experiments

Streaming Devices - Kids Meal Mode

Kids Meal Mode is a Fire TV / Android TV experiment that helps children keep eating during screen time with friendly timed bite prompts, parent-confirmed meal completion, and positive early-finish rewards.

The current build targets Fire TV Cube and Android TV streaming devices. It pauses video at a configurable interval, shows a kid-friendly bite prompt, resumes playback, and protects meal-mode exits with a configurable 4-digit parent PIN.

Package: com.kidsmealmode
Current build: 1.0.13 (versionCode 14)
Primary distribution: public APK for personal / family sideload (not Appstore yet)
Status: Phase 1 complete

Public page: https://scalinghuman.ai/apps/streaming-devices-kids-meal-mode

APK download: KidsMealMode-firetv-debug.apk

Project brief · All experiments

Status: Phase 1 complete (family-usable on Fire TV)

Phase 0 delivered a working Fire TV MVP. Phase 1 finished product iteration on real devices: UX polish, parent-gated flows, max meal timer, and a tested streaming-app compatibility matrix.

Working today

Configurable bite interval and pause duration
Parent PIN protected stop / exit / settings / completion flows
Fullscreen bite prompt with reliable resume path on supported apps
Persistent meal-mode indicator (pulsing dot + icon) while active
Early-finish rewards: uninterrupted screen-time timer or piggy-bank credit
Reward thank-you screen; PIN not re-prompted when already authorized on the piggy path
Configurable max meal duration with end-of-meal parent confirmation
Soft TV focus styling for D-pad navigation
Fire-gray square launcher icon tuned for sideload home-row tiles
Local FastAPI / WebSocket server scaffold for upcoming LAN vision validation
Public debug APK for family sideload; full source kept in private implementation repositories

Source & distribution

APK: public (links above) for personal / family Fire TV sideload.
Source code: private. This page tracks product status and compatibility only.

Roadmap

Phase 1 - Fire TV Product Iteration ✅ Complete

Family-usable Fire TV build with parent-gated flows, UX polish, max meal timer, and an honest streaming compatibility matrix (see above).

Phase 2 - Local Vision Validation on LAN

Validate a local vision model on the home network. The Fire TV app remains the overlay and media-control client; a LAN server handles bite detection over WebSocket. Timer mode remains the fallback. Camera frames and inference stay local.

Phase 3 - Private Distribution

Versioned APK builds for friends and family with Android-based Fire TVs. Short install guide, changelogs, known issues, and clear unsupported-app expectations (Netflix, Paramount+).

Phase 4 - Fire TV Appstore (optional / hard)

Only if a review-safe product shape emerges (likely without overlay + cross-app media control, or with strong justification).

Phase 5 - Google Play for Android

Android TV / Google TV first, then tablets and phones if the product shape fits.

Phase 6 - Apple Platform Exploration

iPadOS / iOS / tvOS later: more likely companion, camera, or parent-dashboard roles than a direct Fire TV overlay port.

Cross-Phase Principles

Parent control always wins.
Keep kid-facing flows positive, simple, and hard to accidentally exit.
Keep vision local-first and privacy-preserving.
Do not claim streaming-app support until tested.
Do not reintroduce accessibility automation unless it becomes reliable and policy-safe.
Prefer honest sideload distribution over a compromised store build.

Notes

Designed for parent-supervised mealtimes.
AI validation (when added) is assistive and does not replace parent judgment.
Camera and vision work should prefer local-network / local-processing paths.

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