Facebook on Monday announced it would be rolling out a preview of Messenger Kids in the United States, a new parent-controlled app to make it easier for kids to video chat and message with loved ones.

>> On AJC.com: How to keep your kids safe on social media

In a company blog post, Antigone Davis – public policy director and global head of safety at Facebook – wrote that the media site has been working on the product for the past 18 months, working closely with leading child development experts, parents and educators.

Davis named some reasons Facebook decided to create Messenger Kids and why they decided to create it right now.

>> Facebook wants users' nude photos to fight 'revenge porn'

She cited research that shows some 93 percent of U.S. kids ages six to 12 have access to tablets or smartphones — and 66 percent have their own device, often using apps meant for teens and adults.

In a collaboration with the National Parent Teacher Association on a study with more than 1,200 American parents of children under the age of 13, Facebook found three out of every five parents surveyed said their kids under 13 use messaging apps, social media or both, while 81 percent reported their children started using social media between the ages of 8 and 13.

>> On AJC.com: Did you fall for these fake ads? How Russian trolls got into your Facebook feeds

Kids said they want to use the platforms to have fun and connect with family. But safety is a growing concern among parents.

“My concern is safety, getting friend requests from people you don’t know, chatting with people you don’t know, giving out information to strangers,” one parent participant in the National PTA roundtable said.

>> On AJC.com: Georgia high school student in trouble after ‘threatening’ social media image

With the guidance of experts at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Center on Media and Child Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics among others, Facebook developed a set of principles for Messenger Kids:

1. Putting kids first
2. Providing a safe space that fosters joy, humor, play and adventure
3. Enabling kids to mine their own potential by building for empowerment, creativity and expression
4. Helping kids build a sense of self and community
5. Recognizing the relationship between parent and child, and that we take our responsibility and their trust in us seriously.

>> On AJC.com: Google celebrates 50 years of kids coding languages – 5 ways to get your kid engaged

“We created Messenger Kids with the belief that parents are ultimately the best judges of their kids’ technology use, and the parents we’ve spoken to have asked for a better way to control the way their children message,” Davis wrote.

Because research on the long-term effects of screen time and technology on children is still limited, Facebook also announced a $1 million research fund to work with experts to explore the growing concerns.

>> On AJC.com: Study finds best way to control kids’ time online

About the new Messenger Kids app

The Messenger Kids app, aimed at kids ages 6-12, rolled out Monday on iOS in the U.S. An Android version is coming soon.

It’s important to note that kids under 13 are still not allowed to sign up for a Facebook account. Instead, parents can download the app on their child’s iPhone or iPad, create their profile and approve friends and family for their kids to chat with directly from the main Messenger app.

Kids will not show up in Facebook search results, so if a kid wants to chat with a friend, the parent will have to work with the friend’s parent to get them both approved. “This is by far the most clumsy part of Messenger Kids,” TechCrunch reported.

>> Read more trending news

Facebook added special proactive detection safety filters to prevent children from sharing sexual content, nudity or violence. A dedicated support team will work 24/7 to address any flagged issues. Parents won’t be able to spy on their kids’ chats.

To ensure an enjoyable experience, the company created a kid-friendly version of the Giphy GIF sharing engine. Kids can also play around with augmented reality masks and stickers, including fidget spinners and dinosaur AR masks.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook will not be directly monetizing the kids app, but hopes they will become dedicated Facebook users in the future.

More at newsroom.fb.com.

Snow? Check. Breathtaking mountain views? Check. Historical city charm and Instagram-worthy photo ops? Check and check. 

Bern, Switzerland, is the city with the most Instagram posts in the world for the winter season — and it truly has it all.

>> Read more trending news

That’s according to analysts at Focus Clinic, a popular laser eye surgery clinic in the United Kingdom, who gathered the 20 most popular winter travel destinations across the world based on Google search and ranked each by the number of times a city’s hashtag was used on Instagram to determine its popularity on the photo-sharing app.

According to the research, the #bern hashtag has been used more than 1,082,440 times.

A popular destination in the Swiss city is the medieval Old City of Bern, a city center surrounded by the Aare river. Old City is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site with one of Europe’s longest weather-sheltered shopping centers.

The “gateway to the Alps” is also known for its mountain views, many fountains, walkable streets, cafes, museums and colorful weekly markets, according to MySwitzerland.com.

Rounding out the top 10 winter destinations according to Instagram are: Aspen, Colorado; the Northern Lights in Tromso, Norway; Chamonix, France; Yosemite National Park in California; Zermatt, Switzerland; Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming; Bled, Slovenia; Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic and Grindelwald, Switzerland.

>> Explore the full list at focusclinics.com/most-popular-winter-sights

Take a look at some of our favorite Instagram shots of Bern:

4:37 a.m. EST Wednesday: The satellite launch scheduled for this morning was canceled due to upper level winds, according to NASA.

ORIGINAL STORY: NASA, in partnership with the NOAA, will launch a satellite today that will help improve weather forecasts.

>> PREVIOUS STORY: NASA postpones JPSS-1 weather satellite launch

The launch for the JPSS-1 satellite is scheduled for 4:47 a.m. EST, according to NASA.

