Todd Bernhard

Author Details

Todd Bernhard's picture

Author Details

Todd Bernhard

Todd Bernhard is a bestselling (6+ million downloads) award-winning (AARP, About.com, BestAppEver.com, Digital Hollywood, and Verizon) developer and founder of NoTie.NET, an app developer specializing in Talking Ringtone apps including AutoRingtone. And his profile photo is of the last known sighting of Mr. Bernhard wearing a tie, circa 2007!

An iPhone is almost always attached to his hip or in his pocket, but over the years, Mr. Bernhard has owned an Apple Newton, a Motorola Marco, an HP 95LX, a Compaq iPaq, a Palm Treo, and a Nokia e62. In addition to writing for iPhone Life, Mr. Bernhard has written for its sister publications, PocketPC Magazine and The HP Palmtop Paper.

Like many Americans, I have a dog and I want to train and reward her, and keep her fit. While I can work from home, that's not the case for everyone, so I was intrigued by the Pet Fitness Robot ($149) from Varram. I saw their booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year and they gave me the review unit to try with my dog. My seven-pound Shih-Tzu Yorkie mix is usually distrusting of robotic toys, like my Sphero BB-8, but once she saw that this toy also distributes snacks, she came around.

I have reviewed stylus after stylus from Adonit, but it makes more than styluses as I discovered when the company sent me a review unit of its V-Grip ($34.99). This is not a stylus, but a selfie stick with something more. Yes, it expands to over two feet, using a telescoping metal rod. And it has a squeeze grip that secures your iPhone in place. But Adonit added a Bluetooth shutter button that, when paired with your iPhone, can act as a remote control trigger.

Apple is making the iPad Pro look like a regular computer more and more every day. But if you are still using a computer and wish you could share your computer's accessories with your iPad Pro, you might need an accessory like the Access Pro ($199.95) from IOGear, I tried a review unit and it does what it promises. It acts as a KVM (keyboard, video, monitor) Switch, letting you share a keyboard, mouse and 4K UHD 3840x2160 at 30 Hz monitor among two devices. The Access Pro supports Windows, Mac or iPad Pro with USB-C.

It's wise to have a screen protector, and they days, an anti-microbial option is ideal. The folks at Zagg, under their InvisibleShield brand, sent me a review unit of the Glass Elite Screen Protectors (starting at $39.99). They actually have several screen protector options, depending on your needs, including Anti-Glare, Privacy, VisionGuard (Blue Light Filter) and, as mentioned, Anti-Microbial, all with tempered glass for shatter and scratch protection.

I have a special place in my heart for Jabra, as the company made the first Bluetooth earpiece I ever owned about a decade ago. So I'm always interested in their latest model. I saw them at CES and was able to pick up a review unit of the Elite Active 75t ($199.99). First, it looks great, and is sold in assorted colors including black, black with copper, navy blue, mint green, and sienna. If you want to stand apart from the boring, white-AirPod-wearing crowd, these will help. They fit snuggly in the ear and have adjustable tips to help stay in during workouts for active users, hence the name.

Like many readers, working from home is my new norm. And that means acquiring the right teleconferencing equipment. Additionally, podcasters, hardcore gamers, streamers, and YouTube influencers all need a quality microphone. That means a USB-based digital microphone and not analog. And you might want one that accommodates different type of conversations (conference room, one-on-one interviews, and solo broadcasting.) For years, I've been using the microphones from Blue, like the Snowball and Yeti. Recently, Logitech, which owns Blue, let me try its higher-end model, the Yeti X ($169.99). 

As popular as Apple's AirPods are, there are openings where other vendors can fill in the gaps. For starters, enough with the white plastic. I had the opportunity to try ATH-CK3TW In-Ear Wireless Headphones ($99) by Audio Technica at the Consumer Electronics Show. Immediately, you see the dark teal blue color and know these are not your standard earbuds. They are also sold in black or white for those who prefer more mundane color choices.

I've reviewed several game controllers from GameSir, but the latest one is a sharp departure from previous models. The company sent me the F4 Falcon Mobile Gaming Controller ($35.99). While most of GameSir's other iPhone game controllers are large and enclose or prop-up the entire iPhone, the Falcon is quite compact and folds into itself to be smaller than a computer mouse. The wings expand, like a falcon, and it can clamp on to an iPhone.

If you alternate between listening to music and podcasts or web conferences, there's a pair of headphones for that. ONANOFF sent me a review unit of its Fokus headphones ($49.99) to try. The name is appropriate, as at the flick of a button, you can switch between music and voice modes, to emphasize bass sound or spoken words, alternatively. Additionally, they are covered in stylish gray fabric on the earcups, exterior, and headband. I found them quite comfortable to wear for a long time, in part due to the fabric, but also because the earcups go around my ears instead of resting on them.

My family of four currently has three Apple Watches, and that could grow to four. It becomes increasingly important to be able to identify which watch belongs to whom. There are plenty of junky plastic Apple Watch cases out there, so I was skeptical when I saw the Apple Watch Cases (starting at $49) from SkyB at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. SkyB let me try a review unit with one of my Apple Watches and holding it made all the difference.

Pages