video Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Creative ways we’re using video to thank teachers after a year like no other

A few years ago, we asked teachers to name their #1 favorite end-of-year gift and the answer was not “cash and a massage” (ha). In fact, we were heartened to hear again and again a teacher’s favorite gift from students is a personal message of thanks...

This service can make a special digital memory book from photos and videos for Father’s Day. Free!

by Kristen Chase | Father's Day Gifts

I love giving the gift of photos, videos, and heartfelt messages for Father’s Day (or any special day, really), but they’re not exactly the easiest things to give long distance to say, a grandpa. Do you attach a video to an email? Send a sweet text? Print...

4K Video Downloader lets you safely download YouTube videos, online recipes, and so much more, with just one click | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Entertainment

This is a sponsored message for 4K Video Downloader Want to watch your favorite YouTube or TikTok videos without WIFI or cellular, save that favorite recipe to you computer, or catch a Twitch stream later on? You and your family can do all of that and so much more...

Disney+ streaming service: Here’s how our first 24 hours went.

by Kristen Chase | Entertainment

My husband already had the new Disney+ streaming service locked and loaded on our Roku TV yesterday morning. And even though there were a few glitches with it on mobile, we had no problems perusing the many offerings and watching a couple of shows. Let’s just...

Thinking about a Disney+ subscription? Look at this launch show line-up!

by Kristen Chase | Entertainment

If you haven’t heard, Disney is launching a paid streaming service in November that everyone is talking about and well, based on the Disney+ launch show line-up we’re seeing, we’re not surprised about the hype. We just got a peek at everything that...

The outrageous, high-tech marriage proposal that required Google Earth, GPS, and 4500 miles of travel over 6 months

by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Entertainment

We have shared a ton of clever pregnancy announcement ideas and sex reveal (FKA gender reveal, inaccurately) ideas over the years, and surely you’ve seen Pinterest boards packed full of creative marriage proposal ideas. But having just watched this video about...

What you need to know about the new YouTube Kids parental controls

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

We’ve been fans of the YouTube Kids app, but admittedly when so many questionable videos were making it onto their little eyeballs, we were waiting for them to make some updates to give parents more control over what their kids were seeing. And well, they did....

Back to the future: Turn your videos into 80s treasures with the VHS Camcorder app

by Kristen Chase | Best Apps

Since my brother introduced me to the VHS Camcorder app (by Rarevision) I haven’t been able to stop shooting videos. It makes everything look like it was taken with one of those gigunda 80s camcorders, complete with the date and time stamp, and static. Of...

Here’s what you need to know about IGTV

by Kristen Chase | Social Media

If you noticed a new little TV icon at the top of your Instagram feed, then you’ve already discovered IGTV (Instagram TV), a new app from Instagram that allows users to upload longer form videos for their followers to watch. And yes, it sounds like YouTube...

YouTube Kids app gets better parental controls, finally.

by Kristen Chase | Entertainment

We’ve been fans of the YouTube Kids app ever since it launched a few years ago, but as more and more publishers are creating content on YouTube, it’s not surprising that there have been some issues in terms of what ends up showing up as kid-appropriate....

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.