Kate Etue, Author at Cool Mom Tech

Why the notOK app is crucial for teens (and adults) struggling with depression

Have you ever typed up a message to a friend, asking them to send some good vibes your way because you’re really struggling at the moment, only to delete it before sending? (Hand raised!) I don’t know if it’s the fear of vulnerability that holds me...

3 high-tech gadgets to help keep you cool without the A/C

by Kate Etue | Smart Appliances

We’ve been experiencing record temps this summer, even for us down in already-toasty Nashville. So anything to make us more comfortable is welcome these days! Sound familiar to you too? So when we spotted these 3 smart, high-tech solutions to help keep us cool...

What parents need to know about the new Amazon Teen shopping program

by Kate Etue | Websites Worth a Bookmark

Perhaps you’ve heard about the Amazon Teen shopping program, in which parents can set up an Amazon login for your teens to shop on their own. It includes lots of safeguards to make sure kids don’t spend more than you want them to, but is it a good idea? Or...

Blue light filtering glasses: The one back-to-school item you probably haven’t thought to buy. Yet.

by Kate Etue | Tips and Tricks

If you’re like us, you’re deep into back-to-school shopping, but there’s probably one purchase you might not have thought of yet: children’s blue-light filtering glasses. Blue light from our computers, iPads, and every other device we have...

2 awesome new Cubetto accessories we’re geeking out about.

by Kate Etue | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Of all the STEM coding toys that have come through our door, our favorite has been Cubetto. Maybe it’s the heirloom quality of the robot’s square wooden housing, with a personable little smile on the front. Or the fact that they don’t have to steal...

Where to play all your favorite classic video games from childhood, for free!

by Kate Etue | Websites Worth a Bookmark

Warning: you’re about to seriously waste some time reliving your childhood. We’ve found the motherlode of retro computer games thanks to Classic Reload. They’ve collected and preserved more than 5,000 classic video games for future generations to...

Yes, it’s true. Amazon’s Alexa has been recording your conversations.

by Kate Etue | Tips and Tricks

So, we were all a little freaked out about the story that an Amazon Echo had recorded a private conversation in a user’s home, then sent that conversation to someone else. Because, oof. Beyond embarrassing, this is a major privacy breakdown on Alexa’s...

Add some positivity into your news feed with the Womaze app

by Kate Etue | Lifestyle Apps

If your social media feeds are like mine, they’re no longer places for me to find out what’s going on with my friends and distant family. Instead, they’re oftentimes the source of stress and anxiety for me, given the constant influx of sad news and...

The Pop Ups kill it with their new synth pop album Giants of Science.

by Kate Etue | Kids Music

Brooklyn-based kindie music geniuses The Pop Ups’s new album is out today, and (thanks to a sneak-preview) my kids are already hooked. To be honest, I am too. If you’re new to the kid-music scene, you might recognize The Pop Ups‘s psychedelic...

Carmen Sandiego meets Cooking Mama, in this cool cooking game for kids

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps for Kids

News flash: our kids love video games. But they also love to help cook in the kitchen. So when we saw that the new Issa’s Edible Adventures app teaches them to cook virtually and IRL, we knew we had to try it out. It’s part Carmen Sandiego, traveling the...

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.

We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.

We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.

(Answer: It's complicated.)

We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.