Talking to your children about internet safety is a start but it is not enough. Children are curious by nature and can be easily distracted by all the wonders of the online world. Here are some essential tips to guard your children against harm, online: Google Family Link Probably the best option right now. Regardless of age, the Family Link app allows you to control and monitor your children’s online activity. Set digital rules on your devices and internet applications to help guide their experiences. Google Family Link offers the following features, amongst others: Monitor their activity – see how much time they spend on specific apps and what their time goes. Manage their apps – get notified when your child tries to download an app from the Google Play Store and block or approve their choices. Help manage in-app purchases or simply hide apps that you don’t want them to see. Educational content – Family Links guides you towards teacher-recommended educational apps. Set time limits – Set time limits and nighttime viewing restrictions for their device. Lock their device – restrict their device usage whenever you feel they are abusing the time. Find your child – Family Link helps you locate your child as long as they are with their device. For more information about Family Link click here YouTube Kids Approximately 400 hours of video are uploaded onto YouTube every minute. Many of these videos can be seen as harmful to your children and YouTube Kids easy to use App gives you parental control for your children’s viewing experience. This app will only recommend family-friendly videos ranging from educational to cool and fun. To view more information and parent reviews, visit the Google Play Store Kiddle Kiddle is a Google Search alternative for kids and provides harmless kids websites, images, and video searches from any device. The results shown are overseen by Kiddle editors. Simply go to their website here Social Media Restrictions Your child most likely uses Social Media on a daily basis. Sharing photos and videos of their activities without knowing who is able to view it can attract the wrong type of people. Luckily, most of the modern Social Media apps have the ability to set privacy settings. Here are some helpful guides on the most popular Social Medias privacy settings: Instagram Facebook WhatsApp Snapchat Additionally, you can go the extra mile and install a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that will hide your IP address and therefore locations. While there are free versions, it’s always recommended to compare the most popular ones: https://www.itproportal.com/guides/the-best-vpn-service/ Gaming Consoles Restrictions As a parent, video games bring up a lot of questions regarding safety and security. You want to know what games are being played, if they are appropriate and who is playing with your children. Most parents have already covered the basics with never giving out your personal information, such as names and addresses, and if you haven’t then that is the place to start! Here are some helpful guides on the most popular gaming consoles: PlayStation Regardless of the console version, the settings are usually the same. Simply go to the Settings menu from the console and select Parental Controls. Next click on Family Management and select PS4 System Restrictions. If you need to place a password, ty the default of 0000 (four zeroes) and make sure to change it so you are the only one with access. Set which games your children are allowed to play by their age and levels provided, the lower the level will mean stricter control. Age restrictions can also be placed on the movies and tv shows, via DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as the PlayStations internet browser via the web filters. Lastly, you can set the amount of time your children are allowed to play each day. If you have more than one child then you should set up a user profile for each person, under the Family Management option. There are many options you can choose to disable, such as videos, text, messages and PlayStation Store content. For more information please visit their website here Xbox Setting up restrictions on an Xbox requires you to be the administrator for that account and console. You will need to set up accounts for everyone that uses the Xbox and set up restrictions accordingly. Simply go to Account > Family Settings > Manage Family members to create the accounts. Set the permissions on each account under the Privacy & Online Safety tab within the account and define the restrictions for any online activity, either using the internet web browser or Xbox Live. Xbox Live will give you to the option to choose between child, teen and adult defaults for each user. Utilize the Activity Report for your children, where they can view their gaming activity and restrictions placed by parents. Children can request to extend their gaming time which you can approve or decline. For more information please visit their website here If you would like more detailed information or simply have any questions, feel free to send me an email on uros@3gi.co.za. Alternatively, if you would like to see 3Gi Internet Services connectivity deals then please go here: https://3gi.co.za/connectivity/

Upon entry, you are welcomed with warm smiles and a bag of promotional goodies which includes a carton of water and a power bank, amongst other interesting materials. Once you are inside, you start the slow walk around all the promotional stands where you are greeted by even more goodies, ranging from cool phone gadgets to laptop camera covers. Each stand is accompanied by a company representative who gladly explains their latest product offerings and leading-edge solutions.

Soon enough everyone is settled for the Welcome Message by 702’s talk show host Aki Anastasiou, who often discusses the latest developments in the world of technology. Next was the Social Involvement discussion by Douglas Woolley, Dells VP Sale & GM for South Africa, followed by Dell Technologies Keynote speaker, Patricia Florissi, Dells Vice President and Global CTO of Sales. The above three speakers captured the audience with their inspiring talks that touched over important social and business aspects.

Dell Technologies is recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies five years in a row and the forum showed us how. Some of the most interesting elements that Dell promises or has achieved are:

– To reduce ALL plastic waste by 2020
– 95% less water used by high tech vertical farms
– $30 million donated to improve pediatric cancer treatments
– Reduced energy in their products by 65% since 2011
– ReStart Program (link), that helps women get back into their career after an extended break
– EMC Training and Certificates
– Dell Transformation, the goal of using digital technologies to provide better outcomes and experiences for their customers    
– 3D printing to transform prosthetics for kids and families
– Strict environmental, worker and business policies

It is clear that Dell is adamant on making a change and shaping the future for how business in technology should be done. From advancing sustainability to transferring lives with technology, Dell Technologies is transforming the way big businesses should operate and what should be prioritized in the modern world. I highly recommend reading up on their latest company social impact and all that it encompasses. Link

To conclude, a huge congratulations from us, the 3Gi Internet Services team, on an amazing forum. Dell Technologies has inspired us to continue and improve our own social development and community upbringing. Watch this space for more information.

As many of you know, last year the City of Cape Town had implemented high-level water restrictions due to some serious water shortages. A large number of residents and communities were affected by these shortages, some still suffering the consequence to this day.

So, it is imperative to raise awareness on how we can all save water from our homes. Even if you haven’t experienced any water shortages in your area, the below tips will not only help us but also future generations.

Here are 8 easy tips on how you can save water from your home and help prevent the possible water shortages in Gauteng:

1. Reduce your shower time
Many of us use the shower time to do our best thinking (proof) and relaxing. However, many of us don’t know that reducing your shower time to just 5 minutes or less can save up to 21 000 litres of water a year!

2. Fix leaks!
A leak in a pipe or a dripping tap can waste tens of thousands of litres of water a year, so be sure to check and fix every leak that you find. Also, teaching your kids how to tightly close the tap wherever they go helps a lot.

3. Brush your teeth with the tap off
By switching off the tap or shower when you brush your teeth, you save up to 6 litres of water per minute. The same goes for shaving.

4. Using grey water
Grey water is pretty much any used water in your household apart from toilets. Its relatively clean water and usually comes from your baths, sinks, washing machines, showers, and other kitchen and bathroom appliances. Grey water can be used to water your plants and flush your toilets.