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 you'd look...
Amazon Prime Day tech deals you won’t want to miss!
These days, July 15 and 16 means Amazon Prime Day. (Yes, it's two days this year.) We've been keeping an eye on the tech deals to see if they're worth the hype, and well, depending on what kind of gadget you're in the market for, they just might be. Here are a bunch...
Rebel Girls Boundless: A new, inspiring digital magazine that we desperately needed
We've said it before but we'll say it again: Representation matters. That's why we were thrilled to support Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls when it launched a few years ago on Kickstarter, along with their journal, and their podcast. Because we all need to see and...
How long does Amazon Alexa keep your data? You’re not going to be happy with the answer.
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 we've also...
Mac users: Do you know these important macOS privacy settings?
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 that your privacy...
This high-tech baby monitor and swaddle is helping parents and newborns breathe easier
Attention, new parents! We've found one of the coolest new high-tech baby products: the Nanit Breathing Wear that monitors baby's breathing for you by "reading" ink patterns on the swaddle or breathing band. We've been fans of the Nanit monitor for awhile now, but...
A little extra security for your precious AirPods
I've been a longtime AirPods convert now, even convincing a few of our Cool Mom Tech staffers to give them a try. And while I love that there is no cord or cable attached, sometimes I wish I could just hang them around my neck when I need a little break rather than...
Listen to your favorite music or podcasts through your sunglasses.
Just when you thought you were super cool with your hot new AirPods, you can now listen to music through your sunglasses thanks to these Bose frames audio sunglasses. For real. Related: The coolest eco-friendly sunglasses we've ever seen It's actually pretty smart...
Power strips go pastel
At this point in our digital lives, power strips are just part of our decor, at least at my house anyway. I've got at least one in pretty much every single room of my house. But, let's be honest here: they're ugly. That's why I did a double take when I saw these CYLO...
What you need to know about Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
If you've got a Harry Potter fan in your house, or you are one yourself, then you've probably already downloaded the new Harry Potter: Wizards Unite app on your phone and are ready to play. The game, which was announced back in 2017, is rolling out today, starting in...
Forget your readers? Try the magnifier on your iPhone instead.
For those of us ladies who are now of reading glasses age, I have a pleasant surprise if you happen to be an iPhone owner. You might not know that the iPhone actually has a magnifier feature that can help you in case of a reading glasses emergency. And it's even got a...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
25 things kids should know before they get a smartphone
Whether your kids have had a smartphone for awhile now, or you're considering getting them started with one, it's important that they understand how to use it. And as we all know, when it comes to a smartphone, it's not as simple as dialing a number or sending a text...
5 ways to encourage screen-life balance in your kids (and you)
Raising kids in a digital age presents all sorts of parenting challenges. That’s one of the many reasons we started Cool Mom Tech, along with our new Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group (OTYK). And we talk about it a lot on our Spawned Parenting Podcast. While it can be...
Instagram Stories trick: Turn your Live Photos into Boomerangs!
I often like adding Boomerangs to an Instagram Story to help change things up from still photos. But then, I either have to go shoot a Boomerang in Instagram (and figure out what to shoot) or open the Boomerang app itself. Not one of life's greatest problems, but...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
Some of the funniest Twitter responses to #GoogleCalendarDown
If you've tried to access your Google Calendar on your desktop (or laptop) today, you might have gotten a 404 error. And as people do these days, they took to Twitter to air their grievances about being without a calendar. Though, the Google Calendar app on mobile...
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 pervasive problem...
The new Minecraft x Pottery Barn Kids collection will make blockheads everywhere squeal!
Gamer alert: your kids can now play Minecraft all night long—in their dreams—with the new Minecraft x Pottery Barn Kids collection that just launched. This is your chance to be the coolest mom ever, and we think if you have a Minecraft-obsessed kid (hands raised) then...
What you should know about the massive medical data breach affecting 20 million people
Healthcare data breach html I have no idea why I haven't been seeing this massive healthcare data breach in the news, which impacts customers of companies like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp. But when I saw a letter come in the mail from American Medical Collection...
Wear your emotions on your rear window with Mojipic
I'm not much of a bumper sticker person, although I do love a clever quip on someone else's car in traffic. But when I saw the new Mojipic mount for a car's rear windshield, I thought maybe they were on to something. This small LED screen displays emojis or gifs out...
Facial recognition is the new boarding pass. Privacy, much?
If you've traveled by plane, you know how much patience you need to have to make it through check-in, security, and finally onto the plane. And that's not even counting travel with kids. So is the convenience of facial recognition why it's showing up at airports...
5 podcasts I listened to this month: May edition
It's time again for my monthly round-up of podcasts that have made my subscribe list. If you're looking to add some new podcasts into rotation, I hope you find my podcast reviews helpful. And if you've got suggestions for great podcasts I need to listen to (aside from...
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...
LEGO’s new NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander building set is out of this world.
This summer, July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Lunar Landing. Even though space travel has been a reality my kids' entire lives -- and mine, too -- they're still incredibly curious about the cosmos. And since they're LEGO lovers too, I know...
Happy Father’s Day, Dad. Here’s a cup of coffee that never gets cold!
We were big fans of Ember when they first launched their smart mug that keeps your coffee at the perfect temperature (with pre-sets, people. Pre-sets!), and so, we just had to share this clever Father's Day edition. Because really, there might not be anything better...
What you need to know about the new iPod touch. Yes, you read that correctly.
Just when you might have thought Apple was done with the iPod touch, they announced a brand spankin' new one. You're not alone in the head scratching because they haven't updated the iPod since 2015. That's like 20 years in Apple years! But that's about to change with...
The Two Princes: A new youth and LGBTQ+ fiction podcast we can’t wait to binge
We are a podcast-loving family, with shows we listen to ourselves (hello, To Live or Die in L.A.), and ones, like The Sporkful and Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness (just to name a few) that we enjoy as a family. But on June 4, we'll be adding another one to our...