Piquing Our Geek: Facial recognition technology goes from the military to your own smartphone
Eye scanning and facial recognition technology seems like something you only see in classic Schwarzzeneger and Tom Cruise movies. But with the introduction of HoyosID, at CES 2014, going all Mission Impossible with our phones is in our grasp now. Which means it will...
The Barbie Plastic Surgery App and the other worst apps for kids on iTunes from Corina Rodriguez
This week, parents–and anyone else with an iota of common sense–expressed outrage over the discovery of the Barbie Plastic Surgery App, whose name was soon changed to Barbara for legal reasons. As for ethical changes? Not so much. The app, rated for kids...
Aaaand the Snapchat copycat apps are here with the Selfie.im App
As if we haven’t already learned that everything lasts for ever, even a selfie on Snapchat, another app developer is pushing boundaries with a copycat version though this one gives the user a little more control. Presumably. If you have kids on social media this...
Tech talk with kids: The new sex talk
If you hadn’t already figure it out, we here at Cool Mom Tech are huge advocates of talking to your kids about technology early and often, and that’s exactly what our Editor Kristen told the Christian Science Monitor for their cover story on Parenting the...
What is SnapHack? It’s the reason we warned parents about Snapchat.
Just a few weeks ago, we featured four apps kids are using that parents should know about, and noted that SnapChat was decreasing in popularity–which gives us a small sigh of relief. But with a brand new app release this week, we’re thinking kids might...
4 apps kids are using that parents really should know about
Parenting tweens and teens is challenging enough, but the prevalence of tech in most kids’ lives makes it that much more important for parents to try and stay one step ahead. Where safe internet browsing was once our biggest concern, now smart phones and social...
How to talk to teens and tweens about smart tech use and safety
Just about every day, I have a moment where I’m grateful social media wasn’t around when I was a teen or pre-teen. Don’t get me wrong; technology is a major positive in my life and in my kids’ lives. But it’s also kind of scary to think...
How to make your tablet safe for kids
If you have recently upgraded to a new tablet and want to hand off the older model to your lucky kids, there are a couple safety measures we recommend you put into place to make your tablets safe for kids. Even the older models are still valuable (coming from someone...
Safe search engines for kids? Reader Q+A
What’s the best search engine for kids, in your experience? -via Twitter Keeping kids safe online should be a huge priority for parents. When it comes to kid-safe search, there are actually a lot of good options out there. Since you didn’t specify what age...
A safe kids’ browser for tablets? Reader Q + A.
Is there a safe kids’ browser that I can put on my iPad or phone for my son? Or do I have to just find a way to block sites on Safari somehow? Thanks! -Ellen K Ellen, we get the need for a safe kids browser for your devices! We also understand the perils of...
Everything you need to know about Facebook’s new Graph Search
With all these Facebook updates coming in rapid succession, including ones to my beloved Instagram app, it can be hard to keep up with all the changes. So when we heard about the new Graph Search announced just yesterday, we had our fingers crossed that it would be...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz
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.
NEW For 2019!
The Yes Brain, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson : August 13
How to Break Up with Your Phone, by Christine Price
The New Childhood, by Jordan Shapiro
How to Be a Happier Parent by KJ Dell'Antonia
Raising Empowered Daughters by Mike Adamick
Radical Kindness by Angela Santomero
Our Podcast
NEW: Answers to Parents’ Top Tech Questions
“My kid wants Snapchat. We would need to lie about his age. So are parents doing that? “
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