44 cool things you can do with the Amazon Echo: From productive time-savers to just plain fun.
I received an Amazon Echo for Christmas a few years ago, and I have to admit at first I was a little skeptical. What is all the buzz about anyway and what can I actually do with an Amazon Echo? I wasn't sure it could really do more for me than Siri or my phone, but...
7 elegant cord management solutions to help tame tangles and tidy your workspace
Taming cords is one of my own top tech challenges, even as tech becomes increasingly cordless. So I'm always on the lookout for new ways to get my home office desk more organized and keep tangles at bay. Despite what design magazines tend to portray in their perfect...
Alexa, surround me in the glory of Billie Eilish
If you've ever said, "Alexa, play When the Party's Over" then you'll be thrilled that Amazon has just announced the launch of the Billie Eilish special edition Amazon Echo Studio and it's pretty darn cool if you're a super-fan. Remember back in the dark ages, when we...
There’s an official Among Us costume out for Halloween. Sus! Sus!
When your teen takes the time to text you the news about InnerSloth's official Among Us costume for Halloween this year, you know that the party game that got millions of kids through the worst of the pandemic last year is only growing in power. Kind of like a player...
What my teen daughter had to say about THAT article about Instagram and body image
We're all talking about "that" Wall Street Journal article about Instagram: Facebook Knows It's Toxic for Teen Girls. You're probably talking about it. Or your kids are. I know it's all we've been seeing in our social feeds this week around here, and easily 15 people...
These 4 excellent mindfulness podcasts for kids help soothe the scaries of the world
I am so grateful for these terrific mindfulness podcasts for kids.I know I'm not the only one seeing increased anxiety levels in my kids since COVID turned their worlds -- and ours -- upside down. So all the resources I can find to help my kids cope are so valuable to...
I’m getting better sleep thanks to this app. Which you may not even think of as a sleep app.
It's been a while since we shared our favorite apps to help you get better sleep. So long, that our last post about favorite sleep apps seems to include apps all recently acquired by mattress companies. Hm. I did recently write about my favorite iOS tip for helping me...
The Dinner Party is an outstanding resource if you’re dealing with loss and grief
This week, a wonderfully human, poignant video from husband-wife team Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody went viral. Perhaps you've seen it? They used the platform to respond to a Princess Bride fan named Amanda Webb (@Alaska_Webb), a young woman who had recently lost...
10 of the best math apps for middle school that make learning fun.
As a former homeschooling parent, I am a huge fan of math apps for middle school -- and for tweens and teens whatever their grade level. I used to say that I was okay teaching math until around 3rd or 4th grade, and then I needed some help explaining certain topics to...
10 terrific reading apps for kids in middle school and high school | Back to School Tech
Sometimes we think of reading apps as for little kids, but reading apps for kids in middle school and high school can be extremely helpful. Whether your kids are voracious readers or a bit more reluctant to get lost in a book when there are video games to be played...
5 ergonomic laptop accessories you should consider for your work and study set-ups
As someone who now regularly attends physical therapy, let me be the first to advise you about the importance of ergonomic laptop accessories: So important! Given how much time we all spend on our computers these days, it really pays in the long-term to have a...
Claim your cord with these brilliant personalized cord tags
The upside of my family existing in the Apple device ecosystem together is that we can all share cords and cables. The downside? We can all share cords and cables. So I was thrilled to come across these personalized cord tags from Delightful Luna on Etsy. They let you...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way!) Easier
44 cool things you can do with the Amazon Echo: From productive time-savers to just plain fun.
I received an Amazon Echo for Christmas a few years ago, and I have to admit at first I was a little skeptical. What is all the buzz about anyway and what can I actually do with an Amazon Echo? I wasn't sure it could really do more for me than Siri or my phone, but...
10 of the best summer tech posts on Cool Mom Tech right now
As we mentioned on Cool Mom Picks, our team is off on a little break this week. Don't we all need one these days? (The answer is yes. Yes we do.) But hey, before we took off, we wanted to put together some of our very favorite summer tech posts -- which also happen to...
