parents' lifesavers Archives | Page 29 of 32

The Halo Belt is the new must-have safety device for every cyclist, runner, and parent.

Bicycle reflectors and reflective strips on athletic clothing are only visible with a light source, like a car’s headlights. So the scary truth is that when your reflective gear is visible, you’re probably in the path of a car. The Halo Belt is the...

6 amazing tracking devices that ensure you never lose stuff again. Because we do that more than we care to admit.

by Kate Etue | Helpful Services

Confession: I spend way too much time trying to figure out where my keys, purse, and um, even my dog have gone at times, so am curious about all the tracking devices out there now. It’s one of the most frustrating feelings to not know where something is when you...

Smartphone camera tips: 8 unexpected ways to use yours that make your life easier

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

As much as I use my smartphone camera to take photos of my kids — okay and take selfies, too — I actually use it for way more than that. So I’ve put together 8 of my favorite smartphone camera tips to help make your life easier, more organized, or...

Helpouts by Google: Expert advice that goes beyond “I googled it and some guy said…”

by Jeana | Websites Worth a Bookmark

You’d think that when baby #3 came along, parenting would be old hat. But…nope. Forgot everything. Rather than comb the Internet for hundreds of different solutions (and I use that term loosely) it’s nice to know that expert advice from a live person...

NYC implements social media guidelines for schools: Worth a look for parents wherever you live

by Kristin | Internet Safety

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 implementing social media...

The new Mommy Poppins Kids On The Go App: Never spend another weekend wondering what to do with the kids

by Liz Gumbinner | Lifestyle Apps

Every Saturday morning, I wake up and check the website Mommy Poppins to see what’s going on in New York City with kids. So do tens of thousands of other parents; so it made perfect sense that they would convert all those great listings and parent-approved ideas...

The safer, smarter future of light bulbs is here: The NanoLeaf LED light

by Liz Gumbinner | Green Tech

Everyone know knows the benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs–longer burn time, less energy costs, more effeciency. But now with increasing concern about UV radiation and mercury emissions–especially when they break–and so I’m beyond...

A meal planning app that puts your kids in charge of planning their own healthy breakfasts

by Stacie Billis | Lifestyle Apps

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for most of us it’s also one of the least thought out. (Cereal, anyone?) We recently featured a ton of easy weekday breakfast ideas to help you out, plus there’s an app from the makers of...

A digital baby monitor designed for your new iOS 7 device

by Kate Etue | Baby Tech, Family Safety Apps

We’re excited to see all the new apps coming out that are optimized just for the new new iOS 7. Including one of the first we’ve tried: this awesome app that’s perfect for those of you in the market for a digital baby monitor. MobiLinc Cam...

Safe search engines for kids? Reader Q+A

by Jeana | Internet Safety

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’t specify what age...

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

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.