Overview

What is PICstick?
The PICstick is an easy to use USB access key for a home PC, helping caring parents to protect their children from the dangers of the internet, violent computer games and other PC applications. Controls all computer applications
The PICstick puts you in control of all PC applications including computer game playing, internet access, time spent on-line, emails and all computer hardware and software.
The PICstick monitors and reports on all aspects of your children’s PC usage, so that even a parent who is an inexperienced computer user can block violent, pornographic and predatory material coming in and prevent sensitive information going out, such as emails or chatroom conversations giving personal family details.
When the PICstick is taken out of the USB port, the PC will automatically go into its default maximum protection setting which only allows basic functions such as Windows or Office applications.
PICstick fits into the USB port at the back of the PC and only lets your children use the PC according to the protection levels that you as a caring parent have chosen for them.
PICstick protects your children from potential harm as it monitors and controls all computer applications including computer games, chatrooms, file sharing and access to the internet.
Once set up, your child will only be able to use the PC using the PICstick leaving you confident that your child is safe from predators and other forms of danger on the internet. Main features

• Monitors and controls all computer applications not just internet
• Locks PC when PICstick is removed
• Allows parents to see what activity has taken place on the PC
• Parents can choose different protection levels for each child according to age
• Allows parents to block undesirable websites, computer games or any other PC application
• Protects children against chat-room grooming
• Prevents personal information from leaving the PC to prevent identity theft.

Monitor all computer activities
The PICstick gives you detailed information about all programs that have been used on your computer. It also gives you a screenshot of the offending page to use as proof if necessary of the child’s visit to the undesirable site.
You can:

• log all computer programs – any activity on the PC is recorded, from reading an email to playing a CD or DVD
• log all websites visited
• log all printer activity
• log all applications trying to use the internet – including pay-per-dial websites
• log all messenger chat, such as Yahoo, AOL and MSN

Block access to undesirable websites
The PICstick has an extremely sophisticated website filter which blocks access to undesirable sites using a combination of methods developed over the past five years with the Impero classroom management software. The PICstick system incorporates accepted lists of banned websites according to their violent, pornographic or other undesirable content and adds to these by blocking web pages containing certain keywords.
The banned categories are:

• drugs
• games
• profanity
• social
• gambling
• pornography
• racism
• violence

You can also ban individual websites of your choice. You can also report sites to us if you think they should be added to our banned list. We will investigate the site and take appropriate action.
The PICstick’s filter assesses keywords in context to prevent the banning of perfectly acceptable sites which may contain banned keywords in a different context e.g. "Middlesex" or "Blue Tit" Disable any computer application
If you are concerned that your children are playing undesirable computer games while you are out, PICstick allows you to disable any game-playing on the PC. Just disable games in the setup menu and they will not run. You can also ban all games but allow specific games which you approve of.
Do you worry that your children’s friends are lending them adult DVDs to watch while you are at work? Just stop DVDs playing. It’s that simple.
PICstick allows you to disable any computer application including computer games, CD-ROMs, email, DVDs, access to the internet, any computer software and any computer hardware. It can also be set to disable porn dialers and file sharing programmes such as music and video sharing programmes. Block downloads
If you do allow access to the internet, you may still be concerned about rogue software being downloaded without your permission.
PICstick can block any files from downloading, for example applications, images, pay-per-dial software or file sharing sites.