Tinycards app: Our cool free app of the week
Before my family headed out of the country on vacation, I spent weeks learning Italian using the free and very popular Duolingo app. And now Duolingo lets you practice not only your foreign language skills, but your knowledge in any area you'd like, with their new,...
The Superbook turns your smart phone into a laptop. Yes, you read that correctly.
As much as we already do with our smartphones, the small screen and tiny keyboard can be limiting, at least when it comes to getting actual work done. That's probably why the Superbook has completely blown its Kickstarter goal. Related: A keyboard case that turns your...
4 laptop backpacks from Speck, just in time for back to school
I'm all for getting a jump on back to school shopping even though my kids don't start back for another month or so. And with one kid entering middle school (eep!), I'm thinking a laptop backpack might be the way to go. We're big fans of Speck smart phone cases, so I...
Meet Ava: A fertility tracking bracelet that finally lets you toss out the BBT thermometer
While I didn't personally experience infertility issues, I had close friends and family members who did, and I'm still amazed at how they handled all the challenges they faced, not to mention all the tracking, the doctors visits, and the expenses they endured to try...
5 waterproof cell phone cases for summer. Or parents. Because, kids.
I'm a big proponent of changing phone cases to match the season, so when summer rolls around, I always swap out my more stylish case for one that's a little more utilitarian. With beach and pool visits a daily occurrence, that means a waterproof case. While you won't...
Prisma app: Our cool free app of the week
Beyond cropping out background noise or scrolling through a few Instagram filters, I don't usually spend a ton of time messing around with my photos. But after downloading the new and free Prisma app for iOS this week, I've discovered how fun and easy it is to turn...
Nothing says you’re in a crappy mood like a poo cap
The instant I saw these emoji baseball caps, I knew I needed them in my life, which probably means the emoji-on-everything craze is about to end (if it hasn't already). But seriously, a poo cap? It says so much without any words at all. Related: Emoji smart phone...
How to prevent sunburn? Meet Sunscreenr.
As vigilant as I am about applying (and reapplying) sunscreen on my kids and myself, it's inevitable that I missed a spot -- usually on myself -- and I'm left with a sunburn patch. But this new gadget could totally change that, and help keep us all a whole lot safer...
Emily McDowell’s witty greeting cards go digital. Yay!
The summer is birthday season in my family, with what seems like every relative born in these few months. Inevitably, I finish up wrapping a gift only to realize I forgot a card. My go-to has always been Paperless Post to send last-minute digital greetings, but the...
The backpack that will make you a backpack lover, if you’re not already.
I admit that I was never really a backback as a handbag kind of person, even after having kids which tends to convert a lot of people. But then I moved into this cute little town where I could walk everywhere and needed a backpack. Lucky me, I was introduced to...
It’s Prime Day at Amazon, which means awesome deals on Amazon gadgets. Surprise!
Prime Day is here, Amazon shoppers, which means tons of tech deals all day long, including Amazon gadgets. Surprise, right? Ha, okay. So look, if you've been waiting to get your hands on a new Kindle or an Amazon Echo, hop to it before they're all gone. Here are a few...
Everything you need to know about Pokemon Go: The good, the funny, and the very scary
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard something about Pokemon Go, the new, free app that's blowing up the Internet. In fact, it's about to take over Twitter in user activity. Seriously. We've been getting lots of questions about Pokemon Go here...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
The top 10 Cool Mom Tech posts of 2015: Tips, hacks, apps, new products and more.
It's always fun for us to look back at the end of the year and see which posts captured our readers' interests and imaginations the most. And while we have some perennial favorites like our picks for 30 of the coolest iPhone 6 cases or how to get your personal...
iPhone tip: How to turn on LED flash alerts for silent notifications
Just when you think you know everything there is about your iPhone, here comes a new tip for turning on the LED flash alert that I think will help a whole lot of people. You know how sometimes you'll miss a call, text or important notification on your phone because...
First cell phones for kids: 12 features and considerations to help you find the perfect one.
We're continuing our series about kids and cell phones on behalf of our sponsor, the premium authorized Verizon retailer, Cellular Sales, because wow, do parents need help with this! And by parents, we mean, ourselves too! Because we know first-hand that once you say...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
Rome2rio travel app: Our cool free app of the week
We just returned from a family vacation to Italy, and boy do I wish I had discovered the Rome2rio app before our trip. It could have saved us countless moments trying to decide the best way to get around the various sites with three kids, with the least amount of...
How to get free Kindle books? Make sure you’re using Kindle First!
This morning as I was flipping through my emails on my phone, I discovered an email with a subject "Your Prime membership includes a free Kindle book," which I clicked right away because who doesn't love free? And to my total surprise, I actually do get a free Kindle...
These are the droid suitcases you’re looking for
Let's just say that on our recent vacation, I had absolutely no trouble finding my son's suitcase at baggage claim because it's pretty hard to miss R2D2. Whether your kids are Star Wars fans or it's you who is obsessed, you'll want to check out the Star Wars luggage...
A simple trick to charge your iPhone 6 and 6S faster
If you want to charge your iPhone 6 or 6S faster, you don't necessarily need a fancy cable or charging block. It's as easy as grabbing your iPad Air charger and using that instead of the white block that you got included with your iPhone. Related: A portable charger...
Cakewalk: Our cool free app of the week
The kids have been out of school for a bit and chances are you've heard the "bored" word at least once. Or maybe you have a toddler who is ready for a new activity approximately every three-and-a-half minutes. Either way, check out the free Cakewalk app app which is...
The ultimate indoor/outdoor grill for people who thought they could never have one. Tech to the rescue!
Of course tech innovations are making their way to the traditional BBQ now too, and if you don't have the space for an outdoor grill, I've found a solution in the Kenyon SilKEN Grill which keeps your grilling game on all year round. This portable electric grill...
PBS Kids series will now stream exclusively on Amazon: One more benefit of Prime membership.
Being a total Prime junkie who likes getting the most out of my membership (hello, free shipping + Transparent!) I was excited to learn that now Prime members will get exclusive access to free streaming PBS Kids series. Then I realized oh shoot, my kids have outgrown...
This gadget does what? 5 outrageously crazy new tech gadgets you never knew you needed. (And still don’t.)
Most of the tech pitches I receive fall into a few categories: 1) Wow, that's super cool 2) Hmm, possibly, I'll take a closer look and 3) Eh, no thanks. But with the proliferation of crowdfunding campaigns and sheer numbers of tech products being developed and pitched...
How to use the Apple Reminders feature: The ultimate organizational lifesaver in a multitasking world
I've recently started using the Apple Reminders feature, which is free and included in your iOS device, and I've wondered why I haven't been using it it more this whole time. With end-of-the-year/beginning-of-summer madness, my mind has been a constant flurry of...
The air purifier and humidifier combo that could help you sneeze (and dust) less
We’ve seen a lot of new smart devices recently that are helping us monitor our air quality, but I’ve often wondered what to do with this info — short of a major HEPA filter installation — if the monitors tell me my air quality is bad. So when we found out about the...
6 screen time management solutions that work, from been-there-done-that parents
With kids out of school and summer officially here, I'm pretty sure most parents are struggling to figure out how to manage their kids' screen time. We've featured lots of screen time management ideas here on Cool Mom Tech, as well as smart gadgets that can pretty...
SpotHero: Our cool free app of the week
Summertime is the perfect time for the kids and I to explore nearby Boston--hey, we need to do that Freedom Trail someday, right?--but, oy, do I hate driving around looking for parking. So, when a well-traveled friend told me that she'd found a simple-to-use app...