For those 30 to 49 years old, 37 percent said they went online the previous day for "no particular reason, just for fun or to pass the time." For 50- to 64-year-olds, it was 27 percent, but for those 65 and older it was 12 percent. (The survey of 2,260 adults was conducted by telephone from July 25 to August 26.)
The Web, for so many, seems to have replaced the mall, the bar, and the street corner as the place to go just to hang out and wait for something to happen.
The question is whether something ever does or whether they log on in hope and expectation, only to be forever disappointed.
The only other question is that if they are disappointed, why do they go back again? Could it be that the external world has permanently ceased to give them joy?
Could it be that parents, teachers, government, and lovers have all let them down?
Or could it be that these are the most indolent human beings to have been engendered on this planet since, well, congresspeople?
Sarah Stocker's iPhone reminds her--as if she needed to be reminded--that it's launch day for her startup, My Robot Nation.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)
SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--It's launch day for Sarah Stocker's new company, and though there's still a lot of work to take care of before going live, her iPhone is doing its best to challenge her. "Launch! In 9m," it taunts.
Stocker is co-founder of My Robot Nation, a startup that gives buyers a set of simple Web-based tools for designing their own small, collectible 3D-printed droid figures.
It's a recent Tuesday, and as part of my Day on the Job series, I've arrived at Stocker's hillside home about 30 minutes north of San Francisco to chronicle the last hours before My Robot Nation's launch.
A group of 3D printed robots from My Robot Nation
(Credit: My Robot Nation)
A month ago, Stocker and her co-founder, Mark Danks, soft-launched the company into beta--hoping to both attract a passionate niche audience and demonstrate the broad promise of customized 3D-printed products. A few hundred robots later, the company has attracted a passionate group of customers, and even the support of Google--which first featured My Robot Nation as part of the relaunch of the Chrome Store, and then promoted it to the 7.4 million people who follow Chrome's Facebook page.
But now prep time is over. My Robot Nation has its public relations firm ready to send out press releases, a series of national news sites are already preparing stories timed for the next morning, and Stocker and Danks and their far-flung team have a slate of bug fixes and new features to complete. Yet, no matter how important the launch is, they can't afford tunnel vision. Not even today. There's the whole future of the company to worry about.
Succeed or go home It's likely that inexperienced startup founders would be tearing their hair out at this point, but not Stocker and Danks. They've shipped a ton of products, having worked together for years at giants like Electronic Arts and Sony. Now, though, they've ditched their corporate keycards and they're on their own.
That means the challenge facing Stocker and Danks is clear: Succeed at selling custom 3D-printed robots to a niche market of collectors and enthusiasts and then expand to the mass market with a wide variety of items. Or, go home.The two bootstrapped My Robot Nation, so if launch goes well, and the company flourishes, they and a team helping them out from home offices in Canada, Brazil, Colorado, San Francisco, and New York get all the rewards. If it doesn't, there are no deep pockets to protect them or their investment.
Smudged heads With logs crackling in the fireplace in Stocker's living room, classical music on the stereo, and a gorgeous, crisp Marin County day visible through the trees outside her window, she and Danks are putting the finishing touches on some holiday-themed robot elements that are part of the launch.
Stocker says she put in some new feature requests "in the dead of night last night," and some are ready to test. One is a new "holiday head," but she doesn't like what she's looking at: it's marred by a digital smudge thanks to what she calls "the wrong texile density." It's got to be fixed or it'll come out of the 3D printer looking wrong. So Danks grabs the digital file and sets about solving the problem.
Danks' adoption of the smudged-head issue has freed up Stocker to handle another of her million different remaining tasks--doling out a set of promotional codes for robot reviewers. "I has the power," Stocker says gleefully. I'm going to give away free robots now!"
A digital file showing two versions of the digital robot holiday head that My Robot Nation is making available at launch. The left side is the production version. The right side is the version that will be used to 3D-print the robot's head.
(Credit: My Robot Nation)
Potential partnership Around noon, Stocker and Danks shift gears. The prelaunch checklist is still missing a lot of check marks, but they have to go meet Mike Ludlam, their technical artist, to talk about the art they'd use in a potential new partnership with a major technology company.
