Sentinel Computers™ Make Study Time Productive

Sentinel Computers are unlike any other personal computer. They help to organize screen life in productive and meaningful ways.

“One very important goal of childhood and young adulthood is to become educated. Young people attend school and study and do homework after class. This is not just to gain content knowledge but to also develop a work ethic and gain critical emotional regulation skills. Excess entertainment screen time is robbing students of the opportunity to gain these skills.

Children and young adults, like all of us, have a need for connection and play and to experience the rewards for daily work. Sentinel Computers by design help reward daily school work and meeting other responsibilities with entertainment time.”

Dr. Kenneth Woog, clinical psychologist, computer engineer, Sentinel Computers co-Founder and StudyStation designer.

Each of the two major modes have their own time limits and parental control settings which limit the types of applications and websites the user can access.

Education & Online Learning Modes are intended to foster academic achievement with productive, distraction free learning in support of both in-person and online education.

Entertainment & Connection Modes StudyStation provide a variety of age appropriate entertainment sources such as the web, video streaming, video gaming, cloud gaming and social media.

StudyStation:
Education Modes + Ergonomics = Academic Productivity

Shown above: Sentinel StudyStation in Study Desktop Mode with Logitech keyboard, mouse, 24” LG high definition display and IPEVO Document Camera/Webcam (peripherals not included).

A StudyStation placed on a suitable desk or table with a full size high-definition video display, quality mouse, keyboard and document camera/webcam will provide an optimal workstation for on-line learning, studying and completing homework.  With the low cost of the StudyStation and these standard peripherals, it can also be very cost effective. The StudyStation is compatible with printers that support remote networked printing such as Brother and Canon.

Making schoolwork time more productive with the right hardware

Sentinel Computers has put a special emphasis on academic productivity. To start, your child can use the system more productively and ergonomically with a full-size keyboard, mouse, full 1080p high definition display and document scanner/webcam (peripherals not included).

No More Multitasking

A quiet workspace free from external distractions, a student will be better able to focus, concentrate and complete their work.

Three Distinct Modes - Study Desktop, Online Learning and Guided Instruction

During Education Modes the StudyStation™ can be used in place of a Chromebook® laptop with access to Google Classroom and online learning/videoconferencing sites such as Zoom®. The StudyStation includes a rich set of applications and capabilities preinstalled including the Google Chromium (Linux version of Chrome) web browser and the full LibreOffice Suite with Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Drawing, Database and Slide Presentation applications compatible with Microsoft Office.

Study Desktop Mode provides a familiar but simplified computer desktop for researching, writing and learning. This mode restricts access to video streaming, gaming and social media sites. This mode also restricts access to the Media Player app so that downloaded videos cannot be watched. Audio can also be globally disabled in this mode if listening to music or podcasts are problematic.

Study Breaks and a Meditation App encourage a user take a helpful break to improve focus and remain on-task for increasingly longer periods of time.

Restricted Content Access allows the user to request, through an automated process, web pages that are ordinarily restricted. This allows parents to preview the requested site before approving.

Online Learning Mode offers a computer desktop similar the Study Desktop with web access only to Google and videoconferencing sites like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Webex. This mode also features the full LibreOffice suite compatible with Microsoft Office. Screen images captured in this mode are blurred for privacy.

Zoom Online Learning Mode is similar to Online Learning Mode except that it is designed and optimized for the Zoom videoconferencing platform. This mode also features the full LibreOffice suite compatible with Microsoft Office. Screen images captured are also blurred for privacy.

Guided Instruction Mode provides a computer desktop with the ability to access a number of curated educational websites and learning platforms for all ages. This mode restricts access to websites and applications (such as videogames, video streaming sites and social media that might be distracting.

Monitoring Can Help Keep Students on Task

Real time monitoring and settings updates allow parents to remotely view time-stamped screen images captured on-demand.

Advanced Features Subscription (free for the first 12 months), Periodic screen images can be captured and users can even be remotely messaged directly on the StudyStation to help encourage on-task work.

Entertainment Time Starts After Schoolwork is Complete

Daily Entertainment Mode Enable feature can prevent entertainment use (i.e. gaming, social media) until the parent specifically enables use for that day (easily done online). Parents can check homework, chores or other responsibilities have been completed before allowing gaming, video watching and social media for that day.

Once schoolwork, chores and other responsibilities are complete then many entertainment options are available. These include:

Standard Entertainment Modes

Entertainment Desktop - Desktop with all the same applications provided in the Study Mode Desktop with the addition of the Media Player App that can play videos, movies and music that has been downloaded. This mode also allows playing undemanding browser based games (HTML5), watching videos (i.e. YouTube) and access to popular Social Media sites (based on user age and parental preferences) in the Chromium browser. Time allowed on Social Media can be set separately from all Entertainment limits.

