Kid Zone is a specialized application launcher for Palm OS®, which allows adults to specify the programs that can be listed and run. It allows kids to enjoy their favorite games on the parent's device and prevents them from accessing the other applications.

Like many other Beiks applications, Kid Zone was developed because someone from within the company realized they needed it: when Nataly gave her Sony Clie to the 3-year old George during flight she was very glad she bought herself some quiet time. Little did she know about George's interest in her address book and memo records...

With Kid Zone parents can now specify the applications that can be listed and run on the device. Kids see something similar to the standard Application Launcher, however only with the applications they are allowed to see. The standard hardware Palm buttons are not active so the kid can't access any of the other programs and create mess.

Once an application from the allowed list is run, it can again take full control of the device and use the hardware buttons as desired. When leaving, though, the only application it can return to is again the Kid Zone.

Parents can assign specific password, which lets them out of the Kid Zone.

Top reasons to let your kids play with your PDA

• It buys you some quiet time when you need it

• It's educational (see Dream Paint, xQuizMe, DJ Miner and many others)

• They find it cool

• There are probably more freeware games for Palm OS than are commercially available for Game Boy

Top reasons NOT TO let your kids play with your PDA

• They can break it - valid concern, you make this call

• Data hazard - not with Kid Zone

Note: By its nature Kid Zone is a security application. The level of protection it provides is only sufficient to keep minors and uneducated users away from the other applications. It shouldn't be trusted as a general-purpose security access application, as it can be worked around by power users. If you need serious data protection, consider data encryption software similar to BeSafe.