Image Up Advertising & Design

16 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MAY 2018 By Steve Benoff Child safety is important to most of us. That's why we put our grandchildren in car seats. That's why we caution them not to engage with strangers. But what if your grandchild goes missing? And missing doesn't necessarily mean kidnapped. Children get lost in crowds or get separated from the parents on outings. There's no way to completely protect children from real or potential harm. But there are ways to prepare should such an unwelcomed eventuality occur. One of them is an app every grandparent and parent should have. It's called KidPrint+. The idea of fingerprinting children is not new. For years various organizations have held events where children can have their fingerprints taken. And there is nothing wrong with keeping a printed set in your personal files. But there's a severe limitation to a physical copy of fingerprints. In time of need, how does it get distributed? That's the beauty of KidPrint+. You don't create a piece of paper with fingerprints; you create a .jpg file, the same format used for photographs. With this file, you can email anyone you choose. Here's how KidPrint+ works. At the app store, enter kidprint or kidprint+. Make sure you type in the full name. In my experience, only one app comes up, and that should be KidPrint+. Download and open the app. Upon opening the app you are greeted with four screens describing the app before you get to the last screen which is the sign-in screen. I use Touch ID. Finally you have arrived at the heart of the app. You're given the opportunity to create a profile for yourself, the app owner. Creating your own profile gives you the opportunity to see how the app works. You enter your name and email address. At the bottom of the profile there is room for contact and personal information as well as a box for medical information and other pertinent comments. Now it's time to take your fingerprints. You start by picking a finger. You can start with the left thumb by pressing that finger on the screen. Using the camera in your smartphone you take a picture of your left thumb. It takes a little getting used to, but you'll soon learn to locate your finger so as to fill the outline on the screen. Press the red button to capture the fingerprint. The app automatically advances to the next finger; you can tell which one because the app shows nine green fingers and one red one. You can always select a finger by pressing the forward and back arrows. This way you can review your prints and replace the ones you don't like. Taking your own prints is good practice because it's much easier to take someone else's than your own. A few hints. It's much better to take prints outdoors in natural light. The last thing you want is to do it indoors with the camera's light on. You'll get a washed out mess. Also, fluorescent light makes for bad print pictures. Outdoor prints are much better. Do you use an app you'd like to share with others? Let me know at steve.benoff@verizon.net. THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT! An App To Keep Kids Safe

• Cover