Telemedicine gets even more accurate with the the TytoCare Medical Exam Kit. Whoa.
Even in pre-Covid days, I always hated sitting in a doctor's waiting room just thinking about the "bonus" rotovirus we were probably contracting on top of the ear infection we were there to treat. That's a big reason I am so excited about the TytoCare Medical Exam...
How to make strong passwords and protect them: A simple guide
With the new year here, it's a good time for a refresher on how to make strong passwords and help keep them safe. With phishing on the rise, ever-present social media hacks, and general security breaches and unsavory shenanigans, it's just a good idea, and one of our...
Tackle these 10 simple tech to-dos to start the year safer, cleaner, and more organized
For so many of us, the new year is about fresh starts. That's why around here, so many of us use January as time to cross off what we can from all of those never-ending tech to-do lists. These are the kinds of tech to-dos we often put off, not necessarily because they...
The top 10 most popular posts on Cool Mom Tech in 2021
Every year, we think it's fascinating to look back and see the top posts we wrote that captured our readers' interests and imagination. Some of the favorites were just fun (hey, trendy halloween costume!) while most this year were really helpful. And hey, we're...
The Snowy Day: the Opera. How to stream it free with the kids over break
For those of you who also grew up with Ezra Jack Keats's magical The Snowy Day, you can imagine my thrill at discovering The Snowy Day has become a wonderful opera now available to stream on the the Houston Grand Opera website Even better, we can all watch it right...
5 of the best Santa tracker apps to prove he’s real. Because he is. So there.
This year is definitely the year of the Santa tracker app. After, all, even the biggest Santa fans among us know that while he is vaccinated (so don't worry kids) we want to keep him safe -- and him, us. So we're avoiding the mall and turning to some terrific tech in...
For last-minute online holiday invitations, Paperless Post Flyers are the best!
If you're a fan of Paperless Post like we are, don't miss out on Paperless Flyers as a genius way to send out all your last-minute holiday invitations, school fundraisers, or to invite out-of-town family to the kids' end-of-year-recitals over Zoom. After all,...
How to add a holiday aesthetic to your iPhone: 3 easy ways
Lately I've been looking for the best way to add a holiday aesthetic to my iPhone, uh.... like all the teenagers in my life do. Of course you can always customize your own iPhone icons yourself, I don't have quite as much time to spend on crafting the perfect holiday...
The best new video games for families to let everyone in on the fun. You too, parents! | Holiday Gift Guide
Who else is in the market for cool new video games for your families? Video games tend to get a bad rap, but I've found that picking the right game can actually foster connection and fun. So if you have an avid gamer in your family and are looking for a way to enter...
12 of the hottest high-tech beauty gifts for for everyone on your list…including yourself.
High-tech beauty gifts are all anyone seems to talking about in my Facebook groups these days. At least when it comes to holiday gift ideas. And who can blame us? We've come a long way from the days when I bobbie-pinned my hair before bed to have curls the next day (I...
All the ways kids are using tech to make their holiday gift wishlists: 11 ideas
I'm absolutely fascinated by the way my own kids and step kids use tech to make ongoing gift wish lists -- the iOS Notes app has become the method of choice for them and so far, that's working pretty well for us. Then I saw Jessica Bradley Rushing's hilariously 2021...
12 practical tech gifts to help get us through another long winter | Holiday Tech Gifts
Not everyone loves a big, splurgey, outrageous tech gift -- some of us are happy with practical tech gifts. Especially these days, when those gifts just may help us get through another (deep sigh) long winter. Colder weather has officially settled in for many of us,...
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Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
The best group video makers for birthdays, graduation, teacher appreciation and more.
After creating a group video for my teen's birthday during the height of the pandemic, I realized how many other occasions it would be perfect for: end-of-year teacher appreciation gifts, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation, special anniversaries or days you want...
Please consider these 5 things before deleting your twitter account.
With the big breaking news this week about the controversial purchase and privatization of Twitter by Elon Musk, a lot of users are talking about whether they'll consider deleting their Twitter account, for a variety of reasons. Some users are uncomfortable with so...
Standing up to book bans, The Brooklyn Public Library is letting all teens access their online catalogue, free
I'm among millions of parents all over the country concerned about widespread efforts to ban "controversial" books in our public libraries. Especially when the lists include some of our favorite books, and plenty of them are not "controversial" by any stretch of the...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
Active Arcade is a fun free app that gets the whole family up off the couch.
Before the holidays kick into full gear, I recommend you download one super-fun, get-off-the-couch app that also happens to be 100% free: Active Arcade. It's entirely designed to get you moving (and maybe burning off all that pie eating) while enjoying yourself...
The best Black Friday tips to save you money online: Read this before you buy a thing!
For over a decade now (whoa) we've been sharing the best Black Friday tips to help you find the best deals with the least hassle. Now that Black Friday has turned into "Black Friday through Cyber Monday," which turned into an entire month of Black Friday deals, which...
How this screen-free meditation device has helped my son with anxiety
I'm always trying to get my anxious son to do mindfulness exercises with me, but it can be a tough sell. Especially when we're competing with a barrage of toys and streaming services. But when we tried out the new Zenimal device, which plays a variety of guided...
The new snow globe Pop Sockets are a must-have situation this holiday
How magical are these snow globe Pop Sockets that I just discovered for the holidays? Yes, they perform the exact same function as regular Pop Socket grips in preventing dropped phones during selfies, but also, THEY'RE SNOW GLOBES. In case I didn't make that clear....
The best apps for road trips with kids: Map apps, entertainment apps, even restroom finder apps!
I'm grateful for this list of the best apps for road trips with kids, because it turns out, I'm not allowed to put my kids in a hilarious sidecar by themselves during long drives. So I've been prepping my phone and the kids' iPad for the long interstate hours ahead,...
How to set up a new tablet for kids: 7 things parents should consider first
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Google With a new tablet for kids high up on lots of holiday wish lists this year, it's important for parents to ensure that the new device is set up properly. But it's not just about making sure the tablet is charged up and ready...
Is my kid ready for a cell phone? 7 essential questions to ask yourself first
We love when parents ask us "how do I know if my kid is ready for a cell phone?" It means you're conscientious, caring, and involved -- and of course, want to make sure that you're raising a kid to make good choices, and not who isn't thrown into something they can't...
An inventive new soap dispenser that might just get our kids to wash their hands. Bring on the bubbles!
I get to review fun kids products all the time, but it's been a while since I saw one that made me think: I will immediately buy this for my children. The buru-buru bubble soap dispenser for kids has me pulling out my credit card already to support their new...
Google Kids Space: A new, exciting way to help kids discover, create, and grow.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Google Raising digital natives who are curious about the world around them can be challenging for parents. From keeping up with their ever changing interests to encouraging their creativity, parenting kids who are constantly...
5 must-have apps for holiday planning. Dinner is back!
This holiday season, I've been researching apps for holiday planning as one of many ways to make big holiday meals easier. Whether you enjoyed last year's COVID-mandated reprieve from big get-togethers, or you're just raring to baste another 15-pound turkey for the...
A very smart AirPods trick I learned from a very smart tween.
We've said this many times here that some of our best iPhone tricks come from the digital natives in our lives, which is exactly where I got this simple, but very smart AirPods trick. You may be thinking "Are there really AirPods tricks?" and well, I didn't really...
The new Rebel Girls app puts kids’ favorite inspiring women right in their earbuds
I've been a huge Rebel Girls fan since their very first book came out, so naturally I'm so excited to hear about their brand new Rebel Girls app. The app features the stories of some of our favorite women -- Malala, Lady Gaga, Maya Angelou, and many more -- in...