Techno Source And KD Interactive Introduce Kurio Phone, The Safest Smartphone™ For Kids

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Techno Source, a division of LF Products (a Li & Fung company), and KD Interactive, a division of KD Group, makers of the best-selling Kurio line of Android devices for families with kids, announce the first-ever Kurio phone made just for kids.  The perfect first phone, Kurio Phone has all of the sophisticated smartphone features kids want, combined with the advanced parental controls and safety features for which parents have been waiting. 

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"'When can I have a cell phone?' is a popular question and point of contention that arises in many households with kids under the age of 13," said Eric Levin, division head, Techno Source.  "Up until now, the question has sparked many dinner table debates as parents struggle with concerns of safety, usage and offering their children unfettered access to the Internet.  Thanks to Kurio Phone's powerful parental controls, now parents can know who their kids are in contact with, manage their phone usage and rest assured they are safe online."

The Kurio Phone, the Safest Smartphone for Kids™, features robust parental controls that parents have come to expect and trust from Kurio, including app management, time control features and the Kurio Genius™ Internet filtering system with advanced security levels and daily auto-updates covering more than 450 million websites (and counting) in 170 different languages. 

"Kids want cell phones, but with access to this technology comes great responsibility," said Pieter van den Bosch, strategic director, KD Group.  "Kurio Phone includes additional parental controls to address safety concerns that come along with giving a child a mobile device, but they also promote the child's independence and help foster an open parent-child dialogue.  In fact, on the smartphone, the child will be able to monitor his or her own phone usage and see the parameters that mom and dad have set."

Additional Kurio Genius parental control features developed for the phone, using ichaper™ technology, include:

Contact Management
Parents can manage a child's contacts, allowing or blocking certain contacts.  If parents choose to maintain a safe list of contacts, kids may add contacts to their device, but they won't be able to call or message them until mom or dad adds them to the list of allowable numbers.

Primary Contacts
Parents can create up to five primary contacts that aren't subject to any restrictions and can also receive alerts.  For example, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and older siblings.

Phone Use
Parents can set daily, weekly or monthly call-time limits and also limit the child's number of text messages.  They can also access the child's call log, text message and Internet browsing history.  In order to respect the child's privacy, the content of MMS and text messages is not displayed.  Though, Kurio Genius will provide tools to control message content.

Application Management
Parents can choose which applications are allowed, blocked or restricted by the calendar.  Newly downloaded applications are blocked by default.

Calendar
Parents can set restricted times by day of the week during which calls, SMS messages and restricted applications are to be blocked.

Geolocation
Using Kurio Phone's GPS tracking technology, parents can monitor their child's position every 15, 30 or 60 minutes, including his or her current position or last known position. 

Geofencing
Parents can also pre-define secure and danger zones on a map, and set the days and times when these zones are activated.   If the child leaves a secure zone or enters a danger zone, the parent will receive an alert.

In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.)
Parents can store the child's information, including date of birth, allergies, blood type, as well as a doctor's name and phone number, which can be accessed on the device in case of emergency.  A child can alert emergency services and their primary contacts in case of emergency, and also trigger a silent alarm by repeatedly pressing the "power" button when in danger.

Theft/Loss
In the event of theft or loss, parents can remotely trigger an alarm on the device, block the phone completely so that it cannot be used, erase the device's data, set it to take a picture at phone start up, display a message on the device's screen, and even track the device's current location.

Other Alerts
Parents can also receive alerts via SMS or e-mail notifying them when the child's phone is turned on/off, when it has a low battery, or even when the device's SIM card has been changed.  

Kurio Phone's password protected parental controls are built into the device and parents can access them remotely from a computer or another device.  No subscription is required.

Kurio Phone will run on the Android 4.2 (Jellybean) operating system and provide all the features kids expect from a sophisticated device: a multi-core processor and 1 GB RAM to have a fluid interface and experience, a 480 x 800 4" screen, front and rear-facing cameras, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, FM radio and 4 GB of internal memory for their apps and files (expandable to 36 GB with a micro SD card).  Kurio Phone will come in a sleek black design with either red or blue trim.

The Kurio Phone will be introduced at CES Unveiled Las Vegas on January 5^th (Mandalay Bay, Level 3, South Seas Ballroom C, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PST) and be showcased daily at 2014 International CES in the Kids@Play TechZone (The Venetian, Level 2, Venetian Ballroom) January 7^th to 10^th.  North American Kurio inquiries can be directed to Techno Source in booth #71103, and international requests to KD Interactive in booth #71003.  The Kurio Phone is expected to ship in spring of 2014.

The Kurio Phone follows the award-winning, best-selling Kurio S Series of Wi-Fi-enabled Android family devices introduced in July of 2013.  The S Series, currently available at retailers nationwide, includes the Kurio Touch 4s, a 4" handheld; the Kurio 7s, a 7" tablet; and the Kurio 10s, a 10" tablet.  For more information, visit www.KurioWorld.com.

About Techno Source
Techno Source, a division of LF Products (a Li & Fung company), is one of the fastest growing global toy companies. Known for its ground-breaking products, marketing prowess and strong retail relationships, the company is committed to delivering high-quality toys and games that offer significant play value at affordable price points.

Under its original Techno Source brand, the company focuses on innovative products, great games for the whole family, and technology toys. Its award-winning original and licensed toy portfolio includes Kurio, the Ultimate Android Tablet for Families™, Glow Crazy™, Codee, 20Q®, Tetris®, Rubik's®, Battle Lights ™, and Electronic Touch-Screen Sudoku™.

Under its Toy Island brand, Techno Source offers a wide range of traditional toy products, including puzzles, figures, collectables, play sets, vehicles, plush, stationery, art activity sets, and magic toys. Co-branded products feature top licenses, including World's Softest™, National Geographic®, Barney™, Marvel®, Animal Planet™, Where's Waldo? ® and Loteria™.

Techno Source toys and games are available throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, across all channels of distribution. 

For more information, visit www.TechnoSourceUSA.com.

About KD Interactive
KD Interactive, a division of KD Group, is made up of an international team of specialists, including engineers, educators and scientists to ensure the highest possible quality of products for children. The company works to introduce the latest, most advanced methods and resources of educational technology into platforms aimed at children ages 2 to 14.   KD Interactive delivers a true high-tech device with the necessary software applications to captivate both toddlers and older children alike.  For more information, visit www.kd-interactive.com.

SOURCE Techno Source