Over lunch the three discuss the deal that's on the table, but that's months away. Right now, they need a realistic assessment from Ludlam of what they're capable of doing for the partner, particularly when it comes to the kinds of art details they can offer potential buyers. "We have to leverage and balance the pie in the sky with what's possible," Danks tells me later. Ludlam "often sees ways to look at things we wouldn't have thought of."
CNET Day on the Job's Daniel Terdiman talks with My Robot Nation's founders
Among other things, the discussion centers on the number of different kinds of content--digital skins and decals and the like--that could be incorporated into the potential partner's 3D-printed items. The goal would be to let users click once and automatically fill a whole body section with, say, a cow-, zebra-, cheetah-, or camouflage-patterned skin. The user should find it extremely simple, but on the production side, it's complicated geometry. Ludlam is the one who knows what the job entails. "He understands the difference between two [content items] and 25," Danks said. "Two you can do by hand, 25, you need a process."
'A betting man' Back at Stocker's house a little after 1 p.m., she and Danks dive right back into their launch day tasks. Danks says that if he were "a betting man," he'd put money down on going live around 5 p.m. He doesn't say how much he'd bet.
That might have something to do with the next agenda item, a Skype video call with Scott Harmon, vice president of business development at Z Corporation, the maker of the 3D printers My Robot Nation uses. The main agenda isn't launch. It's how Z Corp can help My Robot Nation down the line.
My Robot Nation co-founders Mark Danks and Sarah Stocker listen to Z Corporation Vice President of Business Development Scott Harmon during a Skype video call on the startup's launch day.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)
The takeaway is that My Robot Nation may soon start getting recommended to companies that approach Z Corp about doing customized 3D-printed products. That's big, because Z Corp talks to major entertainment IP holders all the time about bringing 3D-printing projects to market. "We've...already got the solution," said Stocker. "To have [Harmon] at the manufacturing level say [to Z Corp's partners], 'These guys already have the solution'...it's huge for us."
Then she adds, "One of our targets [has been] to see if we could be the go-to people for a platform that lets you customize things. And we seem to have succeeded in that. And that's really exciting."
Making robots Professional 3D printers can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so few companies that specialize in making products with the machines actually own them. And neither does My Robot Nation. Instead, it contracts with Offload Studios, a small outfit in British Columbia.
For Stocker and Danks, the next meeting is another Skype video call, this time with Bill Henderson, Offload's owner.
With hours before launch, Stocker and Henderson talk about the FAQ Stocker has been trying to finish all day, and she explains that one section seems like it could be confusing to potential buyers--the order-processing time. They want to make sure potential customers don't have unrealistic expectations of how long it will take to get their hands on their newly designed robots, especially not with Christmas approaching. They settle on language that says "from order to hold it in your hands takes about 8-10 business days in the U.S., about 10+ business days internationally, depending on country."
Before ending the call, Stocker, Danks, and Henderson talk big picture for a few minutes, discussing a road map for the kinds of items My Robot Nation might sell in the future. Stocker explains that the company's goal is to pursue a mass market customer base, something that likely means offering simpler products than robots with 9 billion possible permutations. "We want to make a product that is much more personal to people than greeting cards," Stocker says, "but has a greeting card price point and simplicity."
But she also argues that the company needs something in the future that will let its current customers "scratch their itch."
Henderson suggests they should pick the brain of a specific buyer who recently bought one of My Robot Nation's most expensive models, and Stocker loves the idea. "Mark and I were talking about ways to reward him," she says. "Yeah, let's roll him in on how we can extend My Robot Nation."
Bug hunting It's nearly 5 p.m. now, and it's becoming clear that Danks' prediction was a bit optimistic. There's still a number of tasks to complete, including some final bug hunting.
This is the first My Robot Nation robot created after the company launched on Tuesday. It was created by co-founder Sarah Stocker using some of the holiday features the company made available at launch.
(Credit: My Robot Nation)
Yet both Danks and Stocker have to leave soon to pick up their kids, so whatever work is left will be put on hold. Still, each keeps on working right up until the last minute, tackling bugs that remain in the system and crossing them off, one by one. (They finally hit launch at about 10:30 p.m.)
