Yes, it’s true. Amazon’s Alexa has been recording your conversations.
So, we were all a little freaked out about the story that an Amazon Echo had recorded a private conversation in a user's home, then sent that conversation to someone else. Because, oof. Beyond embarrassing, this is a major privacy breakdown on Alexa's part. Girl, that...
Why iOS apps are better than Android apps, and why we tend to review more iOS apps
Every so often, a commenter gets frustrated that we have reviewed an iOS-only app, and asks why we don't review more Android apps. We feel you. So every so often, we offer a response as to why iOS apps tend to be better than Android apps, and why iOS apps are easier...
Science Activities for Kindergarteners: The Guide to Science for Kids
While kids are born to love science, every kid at every age has different abilities, inclinations, passions and skills. We started Cool Mom Tech in part to help parents foster that love of STEM in their kids, which is why we couldn't be more thrilled to bring you this...
Science Activities for Tweens: The Cool Mom Tech Science Guide for Kids
While kids are born to love science, every kid at every age has different abilities, inclinations, passions and skills. We started Cool Mom Tech in part to help parents foster that love of STEM in their kids, which is why we couldn't be more thrilled to bring you this...
Web coolness: A Hello Kitty bullet train, the Sally Ride stamp, and avoiding getting banned from Amazon
Here are some cool tech links from around the web. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. We are excited for this new stamp release of astronaut Sally Ride. President Trump can no longer block users from seeing his Twitter account. A lively interview with the...
Science Activities for Grade Schoolers (Part 2): The Cool Mom Tech Science Guide for Kids
While kids are born to love science, every kid at every age has different abilities, inclinations, passions and skills. We started Cool Mom Tech in part to help parents foster that love of STEM in their kids, which is why we couldn't be more thrilled to bring you this...
Add some positivity into your news feed with the Womaze app
If your social media feeds are like mine, they're no longer places for me to find out what's going on with my friends and distant family. Instead, they're oftentimes the source of stress and anxiety for me, given the constant influx of sad news and anger. While I do...
What you need to know about Cosmo After Dark on Snapchat, parents.
I am not going to say "I told you so!" when it comes to Snapchat, but it's mighty tempting after the recent launch of Cosmopolitan's new Cosmo After Dark stories that go live every Friday at 6pm EDT. And hey, I even wrote a book about sex for parents. Let's just say...
Summer travel news: What you need to know about the smart luggage ban
With summer travel season right around the corner, and many families, including ours, planning vacations, we wanted to take a moment to talk about the smart luggage ban that came down earlier this year. While it might only affect a few of you, we think it's important...
The NES Classic is back. Back again.
So this is how the story goes. Nintendo brought back the NES Classic in November, 2016 and it sold out almost immediately. Then lots of people were sad and gnashing their teeth (okay, slight exaggeration. Maybe). Well, it's back. Again. Related: Got a Nintendo Switch?...
Science Activities for Grade Schoolers (Part 1): The Cool Mom Tech Science Guide for Kids
While kids are born to love science, every kid at every age has different abilities, inclinations, passions and skills. We started Cool Mom Tech in part to help parents foster that love of STEM in their kids, which is why we couldn't be more thrilled to bring you this...
Web cool: Game controllers for users with disabilities, a gold Royal Wedding iPhone X, and the smart luggage ban
Here are some of our favorite tech links from around the web. We hope you enjoy them too! Some of our favorite tweets about the Royal Wedding. Yeah, we're capitalizing it. Speaking of which: got Royal Wedding fever? Check out this gold iPhone X to commemorate the...
Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way!) Easier
How to figure out (and change) which categories Facebook has assigned to you.
If we didn't know before, we've certainly learned very recently that Facebook knows a whole lot about us. But today I discovered that they're assigning us to marketing categories, which are chosen based on the data gathered from your Facebook activity. No surprise...
Here’s how to turn off the feature that’s slowing down your iPhone
You might remember a few months ago when Apple announced that they are purposely slowing down your iPhones to prevent them from shutting down. This after we all thought we were going a little crazy when a new iPhone (and iOS) would launch and our old phones would...
