Best Apps

If you're a Pixar fan, a Monsters Inc. fan, or one of the millions of new Monsters University fans, have we got the app for you. The Monsters U Storybook Deluxe app for iOS and a more limited version, the Monsters U app for Android , are…

Last year, our kids were thrilled to discover the super-fun Lazoo Squiggles! coloring app that lets them decorate pictures with their own squiggles, and then watch the entire thing come to "life" through adorable animation. And, now, jus…

Dropping, smashing, stacking, painting-- Toca Boca 's newest app for kids, just out today, encourages kids to do them all, and I'm excited as much as my kids are. Really. Our actual playroom walls could use a break. While all Toca Boca a…

I feel for parents of teens these days, who not only have to contend with the usual teen angst, but also have a whole new set of digital obstacles to face with their kids texting and app-downloading and web surfing. Not to mention apps l…

There are a few app developers who we know will turn out something great, before we really even test it out. Not a lot, but a few. That's the way we feel about developer Nosy Crow , but of course, we had to take a look at this new app re…

During those moments when you let your preschoolers have a little screen time or app time, my favorite word has always been "educational." If they are going to make my iPad sticky with their little fingers, they might as well being learn…

While we adore Instagram , we still approach the Facebook takeover of Instagram with a healthy dose skepticism. Still, the network only seems to be growing, and the fact that there are so many cool things people are doing with their feed…

To write this post, I just checked my cell phone's Photo Gallery to see how many pictures I've collected. 318. Three hundred and eighteen photos and videos. And I'm sure for some, that number would be on the low side. So what do we do wi…

If your penchant for good design ideas and locations goes beyond flipping through an IKEA catalog (or maybe even Pinterest), you will appreciate the eye candy in this excellent new Android app made in collaboration with Wallpaper* magazi…

Despite the easy filtering and editing of Instagram, I still find some of my favorite photos come from photo apps in which I can choose the film and lenses right in camera before the shutter snaps instead of editing photos afterwards. We…

If you're like me, you spend a lot of your day texting your spouse and kids, or calling to check in on them and coordinate schedules. Don't even get me started on the number of emails I send. But since I got a sneak peek at a brand new c…

Here is a typical weeknight in my house. After dinner is made and I have digested, the dishes are all done and I hear snoring out of the monitor... I think, YAY I can go sit down and wait for Jon Stewart. But then I remember, I have to p…

I like bright colors, moving objects and intense battles as much as the next guy, but my favorite incarnation of the virtual world is when it's used for education. Particularly if bright colors and moving objects are part of the learning…

There are so many fun photo apps that we have covered on Cool Mom Tech-- Afterglow , BeFunky and myMosaic , to name a few. But I've recently started playing around with another iOS photo app called Split Pic 2.0 that not only offers fun …

I admit I've been reluctant to jump on the gift card app bandwagon. I tend to just cram my gift cards into my wallet or stack them on my night table--but then I evidently realize oh hey...I'm at Target spending $90 and shoot, I have a $1…

My kids' love of electronics is not going away just because the grass is green again, which is why I really like a new educational iPad app that gets kids excited about the great outdoors---and even asks them to put down the iPad and go …

I have shared custody of my phone... with my daughter. Basically it's mine pretty much everywhere but the car. When I am driving on long trips, I know don't need the tempation of checking mail I know is waiting for me, so I am a-okay to …

Having been in the tech industry for a looong time, I'm usually skeptical when companies throw around "faster," "easier" and "better" catchwords when it comes to updates to their products. But in the case of Springpad version 4.0, I can …

I took the cutest video of my daughter at her piano lesson last week playing Beethoven Sonatas, jazz riffs and Billy Joel covers. It was amazing! OK, fine, it was a run-through of "Do Not Sneeze" accompanied by her piano teacher, but I s…

I have taken so many pictures of my kids on my iPhone that I tend to group them into "series." There's the Florida series, the winter snowstorm series, the soccer game series, and so on. So I'm excited to have found a new app called Pice…

Can you recommend any preschool foreign language apps for Android for my kids? -Kathy Hi Kathy, thanks for your question! You didn't mention if there's a specific language you're interested in, but here are a few picks that offer great a…

What kid hasn't dreamed of rocketing off into outer space to see what is out there? The problem is, that cardboard box in the living room isn't going anywhere so fast. Junior Astronaut - Breaking through the space barrier is a standout e…

As much as I love Instagram (and boy do we love Instagram ), there are days that are so busy that I just don't get the chance to see what great--or silly--shots my friends are posting. But now that my Instagram feed can easily become my …

Finding nifty little apps of merit for the kids can be a chore all on its own. Every so often though we come across sweet and simple apps that not only entertain them but that also impress us. Color Genius for iOS does just that. It's re…