Beautiful jewelry that could help save your life
This beautiful necklace and bracelet just looks like... a beautiful necklace and bracelet, but when you double press the back, it can actually send a message to pre-selected emergency contacts, along with your location. It can even call 911. Created by Rajia...
How to set these 5 smart Xbox One parental controls
We're all for setting some smart parental controls on our kids' tech, and there are some great parenting controls built into the Xbox One that you might not know about it. From limiting screen time to blocking other users who might be interacting inappropriately with...
Sequins meet STEM with these fun flip sequin shirts for geeky kids
My kids are still totally into the flip sequin shirts, so how fun to discover these flip sequin STEM shirts for kids at Svaha, a company that's brand new to us. If you've got kids who love science, and well STEM in general, you've got to see awesome t-shirts. Related:...
So why are we all still on Facebook again?
If we're all perfectly honest with ourselves, then we know that Facebook has presented many privacy issues for a long time now. We've been writing about Facebook privacy issues since we started Cool Mom Tech in 2010. That's nine years. NINE. A quick search of Facebook...
What you need to know about the crazy Facetime glitch. Who can see you?
If you're a frequent Facetime user, you might want to turn it off until Apple fixes a recent glitch that actually allows callers to listen and see the people they're calling, even if they don't answer. Creepy much? Related: Watch out for this Apple email phishing...
Got snow? The Snohub app can help you get rid of it.
With lots of snow falling around the country this week and temperatures at a ridiculous record-breaking low (and a bunch of snow days in our future), many of us will be finding ourselves outside shoveling and freezing our butts off in the process. That's why I wanted...
Get ready, parents! Facebook will soon integrate WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger
According to an article in the New York Times that just came out today, Mark Zuckerberg is planning to integrate WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. That's right, over the course of 2019 and into 2020, these apps will be reconfigured in a way that would allow users to...
Grace Hopper fans! This Women in Science pin supports some very cool causes.
Thanks to the recent onslaught of amazing books and highlighting the work of women in history, particularly in the STEM field, I recognized the name Grace Hopper immediately when I saw this very cool pin from our friends at Dissent Pins. You know, the makers of that...
5 simple strategies for making your phone less distracting
We've been talking a lot about screen addiction and overuse here over the last few weeks (and well, years), including our Curb Your Screen Addiction series. Well, we recently chatted with author Jake Knapp on our Spawned podcast, who has a well of fantastic strategies...
How to set a Live photo as your iPhone’s wallpaper
I tend to be the one who schools my husband on cool iPhone tips and tricks, but this time, he's the one who schooled me when he showed me how to set a live photo as my iPhone's wallpaper. I admit, I take a bunch of live photos, but don't ever watch them animate, so...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Using screen time monitoring apps
This week in our Curb Your Screen Addiction series, we're talking about how screen time monitoring apps can help you rein in your phone use. If you're like me, then you found yourself quite surprised by your screen time stats when Apple updated iOS to include the...
Our Alexa organization series: The best Alexa calendar skills
Next up in our Alexa Organization Series, we’re sharing some of our favorite Alexa calendar skills to help you keep your family organized. Whether you want to add events to a joint calendar, keep up with a shared to-do list, or just make sure you do not miss the next...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
6 ride sharing safety tips that parents should know
As someone who uses ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft pretty frequently (and is often distracted by what's happening on my phone), I know how easy it can be to just hop in a car that pulls up in front of me without checking everything out. But as many of us have...
How to set limits for specific apps using the Screen Time app on iPhone
You've probably already figured out how to use the Screen Time app on iPhone to help manage your child's screen time. Screen Time makes it easy to block and set limits on categories of apps, specific apps during Downtime, or just screen time overall, but if you want...
How to save your Google+ content before it shutters on March 31, 2019
If you're like us, it's been awhile since you've spent any time over at Google+, which is why you might want to take a peek at your content before it shutters on March 31, 2019. Keep in mind, Google+ will be deleting all posts, as well as your uploaded photos or...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
Our Alexa organization series: The best Alexa fitness skills
We're getting organized in the new year, and I've found that using my Amazon Echo -- which is strategically placed in our kitchen, the hub of our house -- can be a huge help, including fitness. Yes, we're not kidding. In this post, some of our favorite Alexa fitness...
Our Alexa organization series: The best Alexa finance skills
Next up in our Alexa Organization Series, we're sharing some of our favorite Alexa finance skills to help you keep your family budget it check. Whether you want to track your investments or keep up with your spending, even pay you bills, here are 4 finance skills for...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Narrating your phone use aloud
Next up in our Curb Your Screen Addiction series, we're featuring our easiest tip yet. This one comes from Kristen and Liz's interview with The Art of Screen Time author and NPR commentator Anya Kamenetz, who offers some excellent, non-alarmist advice on how to handle...
Our Alexa organization series: The best Alexa meal planning skills
With the new year starting up, if you're like me, you've got organization on your mind. I've found that using my Amazon Echo -- which is strategically placed in our kitchen, the hub of our house -- can be a huge help. So, we're sharing some of favorite organization...
The Otterbox x Pop Sockets phone case is just made for our adorably clumsy kids
One thing I know about my daughter: She looooves her Pop Socket grip on the back of her phone -- and she also tends to drop said phone. A lot. We insisted on an Otterbox phone case for protection long ago, but I may be willing to let her switch it up, thanks to the...
How to use the Siri Shortcuts app to make your life a whole lot easier
I'm always discovering new tricks on my iPhone, but figuring out the Siri Shortcuts app has been a total game changer. This feature lets you set up voice commands to automate the tasks you perform over and over again, like navigating to your kid's school or paying the...
Thinking Parent: A family that games together stays together
As a mom of four kids, I get all sorts of questions asked of me by friends and strangers alike. You can probably guess what they are. "How do you do it?" "Do you ever sleep?" and then a question about whether my kids get along, which is typically a welcome change from...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Turning off your notifications
Next up in our series on how to curb your screen addiction, we're tackling the issue of notifications. Back when I first got a smartphone, those little red numbers next to my apps filled me with excitement. Someone had messaged me! Or liked my photo! Today, I feel...
5 apps I started using that changed my life this year
Yes, we're all still getting a lot of mileage out of "there's an app for that" because...well, it's true. Especially on iOS, though Android is doing a little better keeping up these days. Over the past year, there are a few apps that I've started using that have...
The Apple product warranty you may not know about…but should
Turns out the Apple One-Year Warranty is way more flexible than you might realize. Or as the store associate told me on a recent visit, "you got Beats headphones that are not working or coming apart in any way? Just bring it in and we'll give you a new one." At a time...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Using the grayscale setting on your smartphone
As we continue our New Year's series on how to curb your screen addiction, I'm excited to share our next tip since it's been one that's been so helpful in managing my own tech habits. Plus, it's a change you can make in literally 5 minutes or fewer, without getting up...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Make a tech-free sacred space in your home
Who else here is planning to curb your screen addiction in 2019? As parents, we often spend so much time worrying about our kids' screen time (and how to preserve my sanity during a 700th viewing of Cars 3), but everything I've heard and read points to me as setting...