3 gadgets that could help your smartphone addiction. Or at least, free up your hands.
As someone who is pretty constantly tethered to her smartphone, it's no surprise that I feel as though I'm addicted to it. The challenge for me is that I use my phone for work, but I also enjoy looking at social media (and apps, and...) for pleasure too. But if you're...
The Pop Ups kill it with their new synth pop album Giants of Science.
Brooklyn-based kindie music geniuses The Pop Ups's new album is out today, and (thanks to a sneak-preview) my kids are already hooked. To be honest, I am too. If you're new to the kid-music scene, you might recognize The Pop Ups's psychedelic synth-pop sound from...
Target’s new AR Beauty Studio lets you try make-up on at home. But does it work?
I'm always a little hesitant to shop for make-up from home, because unless I've tried something on at a store, then waited to go home to order it, I have absolutely no idea how a certain color is going to look on me. Plus, even when I'm in the store, I'm not super...
The best way to sign-off on your emails. Hint: It’s not “best.”
Back a couple of years ago, Liz and I addressed our email pet peeves in one of our first Spawned podcast episodes. It was actually Episode 4, to be exact. Aw. Sniffle! Well, apparently, the debate about how to sign-off on your emails is back, except now, with actual...
These 3 tips can help you simplify your tech life. Try them!
We declutter our closets, and rotate our kids' toys, but what about all those apps on your phone right now? Or the notifications pinging you every few minutes? Do I even need to bring up how many photos you have on your phone? Related: 6 ways to simplify your tech...
Mother’s Day tech: 4 gadgets that make life easier and better for busy parents
Happy Mother's Day, cool techie moms! We celebrated today with fellow mom Becky Quick on CNBC's On The Money, sharing four of our favorite tech gadgets that help make our lives easier and better. We hope you love them as much as we do. Tile I can't live with my Tile,...
Web coolness: Geeky Mother’s Day cards, LEGO Solo, and is Facebook going subscription based?
Happy Mother's Day weekend, cool techie moms! Check out our funny Mother's Day card round-up, including this one from Row House 14, above. A video not to miss: 3 simple ways to simplify your tech life. Be sure to cast your vote for these children's adorable Google...
Poll your friends with the new Instagram emoji slider!
If you were already a big fan of the Instagram Story poll feature, but felt like it was a little limiting (why only two answers, Instagram?), they just launched a new emoji slider poll that might just give you the voting nuance you were hoping for. Related: How to...
These funny Mother’s Day cards are so 2018.
I always say that when it comes to parenting, if I wasn't laughing, I'd be crying. Maybe that's why I love these funny Mother's Day cards that you still might be able to grab before Sunday if you hurry, or in a couple of cases, download them. Yay 2018! And heck, even...
A cool Mother’s Day gift for your favorite mobile mama.
No, sorry! It's not an iPhone case with your kids' photos all over it. Though, look, we love those too. But for the tech-savvy mobile mom who's happy to show you photos of her kids from her iPhone gallery, she needs this fun, glittery Hey Mama iPhone case by Rebecca...
Carmen Sandiego meets Cooking Mama, in this cool cooking game for kids
News flash: our kids love video games. But they also love to help cook in the kitchen. So when we saw that the new Issa's Edible Adventures app teaches them to cook virtually and IRL, we knew we had to try it out. It's part Carmen Sandiego, traveling the world to...
Web coolness: A digital swear jar, the Twitter password breach, and tech Mother’s Day gifts!
Here are some of our favorite links from around the web. We hope you love them too! Turns out Siri can swear. Plus, the swear jar goes digital! (top) Pokemon designers finally come clean about the inspiration behind Pikachu. We love this cooking app for kids. Don't...
Have a little bit of Star Wars Day fun, courtesy of your Amazon Echo.
If watching your favorite Star Wars movies on loop isn't a big enough celebration for your May the 4th, you can tap into your Amazon Echo for a little extra fun. Related: Star Wars slime recipes. Yes, they exist. According to the Daily Dot, Alexa now has a bunch of...