Have yourself a merry little radio app with over 250 Christmas music stations
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 about...
An app that does more than let you make to-do lists: It won’t let you forget them.
In the rush of the holidays, this past month I have 1) gone to the store with a specific item in mind and have left the store without said item; and 2) gone to the store and have completely forgotten why I went in the first place. Yes, I'm going to blame it on the...
Free Star Wars gift tags you can print with your own droid
I think you're not actually supposed to accept candy canes from Dark Lords of the Sith. But maybe it's okay if he's your dad? In which case we think these free, printable Star Wars gift tags are cuter than a bucket of Ewoks. The author/illustrator/geek dad behind the...
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree with Santa Rockstar (really)
The stockings are hung, the gifts are (mostly) bought, and now I'll spend the next few days checking my list--twice--to make sure we're ready for the big day. Oh, and I'll be rocking out to this new app that takes my mind off of all I have to do in the most fun way....
5 of our favorite techie pins on Pinterest this week: Last minute holiday gifts!
Looking for last minute holiday gifts? Don't miss our Pinterest boards, where we've got a bunch all ready for the picking. Or shopping. 1. If only this geeky necklace actually applied to life, and not just stuff on our computer screens. 2. A genius way to listen to...
Internet filters for tablets? Reader Q+A
My pre-teen wants an iPad or Kindle Fire for Christmas. Are there good Internet filters available for these devices? -Karen Hi Karen, great question! Yes, with kids bogarting our tablets and quite a few getting one for the holiday, we think it's super important that...
The very best Christmas movies, says everyone at Cool Mom Tech
Before kids, we looked forward to spending our Christmas holidays catching up on every Oscar-contender in the theater. Now though? We're more likely to stay home and watch the Christmas classics, or sharing our own childhood favorites with the next generation. We've...
A sunnier desk, even in winter
I'm feeling the need for a little sunshine and happiness right now, both emotionally and physically. And hey, sometimes your mood starts with your surroundings so when I saw this desk lamp at CB2 I perked right up. How could you resist this atomic yellow table...
A fun little DIY online holiday card that’s perfect for wasting a little time you don’t have
I became obsessed with the Wurm Junior app recently because there's something sort of cathartic about randomly drawing squiggles all over a page and seeing what comes out. Now a company has put together a fun little web page that lets you do the same, only over your...
A personalized Santa video for kids with a Portable North Pole that’s really, truly portable
I've been surprising my kids with personalized Santa videos since before they knew holidays equaled presents. It's so satisfying to watch their faces light up when Santa says their name, and knows key details about their lives, with photos to prove it. When we first...
Is the new PicMonkey Royale worth the monthly fee?
I'm a huge fan of PicMonkey, which is how I've created everything from fun holiday themed photos to cool photo collages, as well as using it simply to edit some of my favorite photos. Now, on top of their basic free service, they've launched a new monthly membership...
Picture perfect cookies
What do you get the person who is always behind the camera--but maybe you're not about to shell out for a new $400 lens? Here's one awesome idea. I am just loving these camera cookie cutters from Photojojo (kind of like we love everything there). But these aren't just...
Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way!) Easier
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Touchscreen gloves that don’t look like touchscreen gloves. Score!
I've yet to actually purchase a pair of touchscreen gloves. And no, it's not because I live in the Deep South. I'll admit that a lot of them look a little too obvious to me, even if some touchscreen gloves have gotten more attractive. But that all changed when I tried...
A guide to the best handheld gaming devices for kids
With so many gaming systems on the market, it can be tough to know which one is the best for your family. Next up in our series of buying guides we focus on handheld video gaming devices. I know my kids aren't the only ones with some sort of gaming device on their...
How to back up your Instagram photos
With the announcement of the new Instagram terms of service, I've been trying to figure out a viable alternative to the Instagram app. And along with checking out the new Flickr app, as well as rekindling my love for Snapseed and Camera+, I'm also figuring out ways to...
The Flickr app: Is it a viable Instagram replacement?
After hearing about the new Instagram Terms of Service changes that announced yesterday, so many of you are writing to us asking for an alternative. And while they've updated with an explanation (sort of) on the Instagram blog that's a combination of "you...
mymosaic brings Chuck Close style artistry to iPhone photos
If you're looking for a fun way to mix up the tens, hundreds (or thousands in my case) photos in your camera roll, this cool new photo app is an inexpensive way to take your bevy of pictures and turn it into a work of art, Chuck Close style. Creating a mosaic is easy...
Wrapping your new iPad or Kindle or smart phone in something warm and cozy
Not everyone needs mega protection for their devices. If you're getting new tablet or phone this holiday like zillions of other people, a sleeve is all you need for easy access, basic protection, and well, style. And these eco-chic handmade options I found on Etsy are...
Bringing some holiday cheer (and snow!) to your videos
Christmas is a mere two weeks away and for those of you who have yet to finish your shopping (ahem), I feel your stress. To add a bit of comic relief to your day, take a moment to play around with this nifty app that lets you add fun effects to your videos. Using the...
Instagram changes Terms of Service: What it means for you, and what your choices are if you are as freaked out as everyone else
You may have gotten wind of today's breaking news that Instagram, now owned by Facebook, has changed their user Terms of Service. And the Internets she is not happy. Here's the scoop, and a few options on what you can do about your account, should choose to address...
How to personalize a tech gift for the holidays
I realize that it should be enough to wrap up a pretty new iPad Mini, stick it under the tree and call it a day. And it is an awesome gift, don't get me wrong. But as someone who likes to add a little bit of a personal touch to all my gifts, just a gadget in a box can...
Oh Appy Day! Featuring Samantha Barks of Les Miserables
Oh Appy Day! gives you the scoop on the coolest apps from some of the coolest people anywhere. This week, actress Samantha Barks shares her favorite--which happens to be a great one for parents. There's one app called Sleepcycle and it does this thing where it senses...
Kids’ music downloads of the week: Silent Night, three ways
Last night I turned on Saturday Night Live and saw the opening, featuring the New York City Children's Chorus singing Silent Night. It wasn't the show's typical opening, but it was an incredibly touching and delicate tribute during what has been a tragically difficult...
Phones like they used to be back in the days that we walked uphill to school 5 miles, both ways.
Since we've gone landline-free, I admit I'm happy not to pay two phone bills. But I also sometimes pine for a phone that never requires me to say, "Honey...can you call my phone so I can find it?" I think this one fits the bill pretty beautifully. Crosley, makers of...