by Liz Gumbinner | Gear + Hardware, Internet Safety, Kids, Tips and Tricks
We’ve officially hit the point of full Apple product saturation in our household — and as so many parents in our Out Tech Your Kids community tell us, they have too. So what do you do when you’re all basically on Apple devices, your kid needs a new...
by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks
With the new year here, it’s a good time for a refresher on how to make strong passwords and help keep them safe. With phishing on the rise, ever-present social media hacks, and general security breaches and unsavory shenanigans, it’s just a good idea, and...
by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Kids, Social Media
We’re all talking about “that” Wall Street Journal article about Instagram: Facebook Knows It’s Toxic for Teen Girls. You’re probably talking about it. Or your kids are. I know it’s all we’ve been seeing in our social feeds...
by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks
This week in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook group, we were asked how to prevent a Facebook hack, and specifically, if were any security measures to take that might help. And yes, yes there are! Here, a few really simple tips to help prevent a Facebook hack. They can...
by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks
Have you noticed lately there’s been a huge uptick in text spam? So of course, I want to report it to…someone. Anyone! Turns out it’s so much easier than I had expected. Now when I say text spam, I don’t mean political candidates you’ve...
by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Internet Safety, Kids
With the news last week that Zoom had some big security concerns to patch up, educators of all kinds started seeking out Zoom alternatives for schools and other kinds of remote learning. Especially after the NYC DOE took the big step of forbidding NYC public schools...
by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Internet Safety
If you’ve got a kid on an iPhone or an iPad, this week’s iOS 13.3 update (as well as iPad OS 13.3)has some serious parental controls that we think you’ll be happy to know about. Introducing Communication Limits Starting his week, there’s a new...
by Kristen Chase | Internet Safety
Our team watched this CNN Business video with our jaw dropped when we saw how easily hacker Rachel Tobac was able to get information about journalist Donie O’ Sullivan. Just from looking at his social media, she was able to do everything from get his home...
by Kristen Chase | Internet Safety
With someone who’s got two teens on Instagram, I was pleased to hear that they recently added Restrict, an anti-bullying feature that, as Instagram describes, “allows users to quietly protect their account while still keeping an eye on their bully.”...
by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks
Our social media feeds are blowing up photos from the FaceApp, thanks to the new FaceApp Challenge, but is it safe? If you’e missed the buzz, this hilarious (ish) app lets you upload a photo to the app, then edits it using AI filters so you can see how...
by Kristen Chase | Internet Safety
We know how helpful the Amazon Alexa can be for busy families, and over the years, we’ve shared a ton of helpful skills right here on Cool Mom Tech. From fitness to meal planning, even budgeting, there are no shortage of cool uses for this gadget. But...
by Kristen Chase | Internet Safety
I’ve been a Mac convert for many years now, and one of the big reasons I switched was due to all the Malware issues I was experiencing with my PCs. Macs are safer! You’ve probably heard someone tell you that, right? But if you’re under the impression...