15/04/2025

LYFE TUESDAY | APR 15, 2025

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Younger users may soon have access to AI chatbot G OOGLE could soon extend access to its Gemini generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to o Children could use Google’s Gemini to assist with school work, create stories

It remains to be seen when and how Gemini’s child-friendly mode will

be deployed. – PEXELSPIC

children. Currently reserved for users over the age of 13, Gemini is reportedly being adapted to meet the needs of younger users. Today, users must be at least 13 years old to use Gemini with a personal account. However, it is possible that younger children could soon be able to access a more age-appropriate version of Google’s generative AI chatbot. In fact, by analysing the code of the Google app for Android, the Android Authority website has discovered several occurrences referencing “kid

users”. The appearance of these references suggests a “Gemini for Kids” project could be under development, even if it has not yet been made official by Google. According to initial analysis of these lines of code, this version of Gemini would enable users to ask practical questions, get help with schoolwork and even create stories. Above all, this kind of tool should incorporate enhanced security measures, with numerous filters

ensuring no objectionable content can be made available. It should be noted Gemini currently offers “stricter content rules and default protections” for teenagers, from 13 to 18 years of age. It remains to be seen when and how Gemini’s child-friendly mode will be deployed, at a time when authorities are moving to restrict children’s access to certain online services, notably social networks. – ETX Studio

Child-safe coin lithium battery launches in Malaysia ENERGIZER Malaysia has

Meta is expanding the restrictions in the coming months to stop teens from going live or turning off protections for unwanted images in direct messages on

It helps to prevent the risk coin lithium batteries pose to children by combining these three key safety features: • Child-resistant packaging Provides security to help prevent children from accessing the batteries in the package. • Non-toxic bitter coating A bitter taste for better safety, Energizer’s coin lithium batteries include a non-toxic bitter coating on the cell that discourages ingestion. • New colour alert technology The new colour alert technology activates once the battery interacts with saliva, visibly dying the mouth blue in just seconds to alert caregivers so they can seek medical attention faster, as needed. Energizer’s latest release embraces the power of technology to prioritise children’s safety. The 3-in-1 Child Shield technology will be rolled out across the Energizer Ultimate Lithium Coin Battery range and will be available in leading supermarkets and online.

introduced the world’s first and only coin lithium battery equipped with three levels of child-protection technology to Malaysia, bringing a new level of safety to homes. Making homes safe for children is a priority, yet some dangers are well-hidden in everyday spaces, such as small batteries found in household items, but how much harm can something as tiny as a battery really cause? According to a case report in Malaysia, severe injuries can occur due to delayed diagnosis, as most emergency department patients who have ingested a battery show no symptoms or only vague and non-specific signs. The 3-in-1 Child Shield safety system from Energizer is available across its 2032, 2025 and 2016 Ultimate Lithium Coin Battery range and has been designed as an option for those seeking to safeguard their homes.

their own. – AFPPIC

Meta to introduce teen accounts for Facebook going live or turning off protections for unwanted images in direct messages on their own. “Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger will offer similar, automatic protections to limit inappropriate content and after an hour. Users can only be messaged by people they follow or are already connected to. META announced earlier this month that it is extending its teen accounts to its social network Facebook, after recently introducing restrictions on Instagram.

Adolescent use of social networks has prompted concern in recent years, notably about the amount of screentime and lack of moderation on some platforms. In November last year, Australia’s parliament voted in favour of a ban on under 16s from using social networks. TikTok recently launched a function in the European Union allowing parents to limit the amount of time that teenagers spend on the app. – AFP include other hazardous substances such as endocrine disruptors, which interfere with the body’s hormone system. “The new Toy Safety Regulation sends out a strong signal – for the protection of our children, fair competition and for Europe as a business location,” said Marion Walsmann, the German EU lawmaker who spearheaded the text in the European Parliament. One in five products labelled as dangerous and removed from the market by the EU was a toy, said Walsmann. The text will only become law once it is formally adopted by EU states and parliament. – AFP

The accounts were brought in for 13 to 15 years old users of the company’s popular photo-sharing app last September as part of moves to shield vulnerable underage internet users from online harms. Teens are immediately placed in such accounts, with those under 16 unable to change settings without parental permission. In a statement, Meta said it is expanding the restrictions in the coming months to stop teens from

unwanted contact, as well as ways to ensure teens’ time is well spent,” it added. The accounts will initially be available in US, Britain, Australia and Canada, then other countries at a later date. At least 54 million teenagers currently have a teen account, which also limits overnight notifications and have reminders to leave the app

EU agrees ban on harmful chemicals in toys EUROPEAN Union (EU) countries and lawmakers struck a deal last Thursday to protect children from harmful chemicals, especially ones that disrupt growth hormones, in toys. rotating EU presidency. The agreed text introduces a limited ban on “forever chemicals” (known as PFAS) only providing for exemptions when the chemicals are fully inaccessible to children.

Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU’s 27 states agreed to strengthen rules on imported toys and those made in the bloc. “While the EU’s toy safety rules are among the strictest in the world, we must remain vigilant, adapt the rules to emerging risks and ensure safety standards are met for all toys – whether made in Europe or abroad,” said Krzysztof Paszyk, technology minister of Poland, which holds the

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a family of synthetic chemicals that take an extremely long time to break down. Chronic exposure to even low levels of the chemicals has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birth weights and several kinds of cancer. Representatives also agreed to expand the ban on chemicals to

Energizer 2032 Ultimate Lithium Batteries two-pack is sold at RM15.90.