GoKawiil
Tech News
Brick, maker of an NFC tap-to-block productivity tool launched in September 2023, is introducing a new Bluetooth-enabled device aimed at nighttime use. The device automatically blocks a user's chosen apps once they enter their bedroom, extending Brick's screen-time-limiting approach beyond daytime productivity into sleep routines.
Digital Wellbeing, Google's built-in Android screen-time tracker, has been installed more than 10 billion times but is rarely opened deliberately because it lacks a home-screen icon and sits inside the Settings menu. The app tracks app usage, unlock counts and notification volume, and offers tools to set time limits, holding a 4.1-star rating across 1.49 million reviews. Some manufacturers, including Samsung and Huawei, ship their own equivalent tools instead, since Google requires makers to include some screen-time and parental-control feature but not Digital Wellbeing specifically.
Amazon introduced its new Amazon Kids Tablets line, pitching the devices as an ideal 'first tablet' for toddlers. The company's marketing emphasizes all-day battery life to keep children occupied on flights and car rides, and includes a child-sized handle and protective case for independent use. Built-in generative AI features are promoted as a premium selling point for young users.
Apple's iOS 27 update, released in September, includes a redesigned set of parental controls developed with the American Academy of Pediatrics. New tools include Time Allowances, Ask to Browse, Ask to Add Contacts, a Pause Device feature, expanded Communication Safety, and simplified setup with age-appropriate app suggestions for child accounts. Apple also published a companion guide on building healthy digital habits.
A senior reviewer cannot activate Apple’s revamped Screen Time on her daughter’s iPhone because her son’s MacBook has not been updated to iOS 27. The update process demands that every device in a Family Sharing group be running the latest OS, which complicates usage especially when some devices are incompatible or not updated. This has caused frustration among users seeking a seamless parental control experience.
A developer released an open-source command line tool called RemoveMacAI that disables Apple Intelligence features and deletes the underlying AI models from macOS, freeing up storage. The tool addresses the fact that macOS 27 removed the single toggle to turn off Apple Intelligence, scattering controls across multiple settings panes including Screen Time. It also includes a revert command to restore the features and re-enable model downloads.
Android Authority found code in Digital Wellbeing beta version 1.48.975819457 that builds out a flag-guessing trivia game, complete with a three-heart life system and a high-score tracker. The outlet also noted a smaller change letting users select apps for screen-time reminders more easily, alongside earlier signs that features like walk detection may be removed in a broader app overhaul.
A report highlighted by Nature indicates that young people who watch sports content on YouTube tend to remain physically inactive rather than being motivated to participate in sports themselves. The finding challenges assumptions that sports media consumption among youth translates into increased physical activity.
At the Fast Company Innovation Festival, a panel of experts discussed how parents can guide children through today's AI-driven technology landscape. The discussion framed current challenges as an evolution of earlier debates over children's screen and TV time.
A user who had disabled Apple Intelligence and Siri data-sharing features in macOS 15 found that upgrading to macOS 27 silently re-enabled these settings, removing the toggle that previously let them turn the feature off entirely. They also discovered Siri processes still running in the background, hidden opt-out controls buried under Screen Time parental restrictions, and 22.28 GB of storage consumed by Apple Intelligence components they never asked for.
A user query on Google about appropriate teen screen time triggered an AI-generated summary instead of the traditional list of website links. The AI response offered a specific number but immediately qualified it, noting factors like sleep, mood, exercise, and school demands could matter more than raw hours.
A new device called Minimal Phone 2 is being positioned around statistics showing people average 186 phone pickups, 4.5 hours of screen time, and 152 notifications daily. The product's messaging frames modern smartphones as engineered to maximize engagement through feeds and alerts rather than genuine utility.