recycled

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…

The folks at Safari Cardboard captured our attention ages ago with their now ubiquitous (yet still appealing) cardboard taxidermy in one of our gift guides, followed by their cool gift boxes , and eventually cardboard holiday wreaths . A…

We have a lot of discussion here internally about the ethics and importance of using so-called hidden nanny cams or other security cameras around the house. But one thing we can all agree on: These security cameras are hilarious. If you …

Don't worry about your e-reader, smartphone, or tablet: The narwhal will keep it safe. Or Harry Potter, Doctor Who, or a very fuzzy but territorial shark. The gadget cozies from Life Geekery on Etsy are made by a husband and wife team in…

If you're as obsessed with Pinterest as we are, make sure you're following us . Then check out our 5 favorite pins from this week. 1. A cool app for iOS and Android that's a dream for parents like us who take tons of smartphone photos. 2…

The gift for the dad who has everything? Well thanks to technology, there are increasingly more everythings out there in the world each day, which makes the search easier. A little easier? Okay, not that much easier. But if you've got an…

Every year when Earth Day comes around, I have this sudden urge to recycle everything in my house and start wearing hemp clothing. OK, maybe not that extreme, but there are many things I could be doing to be a little more energy efficien…

This week I looked at my definitely plugged-in MacBook, and realized it wasn't charging. Surely the entirely frayed wire at the base had something to do with that? Mac users in particular are famiilar with the annoying ease at which the …

Not everyone needs mega protection for their devices. If you're getting new tablet or phone this holiday like zillions of other people, a sleeve is all you need for easy access, basic protection, and well, style. And these eco-chic handm…

Between my penchant for dropping things and four kids at my heels, there's no way I'd walk around without a case protecting my iPhone 5 . But the back is just so pretty it sort of pains me not to be able to show it off. So I looked for a…

With Labor Day here, I've got organization on the brain. So when I saw this beautiful, crafty way to make the tangle of electronics by my bedside a little more pretty and a little less "what's behind the displays at Best Buy" I was amaze…

I admit that I hate to think that real books might go away sometime. While I love the convenience of e-readers , I love lying in bed with the kids and turning actual pages at night. That's why I love these bookmarks that merge my love of…

I've seen plenty of MP3 speakers but most of them are covered in plastic. And while I'm pretty sure I don't need to worry about my kid chewing on them, it's always nice to find more eco-friendly options, like this new speaker made from, …

As someone who walks around with a Kindle, iPad, or MacBook Air in my bag on a daily basis, I'm a big fan of gadget sleeves, like these stylish ones that are perfect for fall. You'll find a Stash Bag gadget cover for almost every kind of…

We've all been there. Staring at an out-of-date PC tower, trying to figure out what to do with twenty pounds of useless technology that was top-of-the-line three years ago. But Italian designer Paolo Mirai has a great new way to use your…

I will always be a skater girl at heart, but my style has evolved toward more subtle fashion choices than the G&S Skate Rat Pool Party t-shirt I rocked back in the day. Like these hip and gorgeous iPhone backs made from discarded skatebo…

While we're increasingly paper-free thanks to services like online bill pay and Catalog Choice , I'm still amazed at the amount of paper that comes into this house from junk mail, solicitations and school flyers. So when I saw this devic…

Apparently my own mom knows how much I love my iPad , since she gave me the most amazing gift for my birthday to go with it. My new Haiku iPad sleeve is my new favorite case, made from eco-friendly cyclePET fabric that's made from 100% p…

If you were lucky, Santa brought you a brand new shiny gadget for Christmas. You may be donning a super chic iPhone 4S or Samsung Galaxy, but also may be wondering what to do with your old phone. Of everything I use Amazon.com for, one t…

You know what they say, one man's trash is another... mom's way to carry her most-treasured iPad. Okay, maybe that's not exactly how it goes, but these cool iPad cases are rescued and salvaged from junk yards and landfills all over Ameri…

I am breathlessly awaiting the arrival of my new iPhone 4S, but my breathlessness has less to do with seeing the new iPhone than with a kind of desperate hopefulness that my current phone will not completely fall apart before the new one…

There have been times I've driven through my town on trash day and have been stupefied at the things that people are willing to just throw away--cribs, baby toys, bicycles. I understand that not every person has the time or the energy to…

I recently came across some leftover rolls of 35mm film. When I showed my children, they made me feel approximately as old as a stegosaurus. "These used to hold pictures," I said. "But where's the cord to hook it up to the laptop?" my da…

Back to school in our house means not only buying new school supplies, but also checking to make sure our home technology can handle the new school year. Fortunately, all our tech made the cut, but if I decided to replace my video-editin…