Freeverse Software on Thursday announced the release of BumperCar 2.0, a revamped version of the Web browser created specifically for kids. The new release has been re-written and features enhanced speed, stability and compatibility, according to Freeverse. BumperCar lets kids surf the Web without parents or teachers having to worry that they’re online too much or accessing inappropriate content.
BumperCar features a whimsical homepage interface that lets kids visit vetted Web sites with kid-safe educational content. BumperCar supports “Safesearch” Web search engine filtering (supported by Google and others), can block the display of Web pages containing profanity (including customizable lists of words you wish to block), can prevent users from inputting personal data, supports both whitelists (approved lists of Web sites the user can visit) and blacklists (lists of Web sites the administrator, parent or teacher doesn’t want kids to see) and also supports time-limiting.
BumperCar first release was based on the same core underpinnings as The Omni Group’s OmniWeb Web browser. Now Freeverse has rewritten BumperCar based on Apple’s WebKit software. New homepage options have been added for a wider range of children. Safety settings are accessible from all accounts on the computer, so parents, teachers or administrators can change account settings without logging out. Hundreds of other improvements have been made to BumperCar 2.0 as well, according to Freeverse.
BumperCar requires Mac OS X v10.3 or later and 50MB hard drive space. It costs US$29.95 and is a free upgrade for users of BumperCar 1.0.