MIAMI, Sept. 29, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dolphin Digital Media, Inc. (OTCBB:DPDM), today announced the launch of "Dolphin Secure," a family Internet safety solution that allows parents to establish and enforce their own rules regarding Internet usage within their homes. Dolphin Secure (http://www.dolphinsecure.com) is easy-to-use software that downloads onto any computer in a child's life, and gives parents the ability to guide where their children can go, and who they can talk to, while online.
Every child registered in the Dolphin Secure system is automatically granted admission into the groundbreaking social network, "Dolphin Surf." Only children ages 18 and under are invited into this unique online community, which features full social interactivity including email, instant messaging and photo sharing -- all under the protection of the Dolphin Secure system.
"Two of the first rules a parent teaches a child are to not 'wander off' and to not talk to strangers, and at Dolphin Digital Media we created communities for kids that will extend that rule to the online world," states Bill O'Dowd, CEO, Dolphin Digital Media. "Dolphin Secure was developed for parents as a tool to provide much-needed peace of mind. We understand that parents cannot be everywhere at once, hovering over their child's shoulder as they use the Internet. Dolphin Secure ensures that a parent's rules for online usage are followed."
Safer Surfing with Dolphin Secure:
During a registration process that takes less than 10 minutes, parents receive a "master white list" of pre-determined, age-appropriate websites for their child to visit. The Dolphin Secure "master white list" of pre-approved sites is updated daily and ensures that children are free to explore and learn online more safely without the risk of stumbling onto pornography, inappropriate content or other illicit material. Parents can also customize the specific "white list" for each individual child, including the opportunity to add to, or delete from, the Dolphin Secure "master white list." So, a parent could add or allow specific sites for her teenager that would remain blocked for her younger children. With Dolphin Secure, children can only visit sites on their specific "white list," as customized (or not) by their parent.
Safer Chat with Dolphin Secure:
For the first time, parents have the option to set the boundaries of who their child can speak to, or who they can be approached by online. Upon registration, parents have a wide variety of options to customize these parameters, from general groups to specific individuals, including:
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Everyone within the Dolphin Surf social network.
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Only children of a specific gender.
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Only other children within a specific age range chosen by the parent.
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Only a select group of hand-picked friends.
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No one at all.
All other chat applications otherwise installed on the applicable computer are blocked from a child's use, thereby ensuring that everyone that could approach the child with an IM request needs to be registered with Dolphin Secure.
How "Dolphin Secure" Works: Fingerprint Log-In
In a truly revolutionary offering, and one of the major aspects that makes Dolphin Secure a unique service, a child may fully utilize the "Dolphin Surf" social network and communicate with their friends only following Dolphin Secure fingerprint identification. Upon registration, a new user scans their finger using the Dolphin Secure UPEK fingerprint reader. The scanned fingerprint is then converted into a number and stored in a protected, remote database.
The child's account details (e.g., parental settings and personal preferences) are associated with this number, which is created by an irreversible algorithm. A copy (or a "print") of a user's actual fingerprint is never taken, let alone stored anywhere within the Dolphin Secure system. Only the unique number created by a user's unique fingerprint is kept.
After registration, each time an Internet browser or an IM application is attempted to be used on the computer that is Dolphin Secure, a log-in page is triggered. Children simply enter their user name and scan their fingerprint. Dolphin Secure then verifies the child's identity by matching the unique number created by this fingerprint scan with the number associated with the child's user name in the Dolphin Secure database.
Once a match has been created, the Dolphin Secure system promptly loads each child's personal, customizable home page within Dolphin Surf. That child is now free to surf to websites, and free to seek other children to be friends with, who are within the controls established by the parent. When parents or other adults in the household want to use the same computer, a master username and password can be entered, which unlocks the computer and allows them to freely access the Internet. Once the parent logs out, Dolphin Secure is automatically back in place for the next session.
"Dolphin Surf"
"Dolphin Surf" is a social network featuring the advanced functionality associated with the leading online communities and virtual worlds. Kids have the opportunity to create a profile, IM with approved friends, search for new friends, upload photos, send e-mails and customize a homepage that includes a widget library of content, friend updates and much more, all under the protection of the Dolphin Secure system. Children can set their own site themes, backgrounds and add or delete widgets on their homepage, making their Dolphin Surf experience totally unique to them.
"Dolphin Surf" will be the online destination for children to create, explore, interact and play, with the assurance that access to their account is available only to them -- unlike other social networking sites where users and their personal content are vulnerable to anyone who knows, or can guess, their password.
It is the sharing of passwords among the overwhelming majority of children that exposes them to so many dangers of cyber-bullying, including online impersonation (e.g., when a classmate or "friend" who knows their password goes into their social network account and sends out an embarrassing e-mail, photo or IM to their entire address book, pretending to be them while also switching their password so that they can't even access their account after the fact to try and limit the damage).
The Need for "Dolphin Secure"
"Many parents want to protect their children online without feeling like they are spying on them," states O'Dowd. "Spyware is difficult to use in the best of circumstances, but it has two even more fundamental problems. First, it is oftentimes reactive. It only tells a parent which sites their child has visited and who their child has chatted with after the damage has already been done. Secondly, by its very definition, spyware assumes the parent has the time to constantly review and monitor their children's online activities."
"Dolphin Secure was born out of a decision to provide a proactive solution for parents concerned with the online safety of their children," continues O'Dowd. "Busy parents need an easy-to-use system which gives them peace of mind that their rules for Internet safety are being followed even when they are not around. Now, a mother busy doing the five hundred tasks in her typical day, usually all at once, doesn't have to stop to worry that her 8-year-old daughter is receiving an instant message from someone she doesn't know, or that her 11-year-old son has incorrectly spelled the name of a new game and has wound up on a pornography site."
"We've designed Dolphin Secure to be a simple-to-use solution to a universal problem," concludes O'Dowd. "The Internet is a wonderful educational and entertainment resource for children, and it is fast-becoming this generation's primary social and communication tool. We're thrilled to provide parents with a new standard for the online safety of their children and to offer kids a fun, safe haven where they can experience these great benefits."
Pricing & Availability
An annual child membership to Dolphin Secure costs $59.95 per year (approx. $5 per month) plus an additional one-time fee of $15.00 for a fingerprint reader. Each additional child membership is $29.95 per year; a parent account is free. Parents pay per child on their family account, not per software download. This way, a family can download Dolphin Secure onto every computer in the home for no additional charge. Extra fingerprint readers can be purchased for $24.95 each.
Dolphin Secure currently works for PCs using Windows XP or Vista operating systems. A version available for Mac computers is expected to be released in the first quarter 2010.
Dolphin Digital Media
Dolphin Digital Media, Inc. (http://www.dolphindigitalmedia.com) creates and manages social networking websites for children utilizing state-of the-art user-verification technology. As a leading developer of internet safety technology operating in the digital media and entertainment sectors, there is a focus on the growing global market for social networking, user-generated content, and safe content delivery.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
This press release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to anticipated revenues, expenses, earnings, operating cash flows, the outlook for markets and the demand for products. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon, among other things, assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management, including management's own knowledge and assessment of the Company's industry and competition. The Company refers interested persons to its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-KSB and its other SEC filings for a description of additional uncertainties and factors, which may affect forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no duty to update its forward-looking statements.