November 15th, 2005
PC Moderator Kicks Kids Off the PC by Blanking the Screen
By Steve Johnson
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews
PC Moderator is a hardware-based parental control for your PC, that doubles as an automated dimmer-switch for the monitor.
Rather than integrating with the PC’s operating system, it just sits between the PC and the monitor. It plugs into the VGA out of the PC, while the monitor plugs into the VGA out of PC Moderator. Thus, PC Moderator just counts off the minutes, and then voila! The screen goes blank.
Junior will take even less satisfaction knowing that the hundreds of hacking hours he’s scored won’t do any good foiling PC Moderator. That’s because there’s no software to install. It’s components, timer, and software is self-contained in the 18 gauge stainless steel container. And he won’t be able to unplug it either, because it’s actually padlocked to the PC!
In fact, the only way he’ll be able to disable PC Moderator is by cutting the cables. But then if he does that, the screen goes blank!
Basically, he’s SOL.
So what about the “automated dimmer-switch” I mentioned earlier. Well because PC Moderator works by controlling the monitor feed, it can actually dim the screen brightness during evening hours. This way, junior’s eyes are protected from strain, and saved for those times when you actually need him to hack into something.
Obviously, it won’t work with laptops. And, it won’t work with Macs either!
Source: Woog Labs
alan says:
geez, how *&^%ing stupid — if you cahn’t edicate your offspring then you shouldn’t have any.
November 15th, 2005 at 10:55 pm
Scott says:
Couldn’t someone just use a different VGA cable? It’s not padlocked to the PC itself. Another VGA cable could be used to replace the whole thing.
November 16th, 2005 at 5:46 am
Ron Ingram says:
Someone is really bored!
November 16th, 2005 at 6:53 am
Austin says:
What’s going to stop em from picking the crappy pad lock?
November 16th, 2005 at 8:57 am
Jose Nivardo says:
wellll it’s nice that i have my own home and pc cuz if i were a teen probably my mom had buyed that stuff and i probably had to have hard time thinking about how to crack this thing LOL
November 16th, 2005 at 2:13 pm
Phosgene says:
Well the first thing I thought was that it would be a heck of a lot easier if you just put a big sign saying “I do not trust you as far as I can throw you. You are being watched. I am so suspicious that as soon as I can get a sample of DNA from the milkman, you are going to be tested against him”
And Scott: it is connected to the chasis. There seems to be some kind of plate that runs underneath the steel brick which attaches at the two normal VGA screw points. So, you can’t actually just remove it.
November 16th, 2005 at 4:16 pm
Frustrated Mom says:
This is an awesome tool. I have a 14 year old daughter who is plugged into myspace.com or aol/aim as much as she possibly can be. My husband is busy doing his own thing and isn’t here to help me force her off the internet. PC Moderator is the best lock out system for us moms who are child rearing alone. If my daughter destroys the pc trying to get her fix, well, too bad. Guess I didn’t really need a pc in the house anyways!
Frustrated Mom
February 12th, 2006 at 10:38 pm
Frustrated Mom says:
This is an awesome tool. I have a 14 year old daughter who is plugged into myspace.com or aol/aim as much as she possibly can be. My husband is busy doing his own thing and isn’t here to help me force her off the internet. PC Moderator is the best lock out system for us moms who are child rearing alone. If my daughter destroys the pc trying to get her fix, well, too bad. Guess I didn’t really need a pc in the house anyways!
Frustrated Mom
February 12th, 2006 at 10:38 pm
Single mom says:
This is the best tool I have found to work with my strong willed teenager. It has been foolproof and hackproof for us. I love the programming options that you can do with it. If you want to keep your teenager off the internet all night long but yet allow them access without having to look over their shoulders all the time, this is it. I can controll my child to do chores before allowed online, etc. It’s worth it. Of course, the kids hate it at first but they will submit if you stick to it. The best thing is that is a hardware solution, not a software package which can be manipulated by our computer savvy kids!
August 16th, 2006 at 5:29 pm