The widespread teenage boy sextortion scam: What to do if your child is a victim

by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks

This week’s Washington Post article about the teenage boy sextortion scam by Chris Moody is all I’ve been thinking about. In part because I know a kid who was targeted in this way, and it was a terrible situation. But to learn that this is a problem...

The best portable car jump starter battery kit for road trip safety: We found one under $100!

by Liz Gumbinner | Travel, Tips and Tricks

My parents were in the market for a portable car jump starter, (also known as a portable car battery charger), because as city folk, they keep an older model car in the city but don’t drive it much. That means they need to have some kind of reliable car jump...

These smart tips and apps can help minimize distracted teen driving

by Kate Etue | Best Apps

We recently got a question in our Out Tech Your Kids group asking about apps that read texts out loud while you drive, which got me started thinking about some tips and apps to help minimize distracted driving for teens. As parents, we need to think bigger than just...

15 new iOS 15 features that parents will get (very!) excited about: FaceTime, ScreenShare, Focus, Health, and more

by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Gear + Hardware, Tips and Tricks

Each time there’s a live streaming Apple Event to announce the new products and updates, we watch diligently to see what’s new for parents and families, or which advances and improvements will actually make our lives a little easier, more organized or more...

How can I prevent a Facebook hack? Reader Q&A

by Liz Gumbinner | Tips and Tricks, Best Apps, Internet Safety

This week in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook group, we were asked how to prevent a Facebook hack, and specifically, if were any security measures to take that might help.  And yes, yes there are! Here, a few really simple tips to help prevent a Facebook hack. They can...

A parent’s guide to Among Us: What you need to know before you let your kids play the “it” game of quarantine

by Christina Refford | Games + Gaming

While there has been a lot of gaming going on in our house since the start of the pandemic, no game has quite gripped my family like Among Us. This easy and free-to-download game, which launched in 2018, has became HUGE during this pandemic as more and more people...

Scam Shield gets rid of scams and unwanted robocalls, finally | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Team | Uncategorized

This is a sponsored message for T-Mobile  If you’re feeling like you’ve been inundated with more scams and unwanted robocalls these days, you’re not alone. Coronavirus scams actually increased 70% from just May to June, and Americans have lost over...

Can HEPA air purifiers help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your home? Here’s what you need to know.

by Caroline Siegrist | Fitness + Health, Life and Home

Let’s talk HEPA air purifiers and the coronavirus. I’ve started to hear some noise about how these appliances might help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, so I’ve been reading up to see if buying one is worth the money. The TL;DR version?...

The new parental controls on the latest iOS 13.3 update are what you might have been waiting for.

by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Best Apps

If you’ve got a kid on an iPhone or an iPad, this week’s iOS 13.3 update (as well as iPad OS 13.3)has some serious parental controls that we think you’ll be happy to know about. Introducing Communication Limits Starting his week, there’s a new...

You won’t believe how easily this CNN reporter was hacked. Here’s how to prevent it.

by Kristen Chase | Internet Safety

Our team watched this CNN Business video with our jaw dropped when we saw how easily hacker Rachel Tobac was able to get information about journalist Donie O’ Sullivan. Just from looking at his social media, she was able to do everything from get his home...