Astoundit Software has released Kidwidget 2, an update to their educational software suite for Mac OS X. This new release touts myriad new features and is a Universal binary. It costs $26, and upgrades from earlier releases are free for registered users. A demo is available for download.
Kidwidget 2 includes painting and drawing tools, writing tools, music-making, games, flashcards, notes, a clock, calendar and calculator and kid-filtered dictionary — all wrapped in a very kid-friendly interface designed specifically for children. It includes parent settings to control access, too.
New to the version 2 release is the ability to use your webcam to take a photo, then draw on it (it supports the iSight). Flashcards have been dramatically improved, and a digital and analog clock is now included to help kids with time-reading skills. Parents can disable Tiger’s “Exposé” feature for extra kid protection, as well. Other improvements have also been made.
System requirements call for Mac OS X v10.2 or later, 1024 x 768 display, QuickTime 6 or later, 30MB free hard disk space, 64MB RAM.