Kate Etue, Author at Cool Mom Tech

CuriosityStream gives you thousands of compelling documentaries all in one streaming channel

Documentaries are hot right now. Whether you’re watching President Obama narrate Our Great National Parks with your kids, baking in the schadenfreude of Bad Vegan, or learning about culture and history through movies like What Happened Miss Simone?, it’s...

This app lets you check out library books on your phone. Free. From home. Yes!

by Kate Etue | Best Apps

Lately, a lot of readers have been asking us about apps that let you check out free library books. Or, free e-books to be technical. So here’s the info on a favorite of ours, the hoopla digital app. While I love the feeling of being surrounded by stacks and...

If your kids are gamers, here are 8 tips for raising kids to have good gaming etiquette

by Kate Etue | Games + Gaming, Tips and Tricks

My teenage son and his friends are avid online gamers, so I recently broached the topic of good gaming etiquette for kids and teens with them. “What?” they asked, “You mean like when people tell you to go kill yourself when you mess up?” Ouch. I knew this kind of...

The 3 best digital planners for parents, according to parents with very strong opinions about planners!

by Kate Etue | Back to School Tech, Best Apps, Life and Home

I’m always on a quest for the best digital planner for the school year, because I have developed a very bad habit: Every year I get tempted by the beautiful, fun, old-fashioned paper planners I discover on Etsy or in our local stationery stores. They’re...

Is the Skylight calendar worth the splurge for big, busy families? We tried it.

by Kate Etue | Life and Home

I’m mom to a busy family of six, so when I saw the Skylight Calendar in my Instagram feed my first thought was, “This could change my life.” Here’s the thing: I have a job. I homeschool my kids and teach class at a co-op. My oldest two kids...

We finally found the very best waterproof iPad case for parents and kids

by Kate Etue | Uncategorized

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...

5 home-office gadgets that take your workspace to the next level. (Some, literally.)

by Kate Etue | Life and Home

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...

How to stream the 2020 Tokyo Olympics if you’ve cut the cable cord. (Psst: it’s easy, and cheap.)

by Kate Etue | Entertainment

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...

4 clever tech solutions that turn handwriting into digital text

by Kate Etue | Tips and Tricks

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 smart tips and apps can help minimize distracted teen driving

by Kate Etue | Best Apps

We recently got a question in our Out Tech Your Kids group asking about apps that read texts out loud while you drive, which got me started thinking about some tips and apps to help minimize distracted driving for teens. As parents, we need to think bigger than just...