The new Kudos app is like Instagram for kids. But will they use it?
My tweens know that I have a pretty strict policy about social media in our house. We won't even have the conversation about setting up accounts for them on Facebook or Instagram until they're the minimum age required by the app. And even then, I'll need to make sure...
Instagram Story tip: How to change your photo date and time stamp so you can use older photos
Like me, you've probably tried to share a favorite photo on Instagram Story after the fact, only to discover that it was taken well past the allowable 24-hour time period. Also like me, you may have figured out a trick where you can screenshot the photo you want to...
The new hi-tech paper planner that’s blowing our minds
Even though I've become a strictly digital planner kind of person, but I do find myself missing paper planners. Well, Moleskine, who's my long-time personal favorite source for old-school paper journals, has a brilliant new solution that's exciting both the geek and...
A stylus with a particular sense of humor: Yours
I've been a fan of the Carbon Crusader for a while -- their engraved Hamilton Pencils were a huge hit with our readers over the holidays. So I'm happy to see the fantastic new custom stylus pens. While there are a few R-rated versions (like uh, the one seen above) and...
A high-tech umbrella even Mary Poppins would love.
Imagine me trying to get my four kids -- and their backpacks, tennis gear, snacks for the Scout meeting, and awkward diaper bag -- out of the car and into school . . . in the pouring rain. It looks a little like something you'd see on the "before" scene of an...
Got design commitment issues? You need this handy new website.
I admit, my decorating skills are limited, and I'm always worried about painting a room only to discover I really don't like it, so I was intrigued to hear about Modsy, a website that uses your input and photos to help transform a room in your home into something...
The iPhone X is here, along with more new Apple gadgets that make us want to sell our children. (Kidding. Mostly).
Ah, September. It's the time of year when the weather changes, the kids go back to school, and Apple launches its new devices that make us all drool and try to figure out which child we can sell to afford one. Sorry, Johnny, you've left your underwear on the floor one...
Here’s how much you can get for your old iPhone. Because, the iPhone 8 is coming!
With the iPhone 8 announcement coming tomorrow, we know there's going to be lots of you (including us) strongly considering selling or trading-in your older model for a pretty new one. But there's good reason to update beyond just the awesome new features,...
A clever trick to boost your kids’ reading skills while they watch TV
During the dry spell of summer, when our favorite TV shows were in their off season, my 10-year-old daughter and I got hooked on a fun Korean high-school drama series. But while we watched I noticed something I didn't expect: her reading skills improved. And then I...
How to disable an iPad touchscreen using Guided Access: A huge lifesaver for parents
My youngest child loves watching movies on our family iPad, but if your kids are like her, they can't help tapping and touching the screen which then requires you to rewind, fast forward, or turn it back on 400 times. So when I found out how to disable the touchscreen...
Pixel Kit: It’s Lite-Brite for the 21st-century tech-savvy kid. And it’s awesome.
If you were obsessed with Lite-Brite as a kid like I was, I bet you, er, your kids will love Pixel Kit, a new Lite-Brite-esque coding toy from Kano. It's all the best of the quintessential '80s toy, with the cool tech updates a 21st-century kid expects. When the kit...
The new VW minibus: It’s electric! Boogie woogie, woogie.
I never believed them when they said it would happen to me, but it's true. I officially want a minivan. Luckily for reluctant parents like me, Volkswagen is releasing an all-electric minibus called the I.D. Buzz that could give growing families like mine an...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
Everything you need to watch the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21.
We're counting down the days to the total solar eclipse that we'll be experiencing on Monday, August 21. In case you haven't heard about it (what?), or might have missed all the helpful information we've been posting here on Cool Mom Tech, we've rounded up all our...
Think you’re creating safe, secure passwords? You might want check. Stat.
Over the years, you've probably heard a few different suggestions on how to create strong passwords, one of which was pioneered by Bill Burr, formerly of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. However, he's now saying that his method for creating secure...
