Nicole Blades

Living in these fast tech times means having to pause to power up our devices. It's just part of the deal, right? And when we're on the go, this often means searching for a free outlet, sometimes in strange places. But what about when yo…

I am a longtime, shameless, all-things-Apple fan. But that doesn't mean I don't tip my hat frequently to cool, non-iOS products. And, when it comes to this new Google Photos app? I'm basically standing up and doing a slow-clap, because t…

Let's be honest, one of the best parts about having a new, snazzy iPhone 6 (or well-kept iPhone 5/5s) is nabbing a fun, funky case for it, right? And trust, we know our way around cool cases. It's kind of our jam. Which is I was were eag…

Like we always say, the safest way to use your phone while driving is to not use your phone while drivin g. Duh, right? And it's something that's really top of mind for us this holiday weekend, when cops are out on the roads full force, …

With an estimated 37 million Americans hitting the road on the Memorial Day holiday alone, it's going to be the biggest travel weekend in a decade. Clearly, after enduring a long, miserable winter, folks are super hyped for the (unoffici…

Watching our kids maneuver their way through all this new tech is a joy. It's just so cool to see how much they're doing and learning on these glowing gadgets. But the other side of that is trying to stay on top of what they're watching,…

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…

We're very pro-photo book around here. Actually, we support any service or app that helps us get all the digital pics we snap off of our devices and on display for all to enjoy. And with Father's Day and graduation season officially unde…

What might seem like a small problem, is actually a big pain in the butt. Or maybe pain in the bud? I'm taking about wearing in-ear headphones or earbuds that are too big for your on-the-smaller-side ear holes. It's not only uncomfortabl…

We all love our smart devices until they start flashing "low battery" signs at us. Which is why we're always on the lookout for fast and easy ways to charge our tech devices. And if the juice boost method happens to be cool too? Icing. L…

I have a close-knit family. My sisters and I talk a lot any given week. The thing is, we all live in cities spread miles (and countries) apart, so we rely on social media, texting and, when time zones line up nicely, video chats. And wit…

Hold the phone! No, seriously. Hold the iPhone, because there's something new(ish) and neat and cool happening with its Message app that you'll definitely want to hear about if you haven't yet. While this fun feature has been around sinc…

W e are a house divided. My husband is an Android user (but I love him anyway), and I am an iPhone user. We need a calendar app that works with both, allows for the importing of Google calendar an iCal and automatically refreshes it. Is …

As we start looking around for cool Mother's Day gifts, we realize not every mom is into keepsake pendants and baby footprint artwork. So for the photographer mom in your life who is always trying to capture those special moments with he…

Hey Cool Mom Tech! Do y'all know of an Instagram app for iPad that allows you to add text or make a collage? -Delilah, via Twitter Hey Delilah! The short answer to your question is: Indeed we do. And we totally get it, too. Sometimes you…

When I first heard about the V.ALRT personal emergency alert device I immediately went to I've fallen and can't get up. I figured it was just some newfangled version of those Life Alert medical bracelets and it turns out, it kind of is -…

We have all been raving about the gorgeous Knomo laptop bags for a while now. And judging from the London-based company's new high quality, thoughtfully-crafted collection of laptop totes , we're going to keep doing just that. Each one o…

Do you have some basic tech chore to do -- say, deleting old digital photos -- but you just never seem to find the time to get to it? It's like permanently etched in your to-do list, and every time you scroll through your loaded smartpho…

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…

I didn't even know there was a term for it, but of course there is. O versharenting . It's that thing that so many of us parents do on social media -- especially on Facebook -- where we share, or overshare, info about our kids that range…

Have you ever wished you could literally bookmark a favorite restaurant in a new town you're visiting? Like, just magically click a button in your brain that lets you put an asterisk next to the name of the place so you'll always remembe…

The selfie stick struggle is real, friends. From major museums, like the MoMA and The Met in NYC to the Palace of Versailles in Paris, to sports stadiums, to musical festivals Coachella and Lollapalooza, the ban on selfie sticks shows no…

Truth be told, I abandoned my BlackBerry for the iPhone specifically because of Instagram. And, believe me, I was quite the keyboard-over-touchscreen loyalist. But the lure of the obvious fun of sharing square photos -- with filters! -- …

Have you ever been scrolling through someone's fashion-fabulous Instagram feed and spotted a pair of shoes or a clutch or scarf (or ahem, Liz's stack of bracelets ) that you really like? I'm talking really like, to the point of wishing y…