Shari, Author at Cool Mom Tech

Try tech before you buy at Gizmo TakeOut. We’re in love!

Imagine a new service which gets you rent the hottest gadgets before you commit to buying. From cool cameras and phones to the latest video game consoles, and even devices like Apple TV or a new tablet if you’re not sure which you want. Well, it exists....

Holy Holga Case, Batman! Or Android users. (Same thing?)

by Shari | Cell Phone Accessories

‘Droiders, rejoice! We were jumping with nerdy photo-taking joy when the Holga iPhone lens made it possible to take Instagram-like photos from your smartphone and whatdya know? Now there’s a Holga for the Samsung Galaxy i9100. Like the iPhone version we...

A Kindle Fire case for every style

by Shari | Laptop + Tablet Cases

If you’re like the tons of people I know who got a new Kindle Fire for themselves (or their kids) over the holidays, then I strongly recommend you put a case on it, like yesterday. Whether you want soft, stylish and low-tech, or a case so durable that it would...

3 cool, free calendar apps for Android users

by Shari | Productivity Apps

If you’re on the hunt for a cool calendar app for your Android smart phone, it can be tough to figure out what’s best in a sea of options. So, I tried a whole lot (see what I do for you?) and narrowed them down to these three options–all of which...

Have yourself a merry little radio app with over 250 Christmas music stations

by Shari | Entertainment

My husband is obsessed with Christmas music. From midnight on Thanksgiving to the wee hours of New Year’s Day, we are a 24/7 Away in a Manger on that O Holy Night with Silver Bells Fa-la-la-ing family. So you should have seen his eyes light up when I told him...

Craft your own Christmas cards on your iPad with help from Martha. Of course.

by Shari | Lifestyle Apps

Procrastinating about holiday cards runs in my blood–my mother used to write her cards the day after Christmas, step on the envelopes to make them look messy, and tell people they must have gotten lost in the mail. (She really did.) So when I had the chance to...

Rhapsody SongMatch gives Shazam a run for its money

by Shari | Audio

Has this ever happened to you? You’re in a mall or restaurant and suddenly you hear a song that’s so catchy that you immediately want to know what it is, who sings it, how you can get it. (By the way, this experience never happens in an elevator). Of...

Raise your ‘Droid coolness quotient with these Galaxy phone cases

by Shari | Cell Phone Accessories

As a ‘Droid user, I’ll admit it, I’ve had my moments when I’ve wished to etch a tiny apple on the back of my phone for some small measure of coolness. The good news is that there are a number of designers who have heard my virtual sighs and...

“If I Ran the Circus,” I’d buy this wonderful Seuss app

by Shari | Educational Apps For Kids

“A wonderful app! It’s better than rap! ‘If I Ran the Circus’ makes me smile like a sap!” Um… sorry. There’s just something about announcing a new Seuss app that forces me to rhyme, albeit badly. We’ve talked at length...

Gimme some ‘droid love: 4 cool speaker docks for Android phones

by Shari | Cell Phone Accessories

I have an Android phone and we ‘droid-ers know the feeling of being left out of the iPhone world with all its cool doodads and whatnots and whozits. (What? Those are the real tech terms). So when there’s cool stuff made just for us–well, we can get a...

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.