Recall alert: These glitter-filled iPhone cases are burning people. Yikes!
If you or your tween or teen loves those glitter-filled iPhone cases, you know, the ones with liquid and floating sparkles and designs, you'll want to check the manufacturer stat. The CPSC has recently issued a recall because there have been numerous reports that the...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
BB-9E is here, and he might just be the droid you’ve been looking for.
May we introduce you to BB-9E, the newest Star Wars droid? This evil counterpart of the beloved BB-8 will make his appearance in the upcoming The Last Jedi movie. But if you don't want to wait to see him on the big screen, you can bring him home thanks to Sphero....
The littleBits kit that lets kids build their own R2-D2 droid. Happy Force Friday!
Our favorite little droid R2-D2 faithfully served Padmé, Anakin, Luke, and Leia, and now, you can add your own little Jedi to the list, thanks to this new Droid Inventor Kit from CMP favorite littleBits. The Droid Inventor Kit, which is recommended for kids ages 8 and...
A first look at the new Star Wars drones from Propel. Get ready for the holiday tech gift of the year.
Each year, there's one tech gift that we see and go...yup. That's going to be the one everyone wants. And this year it's the new Collector's Edition Propel Star Wars Drones that I got to check out at a top secret press preview event this week and are available for...
This app freezes kids’ phones until they answer your texts. Awesome or intrusive?
Does this situation sound familiar, parents? You're trying to get in touch with your tween or teen, but they're ignoring your texts because they're busy playing games on their phone, which also happens to be set on silent. Well, that's what was happening with dad Nick...
Cool gamer school supplies for kids with very, very nice parents | Back to School Tech 2017
Gaming has taken over the world -- or at least our kids' brains, same as it did when we were kids (ahem). But what our kids have that we didn't have back in the day is such an amazing collection of cool gamer school supplies. Whether they're into classics like Pokemon...
3 best laptop bags for teens that will last longer than a single semester | Back to School Tech 2017
Since more and more upper and middle schools are requiring laptops or iPads in the classroom, we wanted to take a look at the best laptop bags for kids. Our requirements: They have to offer good support for our kids backs with all that heavy tech in there, and enough...
18 of the best math apps for kids, from preschool to high school | Back to School Tech 2017
With the new school year upon us, it's always good to have a list of some truly awesome math apps in our back pockets (or really, on our tablets and phones) to help sharpen our kids' numbers skills. So up next in our 2017 back to school tech guide, we've put together...
Why families will love OnStar Family Link, and how to get it for free. If you hurry. (And have the right car.)
Although I still have a few years to get used to the idea of my kids driving, I'm wavering somewhere between clutching-my-chest terrified and pop-the-champagne excited that I no longer have to be their personal Uber driver anymore. But some recent developments in car...
17 of the very best reading apps for kids, from ABCs to SATs | Back to School Tech Guide
We're kicking off our Back to School Tech Guide with some of the very best reading apps for kids and whether your kids are just beginning to string together letters to make words or they're tearing their way through Harry Potter for the eighth time, we're hoping...
5 devices that deserve to go along on my family vacation
I'm packing up my family of six up for our exciting vacation to Hawaii (squee!), and like most parents, I'm making my tech list and checking it twice. Do we really need to bring a laptop (the answer here is NO!)? Inspired by Brian Chen's piece at the New York Times...
You won’t believe what these Total Eclipse of the Sun stamps can do.
In honor of the total solar eclipse hitting our skies on August 21 (that's Monday!), the United States Postal Service has launched Total Eclipse of the Sun stamps. But the extra cool part? They actually change color. For real. Related: Everything you need to know...
Everything you need to watch the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21.
We're counting down the days to the total solar eclipse that we'll be experiencing on Monday, August 21. In case you haven't heard about it (what?), or might have missed all the helpful information we've been posting here on Cool Mom Tech, we've rounded up all our...