Parents beware: The Siri 911 prank is going around again.
My son just texted me: “Mom, Say 18 to Siri, but then watch your screen.” Sure enough, a countdown for calling 911 pops up. Thankfully, I was watching my screen like he told me to and I was able to stop it. Related: The first thing your child should say...
YouTube slated to launch new web platform for kids. But there’s a catch.
YouTube has come under major scrutiny in the last couple of years with inappropriate videos showing up on their popular YouTube Kids apps, from awful parodies to suicide how-to videos. So according to a recent report, they’ve decided to launch a new web version...
How to set up a family account for your Kindle library. Yay for sharing books!
My daughter and I have the same taste in books, generally, so we love sharing anything good we’ve read lately. That’s typically been much easier to do with hardcopy books than digital ones, but now you can set up a Family Library for your Kindle library....
iPhone trick: Here’s how to hide photos in your iPhone photo gallery
If you’re like me, you’ve gone into your iPhone to show someone a photo, and as you scroll through the thousands of images, you realize you didn’t delete those photos. Yes, you know what I’m talking about (actually, I’m talking about my...
Don’t be that parent! 8 smart parent-teacher communication etiquette tips for the digital age
We’re thrilled to welcome a new monthly columnist, Dr. Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive and Survive in Their Digital World and the founder of Raising Digital Natives, a resource for schools and families wishing to cultivate a climate of...
Why I’m switching from Chrome to Firefox (and how to do it)
I’ve been a longtime Chrome user, but after having some functionality on a few different websites, I’ve decided it might be time to seek other options. And then I did a deep dive into their privacy issues, let’s just say it’s a very good time...
iPhone trick: How to search your photos quickly using multi-keyword search
I currently have just under 12,000 photos on my iPhone. I know, I know, but when you work in social media and have four adorable children, it happens. As you might guess, even with the handy location feature, as well as moments, favorites, and face recognition,...
How to take great photos of your kids? Use this trick my teenager taught me.
A few weeks ago, my teenager asked me to take a few photos of her while we were visiting my son at camp in Washington D.C., but she kept moving through her poses too quickly that all I kept getting were photos of her in motion. Not so great for the ‘gram, Mom!...
Is the FaceApp safe? Read these tips from experts first.
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...
How to fix your sticky new MacBook butterfly keyboard
I’ve written a few times here at Cool Mom Tech about my love-hate relationship with the new MacBook, particularly the butterfly keyboard. It makes typing so incredibly fast and easy, but it gets stuck very easily. And it’s not just me! It’s such a...
15 big new Apple announcements that parents will actually care about: Privacy, organization, photo editing and more
Yesterday, I spent a good two hours live tweeting the bigger Apple announcements at their 2019 developer conference that would be of interest to parents. Like, news about parental controls, photo sharing, and home security? Yes please! News about the 28-core Xeon...NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week
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.
The Spawned Podcast. (It’s won awards and everything!)
At-Home Learning Help
* 14 very cool virtual summer camps for kids
* 8 of our favorite online educational resources
* 10 awesome online STEM camps for kids this summer
* Homeschooling 101: Tips for newbies
* 8 ideas for homeschool schedules that may work for you
* Creative ways to socialize online
* 5 audiobook apps keep us entertained and learning
* The best ways to clean and disinfect your phones and gadgets
* 15 awesome podcasts to keep kids engaged
“Are you guys okay with Facebook Messenger for your kids to stay in touch with friends?”
Parents have questions, we have answers
So they want to get a smartphone…
Work with us!
