A simple guide to cutting the cable cord: 4 of your best options
For well over a decade, people have been talking -- or more like yelling -- about being hamstrung by cable companies. Some had-it-up-to-here folks have started cutting the cable cord and looking for more manageable, customized ways of watching what they want, when...
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Hello Kitty camera. One word: Want.
Should I be embarrassed that I, a 30-something mother of four, saw this Fujifilm Instax Mini Hello Kitty camera and let out a tween-level squeal? Possibly. But heck, who cares? This is freaking awesome. I've had a long standing luv-affair (yes, luv) with Hello Kitty,...
Picjoy: Because one way to help with a photo organization problem is to have an app do it for you.
If we asked you to count the things you'd rather spend a day doing than iPhone photo organization, what number would we be talking about here? Fifteen? Fifty? Eleventy hundred other things you'd rather do? Yeah, wrangling the tons of photos we've all collected is...
Tiny Builders construction app: All the fun of digging and excavating without the travel delays
Road construction is one of those travel hitches we all want to avoid, unless you're one of those toddlers and preschoolers who think those giant machines are the coolest ever. Now they can get their fill of drilling, paving, and bulldozing with the brand new Tiny...
Tandem Bike by Jazzy Ash: Kids’ music download of the week
You can laissez les bon temps roulez, or let the good times roll quite literally with Tandem Bike, a jazzy, New Orleans flavored number about riding a tandem bike with a good friend. This is one fun tune from singer-songwriter Jazzy Ash with a little help from CMP...
Livescribe’s new Echo Smartpen 8GB Pro is ready to take dictation, boss
Last year I told you about the greatest pen that has ever penned: also known as the Livescribe 3 smartpen. Well, this year, kicking off back-to-school season with class, comes the new Echo Smartpen 8GB Pro Edition. Very similar to Livescribe 3, the Echo Smartpen...
Common Sense Media: How to know what to watch with your kids, and when
It's been awhile since we first mentioned Common Sense Media on Cool Mom Picks back in 2009. Since I check it so often, like to remind myself whether there are any pikes through the head in Hunger Games, or whether The Bad News Bears is totally inappropriate for my...
Here’s a new one in portable chargers: It backs up your data, too.
I recently found myself caught out there without portable, backup battery power. I mean, I had a Plan C -- my iPhone charger in my purse -- which was more like a Plan E, because trying to locate a conveniently-placed wall outlet at a massive blogging conference where...
The new LEGO Minifigures Online game, where everything is (mostly) awesome
For years, my kids have collected LEGO Minifigures which they love to play with while building with their LEGO bricks. So, it was with great excitement when they learned that LEGO has come out with a brand new game that puts their beloved Minifigures into the online...
6 fantastic educational YouTube channels for older kids, to help make the most of that extra screen time.
My kids are already saying they're bored during the afternoon when it's too hot to play outside too long. So yeah, they may be getting more screen time than usual, but I've been trying to justify it by finding some educational YouTube channels. Or at least more...
The fantastic new Cat in the Hat Read and Learn app: Mr. Geisel would totally approve.
We're all pretty picky when it comes to kids' ebooks around here, but when you're adapting a classic from my own childhood like Dr. Seuss, my standards skyrocket. Even so, I am wildly impressed with the brand new Cat in the Hat Read and Learn app for kids, just out...
Brain Dots: A brain teaser of an app that proves you may not be smarter than fifth grader.
When the director of our ad team, Lisa, tells me to try a new app, I know it's going to be a good one. She has good taste. And this time it's Brain Dots (for iOS and Android) which happens to be fun, challenging, infuriating, and sometimes totally deflating. But did I...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
The 7 biggest complaints about iOS 7
A few of us at Cool Mom Tech have downloaded the new iOS 7, and as promised, spent some time with it to really give you our assessment. The truth is, the reviews here are mixed, and we've seen similar assessments on social media and tech websites. So while there are...