Media Player - Similar to a streaming device, this mode provides high definition (720p) full-screen media player optimized for media entertainment sites like Disney+, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Twitch.TV and others. Parents have direct control of which major subscription services are available to each user.

Web Arcade Gaming - provides access to hundreds of browser based games including many popular retro games to be played for free. Parental Control settings limit access by age.

XBOX Cloud Gaming - Launches XBOX Cloud Gaming (beta) in the Chromium browser in either standard definition (SD) or high definition (720p HD). This mode requires a Microsoft account and subscription to the Game Pass and Cloud Gaming services to play games. XBOX Game Controller generally required for game play.

Advanced Entertainment Video Gaming Modes

Steam Link Gaming - Allows playing not only Steam Games but most applications with sound from a separate personal computer (Windows or Mac) located in the home and running the Steam App. Note: For demanding action games a moderately high performance gaming system is required.

PS Remote Play Gaming - Play PlayStation PS4/PS5 games through the StudyStation from a Sony PlayStation® 4 or 5 console connected to the same network. PlayStation Game Controller required for game play.

Other Entertainment Modes

Gaming Timer - Provides a convenience use timer matching the limit settings for Entertainment Mode with status shown on the front panel LCD screen. This can be used so a user can “check out” an alternate device (i.e. Nintendo Switch, iPad, smartphone) after logging in and then return it immediately upon logout. Upon login and logout, an email is sent to the Account Owner (parent) and logged. This mode consumes Entertainment Mode time just like any other Entertainment mode and GamePlay+ extensions can be requested during the last 2 minutes of available time. The computer display is blanked to save power and limit double use.

If parents have full access to parental controls for the alternate device, they can enable and disable the device using the device’s parental controls instead.

Supporting Features

Front Panel LCD continuously displays time of day, remaining time for current login, current user and mode, screen capture privacy, remaining memory and CPU temperature. Screen flashing on both LCD and main display provide warnings at 10min 5 minutes and 2 minutes. Front Panel Buttons are used for quick feature selection and volume during logins

Entertainment Mode Login Maximum allows setting limits on any single login so that the user is required to take a screen break before returning to play.

Screen Breaks allow a user to pause their entertainment without using any more of their allowed entertainment time while they are gone. Can be set to mute audio or leave it on during the break.

"just a few more minutes!!"

GamePlay+ extends game play time upon the user's request automatically without requiring parental intervention (i.e. pesky emails) and without the disruption of the game in progress. The number of allowed extensions and the duration of each extension is set in advance. During the last 2 minutes of allowed time, the user presses the front panel button to request the extension. If allowed, the time extends. Once the game has ended, the user will be less likely to start a new game knowing that there will not be enough time. This reduces angry outbursts and potential violence resulting from abrupt, disrupted play. Happy gamers equals happy parents.

no worries

Perhaps the Sentinel Computers greatest benefit is the piece of mind parents have knowing the system can't be operated at times and in ways not allowed. Your child may have been able to outsmart your attempts at parental controls before. Perhaps they learned how to bypass the parental control settings or they even reinstalled the Microsoft Windows Operating System. Perhaps they downloaded content to watch after you shut off the internet. Do you remember when they found where you hid the power cord? You no longer have to play their "Beat the Parents" game. That game is over. The Sentinel does not rely on operating system or software parental controls to enforce limits. A custom, dedicated security hardware and remote servers are constantly monitoring operation setting Sentinel Gaming Systems apart from any other personal computer system in the world. 

Your child's future is at stake. So is your sanity

Your child loves their screen time and perhaps this has come out of balance with other important responsibilities. Excess video game play, social media and mindless video watching puts your child at risk for academic and behavioral problems, social isolation, delays in emotional and physical development, family conflict, sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, repetitive stress injuries and even addiction.  

Keeping it simple for YOU

When adding a user of the StudyStation™, enter their birth month and year, their email address and a password for them to use. Then set the expected use times and limits for each of the two major modes: Education and Entertainment for each day.

Then leave the rest to us.

What web sites and applications your child can access in each of the operating modes is handled automatically. Monitoring your child’s screen time is also made easy with periodic and on-demand screen capture. You set their limits and see that they are productive and staying safe.

Spend time with your child

You may be technically able to manage all the parental controls for all the devices and apps your child might ever want to use, but why would you? Given all the risks, do they really need a smartphone at their age? Enjoy time with your child and don’t play the “Beat the Parents Game”. Life is too short!

Protect your child’s future

The Sentinel Computers StudyStation is the culmination of over 20 years of experience working with parents to set effective limits on screen time and draws upon our award winning and patented technology. This Sentinel Gaming System could be the most valuable purchase you could make to protect your child's future.