Nicole Blades, Author at Cool Mom Tech

The Instagram 7.0 update is practically begging you to travel

Oh, Instagram. Just when we think we couldn’t love you more, you go an pull something like this? Yes, our fave photo social media app just got a really cool update that will help you discover new places and may just revitalize the way your travel this globe....

How to get your kids a free coding education this summer from Microsoft.

by Nicole Blades | Educational Apps For Kids

School’s out (finally). Time to really sink into summer’s sun and fun. But for many parents, summer also means tackling this gnawing question, how are we going to keep these children entertained? Well, for your tech-head kid, we’re happy to...

The smart bulb with a speaker built right in: A bright new trend in mash-up technology.

by Nicole Blades | Smart Appliances

Question: How many Beyoncés does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: As many as you’re in the mood for, because these rad LED light bulbs are also Bluetooth wireless speakers. So basically whatever strikes your fancy when you’re turning them on,...

New Moleskine Timepage app for iPhone is about beauty and brains. We like that combo.

by Nicole Blades | Productivity Apps

First, let’s get this out of the way: There’s an ongoing tomayto-tomahto situation around the correct way to pronounce the popular notebook-maker Moleskine — is it skin or skine? The official response according to the company is, your way is the...

Make a splash this summer with the JBL Charge 2+ portable Bluetooth speaker

by Nicole Blades | Audio

We’ve covered plenty of portable, Bluetooth speakers here at Cool Mom Tech, but I think the brand new JBL Charge 2+ basically blew all the other ones right out of the water. Heh. The JBL Charge 2+ is already getting plenty of use at our house and summer just...

Disney Playmation: The next level wearable tech toy that every kid is going to beg for.

by Nicole Blades | Games + Gaming

If you’re always looking for the newest, coolest toys for your kids, we think you’re going to want to know about the introduction of the wildly cool Disney Playmation this fall, because mamas? This could be a category changer. If it does everything...

The big Apple iOS 9 news: Revamps, upgrades and a sparkling new music streaming service that parents will love

by Nicole Blades | Best Apps

Plenty of coolness was rolled out at Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference this week, and we’re here to share the intel with you that we think parents will care about most. And yeah, non parents too. The biggest news is that Apple iOS 9 is coming this...

Father’s Day Tech Gifts: 4 stylish fitness trackers for men that look great out of the gym, too

by Nicole Blades | Fitness + Health

Wearable fitness tech is super hot right now. (Duh, right?) And with all the rad, new stuff coming down the line, it almost feels as if we’re getting a mini workout just trying to keep up. I especially like these cool, stylish fitness trackers for men that...

2 new cord clutter solutions from Bluelounge help you power up while staying organized

by Nicole Blades | Home Office

Living in these fast tech times means having to pause to power up our devices. It’s just part of the deal, right? And when we’re on the go, this often means searching for a free outlet, sometimes in strange places. But what about when you have more than...

Sound the alarms! The new game-changing Google Photos app is pure fire.

by Nicole Blades | Photo Apps

I am a longtime, shameless, all-things-Apple fan. But that doesn’t mean I don’t tip my hat frequently to cool, non-iOS products. And, when it comes to this new Google Photos app? I’m basically standing up and doing a slow-clap, because the app is...

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.