4 clever tech solutions that turn handwriting into digital text
We recently had a mom reach out on our Out Tech Your Kids group on Facebook, asking for the best tech to help turn handwriting into text. Like so many kids today, her daughter is using her finger to write on a school issued iPad, and the messy handwriting is causing...
6 of the best affordable headphones for students, from kids to teens.
We spent the past year evaluating the best headphones for students who are remote learning. While this fall, plenty of kids are headed back to school in person, we know that some will still be staying home, some will be doing hybrid learning, and with the pandemic...
10 of the best summer tech posts on Cool Mom Tech right now
As we mentioned on Cool Mom Picks, our team is off on a little break this week. Don't we all need one these days? (The answer is yes. Yes we do.) But hey, before we took off, we wanted to put together some of our very favorite summer tech posts -- which also happen to...
We finally found the very best waterproof iPad case for parents and kids
I've been on a search for the best waterproof iPad case, and after a long hunt I've found it! Or at least I hopeI have. So, of course, I had to share it here. Most parents want protective, waterproof iPad cases to protect against spills or accidents at home or to give...
This app actually scans your kids’ LEGOs, then lets them know what they can build with them. Whoa.
My son is all about LEGO these days, which is why I was intrigued when I heard about Brikit, a new iPhone app that takes stock of the LEGOs you have and makes suggestions -- complete with instructions -- on what to build. Turns out, it's a gamechanger! I love this app...
Free download: 30 creative activities for kids that blend off-screen summer fun with just enough tech.
I know, I know, the last thing parents want our kids to do this summer is spend all day watching YouTube videos or playing more Minecraft. I just hope my kids can find a little more balance with screen time this summer, and that whatever screen time they do have can...
5 home-office gadgets that take your workspace to the next level. (Some, literally.)
I've been a work-from-home mom long before the pandemic was a thing, but it usually translated to "work from cafe" or "work from library" mom. But, I have to say, I'm kind of happy that this past year has created the new habit of actually working from my home and I'm...
6 of my favorite TikTok parenting experts. Yes, TikTok. It’s not just choreographed dances.
Like a lot of elder millennials, I resisted TikTok for a while. After all, why would I want to watch videos of toddlers spilling drinks when I can just look across my kitchen table? Sorry, Yeet Baby. But the more I delved into it, the more I realized TikTok is...
How to stream the 2020 Tokyo Olympics if you’ve cut the cable cord. (Psst: it’s easy, and cheap.)
This year, we want to stream the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but of course, we happened to have cut our cable cord years ago. Instead, we rely on several streaming services — mainly Netflix, the free HBOMax subscription that came with our phone plan, and our beloved Apple...
A cool new trick to help kids practice their reading this summer
Do you have a kid who needs some extra reading practice this summer? Then you'll definitely want to check out Sidekick, a new offering that's part of the Amazon Kids+ subscription (previously FreeTime) that's designed to help kids practice their reading skills. Or for...
Can you identify all 22 of the new Olympic-ready Apple Watch bands?
Just in time for this summer's long-awaited 2020 Tokyo Olympics -- yes, they're still calling it that -- leave it to Apple to create the accessory to match. They're out today with 22 new, limited-edition International Sport Loop Collection watch bands, each one...
4 clever tech solutions that turn handwriting into digital text
We recently had a mom reach out on our Out Tech Your Kids group on Facebook, asking for the best tech to help turn handwriting into text. Like so many kids today, her daughter is using her finger to write on a school issued iPad, and the messy handwriting is causing...
These noise-cancelling headphones are so good, I’ve waited a whole year for the Prime Day sale on them
Last Amazon Prime Day, my partner bought an outstanding pair of Sony Noise Cancelling headphones, which are by many accounts the best best noise-cancelling headphones of 2021. He has not stopped raving about them for an entire year, and for an avowed tech geek and...