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iPhone Apps Costing Some Parents Big Bucks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Parents are being shocked by big iTunes bills, racked up by their kids in games such as "The Smurfs' Village" and "Bakery Story" on the iPhone and other Apple devices.

The kids buy "Smurfberries" and other items that speed up play, without realizing they cost real money.

Normally, purchases require a password. But once it's been entered, there are no new password requests for 15 minutes. Some parents say they can make password-free purchases more than 15 minutes after the last entry.

However, parents can enable restrictions on their devices, including disabling in-app purchases.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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