ConnectSoft makes kids' browser

If you're worried about where your child is going when the lights go off and the computer goes on, ConnectSoft is releasing a new Web browser that allows parents to either screen or include sites right in the browser itself.

KidWeb, billed as the only Web browser for children, allows parents to list Web sites that they want their children to be able to access. Children would be limited to only those sites. Alternatively, the browser allows parents to let their children surf most sites except for the ones they exclude.

"We allow parents to do either-or," said Rick Upp, a ConnectSoft product manager.

Parents also can choose to simply delete offensive keywords from pages. For example, if Dad wants to make sure that Johnny never sees the word "sex" appear on his browser, he can punch it in and every time the word "sex" shows up, Johnny will see a bunch of asterisks instead.

The Web browser is like EMail for Kids, which ConnectSoft also produces, in that it also has a kid-friendly interface, Upp said.

The email program allows parents to preset the address books so their children can't send email to unknown people, Upp said. The program also allows parents or whoever sets the password for the program to limit the amount of email that sent and received.