"You can always tell people who have done a product release before from those who haven't," Stocker says, speaking of the bug hunting. "People who have never done it before freak out.... If you haven't done that a bunch of times, it's apparently very unnerving. But I kind of like it, because it's kind of closure. And anytime you catch something, you're like, thank God. You're relieved you found it before you shipped it to the consumer."
More and more parents are giving their kids tablets, game consoles, laptops, and other Internet-connected devices as special holiday gifts. But how do you keep Junior safe as he's downloading apps, playing games online and exploring the World Wide Web?
Dear Maggie, My 10-year-old daughter wants an iPod Touch for Christmas. I'm sure it's because all of her friends have one and are playing games and other apps on it. But I am nervous about getting her one. I trust her, but I do not think she needs all of the technologies that come on an iPod Touch. I really do not want the outside world getting in touch with her! Is there some type of other technology or device I can get her so she can play apps and at the same time not have a Skype phone, camera, video, GPS, etc.? I feel so old school, but I do not think a 10-year-old needs to be texting, etc!!! All and any advice would really be helpful!
Thanks, Paula
Dear Paula, I think you are absolutely right that a 10-year-old doesn't need instant access to the Internet at all times on her iPod Touch. But as you allude to in your question, it's getting harder for parents to find gadgets for their kids that aren't connected to the Internet. I've got some news for you. There are ways to turn the iPod Touch into a safe device for a child. But it will require you to make a few changes to the settings on the device.
Apple does a pretty good job of offering parental controls on all its iOS devices, so that you can restrict Internet access. For example, even though you can't shut off the Wi-Fi radio as part of the parental control setting, you can block the use of the Safari Internet browser. You can restrict access to YouTube. And you can disable app downloads on the device, so that she can't install a texting app or Skype or any other app that you think is inappropriate.
Still, I want to note that you will not be able to completely turn off the Wi-Fi radio on the iPod Touch through these parental controls. You can turn off the Wi-Fi radio in the settings, but that these settings are not passcode protected, so your daughter could easily turn on the Wi-Fi radio.
Still, with the parental controls enabled, you can lock-down the iPod Touch enough so that your daughter doesn't turn her iPod Touch into a Skype-phone or texting device.If you don't want her to have access to Wi-Fi at all, another option for you is to put a password on your home Wi-Fi router. (And don't let her know what that password is.) That way she won't be able to connect to the Internet from her iPod Touch while she is in the house. But this doesn't solve the problem for when your daughter takes her iPod Touch to a friend's house, where that family is likely to have Wi-Fi.
Setting up the restrictions is easy, too. They can be accessed right on the device. All you need to do is to set up a 4-digit passcode. (Make sure your daughter doesn't know it.) Then you go into Settings > General > Restrictions, and you enter a four-digit passcode. And finally, you can click on different options to restrict access to:
iPod songs with explicit lyrics
Safari
YouTube
iTunes
Installing Apps
In-app purchases
Camera
While the parental controls are helpful if you want to completely turn off a lot of settings, they aren't as useful if you still want to provide access but you'd rather filter inappropriate content. Apple's parental controls are generally an all-or-nothing type of setting. So if you restrict access to the Safari browser or YouTube, your daughter won't be able to access those things at all. This might be fine now. But as she gets older, you may want to allow her more freedom. And that is where things get a bit more tricky. Parents may want to enable more functionality, but they still want to ensure their children aren't accessing inappropriate content or apps.
Luckily, there are several apps that can help you monitor your daughter's browsing and usage on her iPod Touch, if you ever feel like you want to allow her a bit more freedom. Mobicip Safe Browser is a popular Web filter. It can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99 and it's used instead of the Safari browser on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It's basically a browser that filters Web content to ensure it's safe for your daughter. iRover Surf Safe is another app that offers similar functionality. And there are many more.
But keep in mind that that filtering software isn't perfect. And some apps are better than others, so make sure you read user reviews before you buy one. I personally have not tested a lot of these apps, so I can't recommend specific ones, but doing a Google search should provide you with some options. Some reviewers of the Mobicip app complain that the app doesn't always filter out inappropriate sites, but it may filter out pages that are perfectly fine.
