About
Sentinel Computers LLC
As parental controls were primitive in the early 2000s and in an attempt to provide support to parents struggling with limit setting while treating videogame addiction, Dr. Woog chose to develop, with son Timothy a hardware device that could work independently of the operating system to help set limits. In 2005 they released the PC Moderator. This small hardware device attached to personal computers to allow monitoring and limiting of computer use during treatment. Approximately 1000 units were produced and it earned PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award in 2006. For many using the PC Moderator, improvement was seen in the absence of ongoing psychotherapy.
Sentinel Gaming Systems
By 2012 personal computer designs adopted the HDMI video standard which rendered the PC Moderator obsolete. The only solution was a standalone computer built with PC Moderator features. This author partnered again with son Timothy to form Sentinel Gaming Systems to design and build Windows® gaming systems incorporating many of the same features of the PC Moderator. The key features included robust hardware enforced use limits, remote screen monitoring and two distinct operating mode: Study and Gaming. Study Mode restricted access to gaming by dramatically restricting the video refresh rate.
The first model, the Sentinel Pro Mk Series a high performance gaming system with discrete graphics was released in 2015. It was available in a range of models and utilizing Intel CPUs and NVidia Discrete Graphics cards.
The smaller, less expensive Sentinel Mini was released in 2021 providing entry level gaming performance. Both models have been used exclusively by the Computer Addiction Treatment Program in Southern California.
Sentinel Computers LLC
Sentinel Gaming Systems LLC was renamed Sentinel Computers LLC in 2024 and its mission was expanded to provide computer systems to the general public designed to prevent problematic and addictive screen use. The first of the new consumer-direct products, the Sentinel LaunchPad was introduced in May of 2025.
Product offerings will continue to focus on child safety and wellbeing with features supporting academics and guided instruction, exploration of hobbies, interests and potential careers along with a wide range of safe entertainment options. For the first time in the company's history products will be marketed and sold directly to the public. These products will help parents keep their children safe through age-based multi-layered limiting and monitoring that is strict yet simpler for parents to operate. Unique to these products, parent support and coaching will be available through a partnership with the Computer Addiction Treatment Program.
Kenneth Woog, BSEEE, PsyD, MBA
Dr. Kenneth Woog founded LNW Research, one of the earliest personal computer companies with his two college roommates in 1978. After LNW, Dr. Woog founded several computer hardware and software companies and in the late 1990s decided to take time to study how human psychology can inform computer design. But after the first MA in Psychology, Dr. Woog’s interests had turned clinical. While completing his pre-doc internship in 2002, Dr. Woog was referred, coincidentally, two teens struggling with video game addiction. Working with these two clients resulted in a change of his choice of dissertation to “A Survey of Mental Health Professionals Clinical Exposure to Problematic Computer Use”. Dr. Woog earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2004, became licensed as a psychologist and by 2007 made video game addiction treatment his sole specialization founding the Computer Gaming Addiction Treatment Clinic.
Dr. Woog’s work has now come full circle. There is significant evidence that today’s screen devices and delivered content are not safe for children and the United States is experiencing a mental health crisis among youth as a result. While Dr. Woog continues to treat screen addiction, more of his time and energy has gone to prevention by leading the development of a new generation of personal computers, informed by behavioral. social, developmental and clinical psychology that are safe and enriching for children and vulnerable populations. Dr. Woog teaches and speaks publicly on technology addiction and has appeared on national television and film documentaries. He is also a clinical psychology training instructor and supervisor with Pepperdine University in Irvine California.
Timothy Woog, BS ISC
Timothy Woog is a senior software developer and holds a BS in Information and Computer Science from University of California, Irvine. Timothy has significant software development experience in imbedded microcontroller software, mobile, desktop and client and server web based application programming. In 2005 he developed the software for the award winning PC Moderator™ which was the predecessor to Sentinel Gaming Systems. Timothy cofounded Sentinel Gaming Systems in 2015 and has been the chief architect and developer of the critical software systems utilized by the company. He holds two patents related to the technology used by Sentinel Computers.
PC Moderator 2005
A novel feature of the PC Moderator was the ability to cut the blue signal to the display by 90% at a preset time in order to reduce the impact of blue light from the display at night.
Sentinel Pro Series 2015
Sentinel Mini Series 2021
