green tech

I'm excited to kick off the year by finding some easy, effective ways to recycle or donate those old tech gadgets that we all have lying around. Not just for you, but for me too! I know not to chuck my trusty old iPhone into the trash af…

My thirteen-year-old is keenly focused on our family being more environmentally conscious , which I'm all about. Currently, the recyclables in my kitchen are balancing precariously on a tall black kitchen trash can stuck in the corner of…

Sometimes I discover a new company at a tech press event that I'm so excited about, I run right over here to tell you about it. And sometimes, that product is so perfect that I first make a quick stop at the company website to buy one fo…

I never believed them when they said it would happen to me, but it's true. I officially want a minivan. Luckily for reluctant parents like me, Volkswagen is releasing an all-electric minibus called the I.D. Buzz that could give growing f…

For the last week, I have wanted to put together a list of the best science accounts on Twitter focusing in particular on climate and the environment. But wow, there are so many good ones, that it's like I couldn't stop. In fact, there's…

We do our best to save energy at home, but it is easier said than done with three kids who like to leave lights on all day long. (Even in the closets. Just, why?) That said, smart thermostats have been making it easier for so many famili…

There's a pop-up on my computer that alerts me when the ink on my home printer is running low. And every time the little window appears, I think, wait, didn't I just put new cartridges in the printer? It's definitely an annoyance and a h…

When I think about high-tech headphones, I don't usually associate them with natural materials like wood. But some big brands are now making eco-friendly headphones that sound amazing with beautiful, earthy textures instead of the glitzy…

At first glance, the gorgeous handmade Avakai dolls look like heirloom dolls my kids would love to play with all on their own But hidden inside these matryoshka-inspired Waldorf dolls is some very cool tech that will spark creative play …

We are always looking for ways that we can live a greener lifestyle with our families, but trust us, we know how overwhelming it can be. As we've discovered over the years, it's the small things that can really add up -- in effort and at…

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've seen no shortage of solar chargers , many of which we've featured here on Cool Mom Tech. But the new Helios solar charger from Solpro that we discovered at CES 2015 lets you charge smarter and waaaay faster. Yep, the new Helios only…

Don't laugh, but I rely on frequent deep breaths to get me through the day, especially when my kids are being especially ornery. And thanks to a really cool gadget to measure air quality called TZOA , I can see if those calming breaths I…

We have covered tons of gorgeous mobile phone and tablet cases on Cool Mom Tech over the years, many of which I covet. But I'm really in love with pretty much every leather gadget case on the Looptworks site, not only because they're bea…

We have covered hundreds, if not millions (Okay, probably not millions) of mobile phone cases over the years, and loads of mobile phone chargers too. But this super cool Indiegogo project I just learned about named Juse is the first sola…

Finding the best screen cleaner is top of the list for us parents, since our gadgets are so irresistible to our kids. Despite having tested, reviewed, and recommended screen cleaners right here on this very website, I always seem to have…

No sooner is the Apple Watch announced, that new Apple Watch accessories are starting to roll in. Starting with the handsome Apple Watch charging stand from our friends at DODOcase . In fact it's so beautiful, it kind of makes me want th…

We've featured all sorts of cool USB drives here on Cool Mom Tech, from stylish USB necklaces to personalized flash drives , even vintage toy usb drives , but these lipstick flash drives from PointsAndPlaces on Etsy take the face. Er, ca…

As fans of the planet--and yeah, humanity in general--we're always looking for ways to live more sustainably and to help our kids be more aware of it too. And as we've all discovered over the years, it doesn't have to be about massive li…

Having recently returned from an awesome family camping trip , I was surprised to find how helpful tech could be -- even on a trip that was as tech-free as we could make it. Turns out that some technology, when chosen wisely, can make ge…

Even with all the great lifestyle and organizational apps available to us today, there are times that nothing really replaces writing with pen and paper, whether I'm writing down funny things my kids have said or just making my grocery l…

The idea makes perfect sense: a portable, high performance solar charger for my smart devices that -- best part -- is actually compact enough to carry around. That's the gist behind the Solarpod Buddy solar charger . It sounds kind of ne…

We've covered a lot of audio speakers here over the years, but none have been quite like the exquisite custom built speakers made from vintage luggage by Case of Bass . (Not to be confused with Ace of Base which you may or may not want i…

Update: It seems a future proof charging dock wasn't future proof after all; now you can check out the Dual Charging Dock for iPhone and Apple Watch if you like the look of DODOCase. So we're already fans of DODOCase (the mere mention ge…