A live stream of the launch will be available on NASA’s website.

The satellites will help improve NOAA forecasts for the three- to seven-day time frame. The data collected from the JPSS is fed into the numerical forecast models to help improve them. The satellites will also collect atmospheric measurements, ground conditions and ocean conditions like vegetation, hurricane intensity and atmospheric moisture. 

>> Read more trending news 

The JPSS-1 will be launched from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California pending proper flight conditions. The launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was delayed until today.

This satellite is a polar orbiting satellite, which means it will orbit the earth from the one pole to the other passing the equator 14 times a day. Full coverage of the planet will be provided then twice a day.

NASA, in partnership with the NOAA, scrubbed Tuesday’s launch of a weather satellite that will help improve weather forecasts due to a last-minute technical problem.

JPSS-1 is the first of a few polar orbiting satellites to launch from the Joint Polar Satellite System.

>> Read more trending news 

The satellites will help improve NOAA forecasts for the three- to seven-day time frame. The data collected from the JPSS is fed into the numerical forecast models to help improve them. The satellites will also collect atmospheric measurements, ground conditions and ocean conditions like vegetation, hurricane intensity, and atmospheric moisture.

The JPSS-1 was scheduled to be launched around 4:47 a.m. EST from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California. The launch has been postponed until Wednesday.

This satellite is a polar orbiting satellite, which means it will orbit the earth from the one pole to the other passing the equator 14 times a day. Full coverage of the planet will be provided then twice a day.

Facebook is testing out a new system to protect users from "revenge porn."

According to USA Today, the company is asking Australian users to send in nude photos if they are concerned that intimate pictures of themselves may be posted online.

>> Read more trending news

The user can fill out a form and then send the picture to themselves in Messenger.

Facebook then uses image-matching technology to prevent anyone from sharing it, as the company explained in a blog post in April.

The program will be tested next in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, according to the Times of London.

Read more here.

– The Cox Media Group National Content Desk contributed to this report.

Remember 2016, in more innocent times, when everybody walked around for about a month staring at their phones and trying to catch tiny monsters?

>> Read more trending news 

Get ready for the second wave, this time for Harry Potter fans. 

Niantic Labs, the company which created “Pokemon Go,” announced Wednesday it will create an augmented reality game in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive. 

>> On Austin360.com: One of the biggest Harry Potter fan conventions is coming to Texas in 2018

According to an announcement on J.K. Rowling’s website Pottermore, “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” will encourage users to “step outside with your phone, explore your local surroundings and take part in a series of adventures, such as searching for magical creatures and bumping into iconic wizarding world characters along the way.”

>> Read more trending news 

No word yet on an exact release date, but Potter fans have plenty of reasons to feel excited about new updates from the Wizarding World.

Black Friday has arrived early with the release of several Dell ads for a variety of products including gaming, Alienware PCs, monitors and other accessories. 

»RELATED: Black Friday 2017: Costco ad deals on laptops, TVs and more just leaked

The company announced the news this week in a press release, revealing that sales began Wednesday as a part of 48-hour early access promotion that ends Friday.

» RELATED: Black Friday 2017: Dell offers deals today; Kohl’s, JC Penney’s, other ads leaked

Black Friday bargains will then run again as early as Nov. 13 for select customers and last until Nov. 24. Cyber Monday will launch Nov. 27.

>> Read more trending news 

"This year, we are excited more than ever for Black Friday and Cyber Monday," said David Bent, senior vice president, Dell Consumer and Small Business Group. "Our valued customers' technology needs range from person to person and business to business, so we are offering the biggest deals on the most comprehensive selection of innovative products ever."

»RELATED: Black Friday comes early: Amazon launches its Black Friday deals 23 days early

Take a look at a sampling of the savings below:

Dell gaming and Alienware PC deals

• NEW Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming Laptop - $899.99 (Save $100)
• Alienware Aurora Desktop - $799.99 (Save $300)
• Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop - $499.99 (Save $150)

Dell consumer PC and monitor deals

• Dell Inspiron 14 3000 Laptop - $129.99 (Save $120)
• Dell Inspiron Desktop - $379.99 (Save $270)
• Dell 32 Monitor (D3218HN) - $169.99 (Save $180)

Electronics & accessories deals

• Dell Wireless 360 Speaker System (AE715) - $89.99 (Save $60)
• Nest Learning Thermostat - $199 (Save $50)
• LG 65" 4k Smart HDR Ultra HDTV + $150 Dell Promo eGift Card - $799.99 (Save $600)

Here’s evidence Facebook monitors the videos and photos you post: A Washington man is under arrest, suspected of raping a 14-year old girl he met on the social media site.

>> Read more trending news

Thomas Mahoney, 24, of Bothell, appeared by video in a Snohomish County courtroom Wednesday afternoon, hours after being booked into the Snohomish County Jail in Everett on suspicion of child rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

According to Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office documents, Mahoney met a then-13 year old girl on Facebook last year. The social media company contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after noting that one of their subscribers “had engaged in chat with a minor and that the chat content indicated that he had met the minor and engaged in sexual activity.”

