Tech Toys and Random Fun Archives | Page 16 of 19

The 21st century answer to the mix tape

by Eva Glettner | Tech Toys and Random Fun

I love mix tapes. When I was younger, I owned one of those super cool boom boxes with two cassette decks for optimum recording prowess. I would painstakingly plan out each song based on theme, and then make sure that there was just enough time between songs. It took...

This interactive IKEA catalog is one you’ll never want to recycle.

by Jeana | Tech Toys and Random Fun

There are certain catalogs I get that go directly from the mailbox to the recycling bin, and a very few that I actually take the time to look through. The IKEA catalog is one of them. However now that they’ve taken an amazing interactive leap with their new...

Piquing Our Geek – tShirtOS programmable t-shirt

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech Toys and Random Fun

I’m pretty familiar with the saying about wearing your heart on your sleeve, but with this new line of t-shirts, we might have a new one that’s very 2012: Wearing your tweet on your chest. The tShirtOS programmable t-shirt will actually allow you to...

The Boogie Board writing tablet is a tree’s best friend

by Christina Refford | Tech Toys and Random Fun

As soon as my kids were old enough to hold a crayon, I started apologizing to the trees. Wow, they run through a ream of paper in no time at all with all their pictures, notes, and stories. And while I appreciate their creativity, I also appreciate a smart little...

Getting your Tim Burton on with stop motion

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech Toys and Random Fun

As much as we love all the popular apps and filters that give any old iPhoneographer more professional results, it’s kind of great to see that those cheats (let’s be honest) are also getting more and more people excited about learning classic photography...

What time is it? Half past Artoo.

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech Toys and Random Fun

If you’ve got a kid with a big love for gadgets, Star Wars, and having cooler things than other kids in the class, we think we’ve found the perfect thing. The R2-D2 watch is no mere digital wristwatch, it’s got radio control powers too, that can be...

Lomocams with St. Tropez style

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech Toys and Random Fun

If you’re a lomography fan, or just looking for a super cool hostess gift for a friend who’s generous with her beach house, this new camera is so neat. The St. Tropez edition of the La Sardina Camera makes me feel elegant just trilling the r’s in the...

The stylish stylus

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech Toys and Random Fun

I admit when I hear the word stylus, I still think of that awful little black toothpick-y thing that came with my very first Palm Pilot. Now, it’s so exciting that they’ve become stylish, comfortable to hold, and more importantly, harder to lose. SpunPens...

Putting other hula hoops to sad, dark, dismal shame

by Liz Gumbinner | Tech Toys and Random Fun

File this one under “for the kid who has everything” — unbelievably, outrageously, way super cool LED hula hoops. If it weren’t for the splurgey price, I’d snatch up a few of these rechargeable LED hula hoops immediately. Should you need...

Darth Vader and Son – The perfect book for a Happy Vader’s Day

by Delilah S. Dawson | Tech Toys and Random Fun

The geek world’s most tragic father-son relationship has now been channeled into the funniest book I’ve read this year. If you follow our sister site, Cool Mom Picks, you might have even noticed it in our recommendations of Father’s Day gifts for...

SwipeTie — It’s a tie! It’s a gadget cleaner!

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Not every dad is going to want a tie for Father’s day, traditional though it may be. But when you see what this tie actually does, then you’ll understand why I think it might just be the ultimate Father’s Day gift for the geek dad in your life. ...

Toys ‘R Us uses QR codes to help digital parents shop

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech Toys and Random Fun

‘Tis the season to purchase baby pools, slides, and sandboxes– oh my–but it can be hard knowing exactly which one will work best in your backyard space. So how smart of Toys ‘R Us to use the technology of QR codes to make shopping for big...

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.