I think with the appropriate parental restrictions in place, your daughter will still be able to enjoy listening to music, playing games and using other apps on her device.
Good luck! And happy holidays!
Internet saftey first
Dear Maggie, We are probably getting our kids computers this year. We have waited and held off, but it is becoming something they actually need for school. They are 10 years old and 8 years old. Do you have any advice about which laptops/Internet programs can help keep us in good shape. To think of them out there in Internet land all alone is frightening!
Thanks, Cecily
Dear Cecily, My first bit of advice is not to get a laptop for each of your kids. I'm not sure if that is something that the school is requiring or not. But they seem a bit young to own their own laptops.
I think your family might be better served with a single computer that everyone shares. And it shouldn't be a laptop that can be carried into someone's room. Most parenting experts say it's important to make sure children's online time is out in the open, where you can physically keep an eye on what's on the screen. If you give them laptops, it's harder to do that.
Anyway, I would invest in a nice desktop computer that you can put in a part of your house where there is more opportunity for adult supervision. You may not want it in the family room where others may be watching TV, but a den or office is fine so long as it's a place where you or another parent is frequently around. The idea is that you want to see what your kids are doing online. And the best way to do that is to have them doing it in front of you.
Also, if you just have one computer that the entire family uses, it's easier for you to manage. You will only have to install and use parental control software on one computer. And you'll only have to check browsing history on one computer.
As I mentioned in my answer to the previous question, Apple does a nice job with parental controls on its iOS products. And it also offers similar controls on its Mac computers. Each family member can get an "account" for the computer, so everyone signs in as an individual. And then you can customize access for each account, restricting what time of day each person can use the computer as well limiting what he or she can do once on the computer.
The nice thing about Macs is that if you live near an Apple store it's very easy to get help. So if you need some extra help with the parental controls, you can go to the store and ask someone or sign up for a class.
But Macs are expensive. So if you want more bang for your buck, a Windows PC is probably a better deal. And like the Mac, Windows-based PCs also have plenty of parental controls built-in. In Windows 7, you can limit how much computer time your children have, as well as which programs and games they can use (and perhaps more importantly, when). With the Parental Controls in Windows Media Center, you can also block access to objectionable TV shows and movies.
If you feel you need more granular tools for your PC or Mac, there are lots of software packages that you can download that can help you manage and monitor your kids' Internet usage. My CNET Reviews colleague Seth Rosenblatt recommends Norton's OnlineFamily.Norton software. In his review of the product a couple of years ago he said:
"There's a wide range of control over what sites a child can access. The restrictions can vary from a strict no-access policy that can block specific sites and site categories, to a more lenient notification e-mail sent to the parents when the child visits sites that parents merely want to be warned about. On the child's side, kids are given the option of e-mailing their parents when they're blocked--if the parents allow those e-mails in the first place."
He also explained that the software offers "House Rules" that "can be customized to suit the needs of individual children within each family, a useful feature since a teenager will have different browsing and social-networking interests than an 8-year-old."
Seth also added that most paid security suites, such those from Kaspersky, Norton, and BitDefender, will include at least basic parental controls.
"I tend to advise people that if you've already got a paid security option on your computer, it's best to simply activate the parental control module," he said. "The top-shelf suites do not cause performance hits on your computer they way they did five or 10 years ago."
After rolling out redesigned Gmail and Reader interfaces, the search giant announced in acompany blog post today that it has turned its attention to its search bar.
"It's time to unify, simplify and say goodbye to the navigation bar," Google says in a video (see below) introducing its new Google bar.
The horizontal black bar at the top of the page with links to Web, News, and Images--which actually hadn't been around all that long itself--is now history.
Instead, users will now have three tools that will stay static across the top of their page: a Google drop-down menu on the left under Google's logo, a search bar in the center, and Google+ tools on the right.
The Google menu opens vertically on rollover and includes the links formerly listed in the black horizontal bar and will be available even when users aren't signed in to an account.
The rollout is occurring now, and the new set of tools is expected to be available to all users in the next couple of days.