The complaint was documented in CyberTips and passed on to local police. Within days, authorities arrested Mahoney. 

In September 2016, “when she was 14 years of age, she met with him in Bothell and they had sex” at his home, according to investigators.

The documents reveal the girl’s family moved out of state, so “Mahoney travelled to California” in May and August of 2017, when he allegedly raped her again.

According to investigators, “Mahoney videotaped” the encounters.

Those videos --and explicit Facebook messages between Mahoney and the girl -- are now evidence.

In court, Judge Tam Bui ordered Mahoney’s bail be set at $150,000 and issued a protection order to keep him away from the girl should he bail out.

“I’m not going to specifically delineate the kinds of contact, whether it be electronic, person, phone; whatever method,” Judge Tam Bui told Mahoney.

“It is no contact.”

Mahoney has no criminal history, and documents reveal the girl at first claimed she was 19 years old.

However, Facebook has turned over to investigators messages where Mahoney allegedly refers to the girl as “this hot little 14 year old” while describing their sexual contact.

Mahoney has not yet been charged.

Apple’s first major iOS 11 update since its September release includes several new emojis, bug fixes and security improvements.

Earlier this month on World Emoji Day, Apple previewed more than two dozen of the new emojis, including a woman in a headscarf and more expressive smileys.

>> Read more trending news

On Tuesday, they’ll finally be available with the iOS 11.1 update.

New emojis include a variety of mythical creatures, such as mermaids, wizards and vampires as well as new activities, including rock climbing and curling.

The emoji closet just got a lot bigger, too, just in time for winter. You’ll now find gloves, a trench coat and a scarf.

Related: 7 hidden iPhone tricks you probably never knew about 

Some other emojis have been redesigned to look more realistic or detailed, such as the bumblebee, snail and whale.

In addition to the new emoji and usual “bug fixes and improvements,” the iOS 11.1 update will feature the return of the 3D Touch option.

Related: Face ID on iPhone X failed in its first public demo, but it may not be its fault

This option allows users to force-press the left edge of the screen and swipe to go to the next app. 

According to TechCrunch, the gesture is more efficient than what users more commonly do: double-press on the home button to swipe for open apps.

A significant bug fix included in the new update solves the KRACK vulnerability issue, which puts many wireless internet users at risk of being hacked.

Users can update an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to iOS 11.1, by going to Settings, General and then tapping on Software Update.

Other iOS 11.1 features, according to Apple, are below:

Photos

• Resolves an issue that could cause some photos to appear blurry.
• Addresses an issue that could cause Live Photo effects to playback slowly.
• Fixes an issue that could cause some photos to not display in the People album when restoring from an iCloud backup.
• Fixes an issue that could impact performance when swiping between screenshots.

Accessibility

• Improves braille support for Grade 2 input.
• Improves VoiceOver access to multipage PDFs.
• Improves VoiceOver rotor actions for announcing incoming notifications.
• Improves VoiceOver rotor actions menu when removing an app from the App Switcher.
• Fixes an issue for some users where alternative keys would not display when using VoiceOver with Touch Typing.
• Fixes an issue where VoiceOver rotor would always return to default action in Mail.
• Fixes an issue where VoiceOver rotor would not delete messages.

Other improvements and fixes

• Adds back support for accessing the app switcher by pressing on edge of display with 3D Touch.
• Fixes an issue that caused cleared Mail notifications to reappear on Lock screen.
• Fixes an issue in enterprise environments that prevented data from being moved between managed apps.
• Fixes an issue with some third-party GPS accessories that caused inaccuracies in location data.
• Resolves an issue where settings for Heart Rate notifications were appearing in Apple Watch app (1st generation).
• Fixes an issue where app icons were not appearing in notifications on Apple Watch.

Longtime President Donald Trump associate Roger Stone was suspended from Twitter on Saturday after lashing out at CNN’s Don Lemon and other members of the press on Friday night, Politico reports.

>> Reports: First charges filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller

>> Donald Trump slams Michael Moore's Broadway show as 'total bomb'; filmmaker fires back

In what appeared to be a response to CNN’s Friday night report that the first charges have been filed in the Russian election meddling investigation, Stone reportedly tweeted a profanity-laden rant about Lemon, calling for the anchor to be mocked and punished. Stone also hurled inflammatory insults in the direction of Jake Tapper and Ana Navarro, reports said.

>> Read more trending news

“I have been informed that I have been suspended for 3 hours and 12 minutes,” Stone told Fox News in a text message. “While I am uncertain why, sometimes the stark truth offends some people. I’ll be baaaaaak.”

The account was still suspended early Sunday.

>> On Rare.us: The JFK documents are out, and the new wrinkles in history are aplenty

A spokesperson for Twitter indicated that the social media platform has policies prohibiting harassment and abuse, including inciting others to harass or abuse. Stone could face permanent suspension under the company’s guidelines.

Stone, who was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in its Russia probe, is a political consultant and longtime informal adviser to Trump and does not work for the White House in any formal capacity.