6 creative ways to organize video games
If like us, your kids have a ton of video game cartridges and discs because you haven't entirely made the move to digital downloads, storing them can be tough. I don't have a game room, and I don't necessarily want to look at 4 media shelves or giant video towers...
iPhone 5C and 5S: What the tech experts are saying around the web
Now that we've had a day to process Apple's launch of the iPhone 5C and 5S, naturally the Internet has a lot to say about both of these new gadgets. So we've rounded up some of the feedback here for those of you thinking of upgrading. Some of it is entertaining (yeah,...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
Capture the action of summer with the new VTech Kidizoom Action Cam for kids
Ever since my husband showed the kids the GoPro videos he took while mountain biking, they've wanted to take the same kind of cool action videos, even if all they're doing is riding a scooter down the driveway. And since we're not so keen on handing over a $300...
Play Date’s Ninja Pajamas: Kids’ music download of the week
When you're setting the tone for bedtime, a lullaby or two can do the trick. . .that is, until the kids consider themselves too old for such sweetness. So even if they're still heading off to slumberland with their favorite lovey, a couple of nightlights, and a few...
The new SPIbelt Performance Series – Bring your gihugic phone on the run.
I've raved about the SPIbelt sport belt in the past because, well, it's fantastic. And since mine was with by my side (literally) through another half Ironman race last month, I was really excited to check out a possible upgrade, their new SPIbelt Performance Series...
Wear your heart emoji on your feet
I'm officially an emoji convert which means I text them, I tweet them (gasp!), and soon thanks to these awesome custom emoji sneakers, I might even be wearing them on my feet. Yes, I've added these to my wish list and it's like I don't even know who I am anymore, but...
The over-the-shoulder iPhone 6 holder
I can't tell you how often I find myself tossing my phone in my gigantic bag then searching for a it a few seconds or minutes later. Or sticking it in my pocket. Then pulling it out. Repeat 4501 times every day. That's why I'm pretty sure this Tory Burch iPhone 6 case...
These are the Droid headphones you’ve been looking for
I have to tell you that I'm not even the biggest Star Wars fan (I know, I know), but these new Star Wars headphones by SMS Audio might just change my mind. These are actually the 2nd edition of SMS Audio's Star Wars headphones that were announced at CES 2015 and...
How to repost an Instagram photo: A comparison of the 3 top #regram apps
We have gotten a lot of questions about how to properly repost an Instagram photo on your own feed, and no surprise, there are a ton of apps to help you do just that. Yes, you can technically just screenshot the photo, upload it to your own feed, and just tag it with...
4 cool apps and websites to help your kids learn more about the moon on National Moon Day
Seeing as how we live in an age where everything from Nutella to x has its own national day, I should not be surprised that today is National Moon Day. At least it celebrates something totally real and inspirational, and if it's marketing anything, it's marketing an...
The Remix Mini: An Android PC you can hold in your hands
At a time when it seems like our favorite gadgets are getting bigger, not smaller (hello, iPhone 6+) it's pretty cool to discover the Remix Mini -- an incredible new computer that you can easily hold in your hand. Seriously. Everything about the Mini kind of blows me...
The Moon is Made of Cheese by Danny Weinkauf: Kids’ music download of the week
Pluto may have gotten all the press last week, but tomorrow marks the 46th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin setting foot on the moon back in 1969. So in honor of National Moon Day--which, yes, is an actual unofficial holiday--we have a great tune to...
Queen Bee in Paris: Explore France with this illustrated ebook and travel guide for kids
I've vowed that someday we're going to take our kids to Paris like I did on a brief, very memorable weekend there in college (ooh, the croissants) but it's not on the schedule yet. While we save up our money, I've been letting my kids play with the Queen Bee in Paris...
The Misfit Flash Link: Track your activity, control your music, take a selfie. Yes, you read that correctly.
There are no shortage of activity trackers on the market, with new ones like the Misfit Flash Link being added every day. It's hard to keep up! But unlike the other wearable tech devices we've seen, this one appears to go beyond tracking your steps and sleep like...