mobile phones Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Kids asking for a phone? Here are 5 reasons you should consider the new Teracube Thrive phone for kids.

by Christina Refford | Gear + Hardware, Kids

I know firsthand how hard it is to decide when is the best age for kids to have their own cell phone. On one hand, we want them to be able to reach us if soccer practice gets out early or they want to leave a sleepover at 1am, but exposing them to the potential...

A parents guide to Apple’s affordable new iPhone SE 2022: Why it could be perfect for kids

by Liz Gumbinner | Gear + Hardware, Internet Safety, Kids, Tips and Tricks

We’ve officially hit the point of full Apple product saturation in our household — and as so many parents in our Out Tech Your Kids community tell us, they have too. So what do you do when you’re all basically on Apple devices, your kid needs a new...

11 cool features we’re looking forward to in the new iOS 14

by Caroline Siegrist | Gear + Hardware

Apple’s all set to release the new iOS 14 sometime this fall. And since an operating system update is the only way I’m marking time these quarantine days (Kidding! Mostly.) I was pretty stoked to explore the new features in their preview. And wow,...

Apple Event 2019: Here’s the quick and dirty on the iPhone 11 Pro, Apple Arcade, and everything else they announced

by Kristen Chase | Gear + Hardware

On Tuesday, Apple hosted their big Apple Event 2019 and announced some pretty exciting new products and services. If you had time to watch it live, this time streaming on YouTube (whoa), then you’ve probably heard all of this before. But if you’re like me...

Easy tip for more mindful screen time: Download these lock screen wallpapers for your phone

by Liz Gumbinner | Gear + Hardware, Social Media

This weekend, inspired by the Cool Mom Picks book club video chat about How to Break Up with Your Phone, I decided to try one of author Catherine Price’s tips to help me be more mindful about my screen time, and more aware of how much I pick up my phone. She...

15 big new Apple announcements that parents will actually care about: Privacy, organization, photo editing and more

by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Gear + Hardware, Internet Safety, Life and Home, Tips and Tricks

Yesterday, I spent a good two hours live tweeting the bigger Apple announcements at their 2019 developer conference that would be of interest to parents. Like, news about parental controls, photo sharing, and home security? Yes please! News about the 28-core Xeon...

What you need to know about the new iPod touch. Yes, you read that correctly.

by Kristen Chase | Gear + Hardware

Just when you might have thought Apple was done with the iPod touch, they announced a brand spankin’ new one. You’re not alone in the head scratching because they haven’t updated the iPod since 2015. That’s like 20 years in Apple years! But...

Why this screen-free smartphone alternative for kids is perfect for summer | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Gear + Hardware, Internet Safety, Travel

This is a sponsored message from Relay So many parents want their kids to have the safety and security of a phone, especially over the summer when kids have a little more freedom, and a little more run-around-outside time. And yet, those kids aren’t necessarily...

How do I know when my child is ready for a smartphone: 7 essential questions to ask | Guide to Digital Parenting

by Cool Mom Staff | Gear + Hardware, Guide to Digital Parenting, Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks

We can’t tell you how much debate we’ve seen over the simple question, “when is my kid ready for a smartphone?” It brings out nearly as much stress, passion and well, sanctimony, as questions about breastfeeding or sleep training. Well, after...

Relay: The screen-free smartphone alternative for kids who aren’t ready for the real thing | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Gear + Hardware

This is a sponsored message from Relay So many parents want their kids to have the safety and security of a phone, and yet those kids aren’t necessarily ready for all the responsibility and liability that comes with owning one. It’s a major issue among...

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.

We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.

We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.

(Answer: It's complicated.)

We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.