smartphones

Last year my husband and I gifted our two older kids with their own iPod and Kindle, and along with the devices came a contract that outlined our expectations for using them. As my friends have started getting wifi-connected tablets or p…

With so many families ditching land lines and moving strictly to mobile phones, the biggest issue has been what to do when you need to call 911. In fact, it's such a big deal that I know lots of parents who have decided to keep their lan…

With tasty rainbow recipes on Cool Mom Eats, and cute rainbow crafts for kids on Cool Mom Picks, we wanted to get in on the St. Patrick's Day celebration. Here, 5 fun rainbow iPhone cases to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, though really, we…

Looking for the best Black Friday online deals? We've got them, because we're all about shopping in our pajamas today and spending a little more time with our families. Or leftover stuffing. Or possibly both. Keep in mind, these Black Fr…

Over the years, we've gotten lots of questions about when kids should get their first cell phone , which we've always answered with questions ourselves, because really, it depends on a lot of factors. How old is your child? Are they resp…

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: …

Whenever my husband and I manage to squeeze in a date night dinner, I have to be very conscious of my iPhone usage. He does not appreciate the lemme just check this one thing real quick business, not in the slightest. I get it, though. H…

We're always excited to try out all the new gadgets each year and wow, what a long way we've come since Cool Mom Tech launched five years ago. Technology like pressure touch screens, the overwhelming adoption of streaming music and media…

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 kn…

It's really no surprise that Speck smart phone cases are so popular with smart phone users, including us. They're thoughtfully designed to keep your phone safe. But their new limited-edition CSA images cases just added a whole new featur…

It seems the whole National Do Not Call Registry isn't always effective. Legit marketers have a lot of loopholes; charities, pollsters, political fundraisers and others are exempt; and then there are those shady marketers who simply don'…

Let's hear it for organizational apps this time of year! What would we ever do without them? After all, back to school also means getting back to routines, which can highlight some of our old systems for staying organized and keeping the…

There's that wonderful moment when you first open up the box of your newest gadget and just smile at it. Some folks even give the new, shiny, and often pricy tech toy its own special name. At no point during this grand unboxing do you en…

If you're like us, you're counting down the days to a summer vacation, whether it's a weekend at the grandparents' place or something bigger. Either way, hopefully it means sleeping in late (kids willing), lazy days, catching up on books…

Browsing the crowdfunding scene, we're always amazed by the space-age ideas being brought to life out there and making us go, whoa . Now, it's the the Light Phone , an ultra compact phone that totally looks like it's from a sci-fi movie.…

Wearable fitness tech is super hot right now. (Duh, right?) And with all the rad, new stuff coming down the line, it almost feels as if we're getting a mini workout just trying to keep up. I especially like these cool, stylish fitness tr…

Penny for your thoughts? Better. How about a penny for portable chargers for your smartphone? It's true: Powerskin, one of the leaders in portable chargers, launched a super promotion this weekend offering its popular PoP’n portable batt…

It's Earth Day 2015, and this is always the time we stop and think of ways that we can save energy -- and money -- in our everyday lives. One of the trends we're really starting to see blow up, at last, is the use of solar power. There a…

I'm always a bit leery of apps the moment they ask to have access to my location. Sure, it makes sense with Google Maps , weather apps and certain social apps that help me locate a specific store or get a restaurant review. Those kinds o…

This is a sponsored message for Webroot No matter how much you or your family is online, the last thing you want to worry about is malware, viruses, and data and identity theft. That's where the award-winning Webroot security software co…

I've often wondered if I've had a bit of a smartphone addiction, seeing as how my iPhone often functions as my third arm. Or second brain. As a busy work-at-home-mom who runs her own business, my smartphone allows me freedoms that I woul…

As much as I love my iPhone and how much it really helps me as a parent, it can also be a huge distraction. Don't get me wrong, as someone who runs a business and works on a computer all day long, I really do love how much freedom it giv…

Clever always wins, in my book. That's why I snorted pretty loudly when my editor Liz emailed me a link to this most excellent Men In Black phone case from Society6. I will also admit that it took me half a beat to catch the full joke, l…

We dress up every other part of our smart phones, from gorgeous cases to pretty wallpaper. So why shouldn't your keyboard get a little makeover too? We found 3 fun keyboard apps to perk up your phone and make it look cooler than ever. 1.…