internet safety

If you're like me, you get a ton of promoted content from Facebook, including a slew of recommendations for groups that you may want to join. Some of them are open--as in, hop on in, like the page and you're done! --while some of them ar…

When friends or family (or babysitters or playdate parents) visit, it's not long before someone asks what your Wi-Fi password is. These cool printable WiFi password signs an an easier alternative to having to remember a password like min…

In light of this week's big news about the Apple Security Breach , a reader of ours (and probably many of you) are wondering how to make Chrome the default browser for iPhone and iPad, in lieu of Safari. Especially because at this time, …

As someone who uses all Apple gadgets, including an iPhone, iPad, and my precious MacBook Air , I've had my eye on the news about the Apple security hole that was discovered on Friday. But now it seems to be affecting more applications t…

We finally decided to give our sixth grader a smart phone. And while I think the good has outweighed the bad so far, I really wasn't prepared for how complicated things would get -- and how quickly it would happen. So I can see why imple…

Eye scanning and facial recognition technology seems like something you only see in classic Schwarzzeneger and Tom Cruise movies. But with the introduction of HoyosID, at CES 2014 , going all Mission Impossible with our phones is in our …

Although my own kids haven't made any in-app purchases without my permission that I know of (knocking on wood right now), I know lots of parents whose kids certainly have. And thanks to a new FTC ruling, Apple has to pay you back for all…

We were excited to have a chance to put together a MiiPC review, considering there's pretty much nothing that causes a modern parent more angst than monitoring your kids' online life. Keeping them safe, limiting their screen time, making…

Over the course of the year, we've put together so many helpful tech tips for our readers, plenty from your own questions to us. (We love answering reader questions!) Here, some of our favorite tips of the year, including lots just for p…

The browser KidZui has been one of the best ways for kids to explore the Internet safely for a few years now, and we're so excited to learn they're going mobile with the new KidZui app. Especially with all those new tablets and devices c…

We love companies that consistently try to improve their already-pretty-fab products, so we're enthusiastic to tell you that SquareHub , a social networking app made just for families that we love, is branching out to Android families no…

As if we haven't already learned that everything lasts for ever, even a selfie on Snapchat , another app developer is pushing boundaries with a copycat version though this one gives the user a little more control. Presumably. If you have…

If you hadn't already figure it out, we here at Cool Mom Tech are huge advocates of talking to your kids about technology early and often, and that's exactly what our Editor Kristen told the Christian Science Monitor for their cover stor…

Just a few weeks ago, we featured four apps kids are using that parents should know about , and noted that SnapChat was decreasing in popularity--which gives us a small sigh of relief. But with a brand new app release this week, we're th…

Hi Cool Mom Tech! A few months back you recommended an app where parents could save or store specific videos. This was to ensure kids using iPads wouldn't stumble onto questionable material on YouTube. I feel like "Tube" was the last par…

Parenting tweens and teens is challenging enough, but the prevalence of tech in most kids' lives makes it that much more important for parents to try and stay one step ahead. Where safe internet browsing was once our biggest concern, now…

I read your post on removing your information from Spokeo and have a question: How often do you need to go there and remove yourself? Also, is anyone doing anything to protect citizens' privacy? Displaying this information without an ind…

My first instinct (and job) as a mom is to keep my kids safe, so when I found out how many thousands of bits of information about us were being sent to online marketers every time they play or learn on my iPad, I got pretty protective. F…

Just about every day, I have a moment where I'm grateful social media wasn't around when I was a teen or pre-teen. Don't get me wrong; technology is a major positive in my life and in my kids' lives. But it's also kind of scary to think …

My 10-year old son is definitely ready for his own laptop, but I have no idea what to get him! Can you help with a child-friendly option? -Amy Funny you should ask, Amy. I just decided to get a laptop for my 9-year old, which was a lot e…

Now that so many people are using URL shorteners like bit.ly, ow.ly, tiny url, and even custom urls, it's easier to get tricked into clicking over to a phishing site or intalling malware that suddenly DMs your whole Twitter list to tell …

If you're as obsessed with Pinterest as we are, make sure you're following us . Then check out our 5 favorite pins from this week. 1. A cool app for iOS and Android that's a dream for parents like us who take tons of smartphone photos. 2…

If you have recently upgraded to a new tablet and want to hand off the older model to your lucky kids, there are a couple safety measures we recommend you put into place to make your tablets safe for kids. Even the older models are still…

What's the best search engine for kids, in your experience? -via Twitter Keeping kids safe online should be a huge priority for parents. When it comes to kid-safe search, there are actually a lot of good options out there. Since you didn…