Todd Bernhard

Review: MOFT X Invisible Foldaway Stand for iPhone & iPad

By Todd Bernhard

MOFT recently shipped me the crowdfuned X Invisible Foldaway Stand (starting at $17) for both phones and tablets. MOFT has been selling similar items for laptops for some time, so in spite of being a Kickstarter project, this is the real deal. So what is it? It's a compact stand that is so thin it could fit in an envelope, but it expands to support a three different angles and accommodates both portrait and landscape modes. 

Best Protective Cases for the iPhone 11 & iPhone 11 Pro

By Todd Bernhard

It always amazes me that, despite Apple’s reputation for secrecy, new iPhone cases are designed, manufactured, and shipped by case makers before the phones are even announced. Maybe Apple is loosening up, or they can’t control every worker in their Chinese factories, but the result is I have received dozens of cases to try before my new iPhones arrived. Now that I have been able to test the cases with actual iPhone 11 models, here are my impressions, in alphabetical order.

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Best iPhone 11 cases
best rugged cases for iPhone

Review: SmartCine Complete Universal Smartphone Video Kit

By Todd Bernhard

I do a lot of videography, so I was excited when Movo sent a review unit of the SmartCine Complete Universal Smartphone Video Kit ($99.95). It is a multi-component kit that you assemble to create a full-featured videography tool that just needs your smartphone. Technically, it also needs a 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapter, because Apple chose to drop that feature. The SmartCine includes a lot of items in one, namely a quality HD microphone, a multi-level lighting ring that surrounds the camera lens, and the option of adding either a wide angle or fisheye lens. The lenses screw in easily, but be careful you don't get fingerprints on them. I've used other cases with lenses that attach via magnet and that is a nice touch.

Mechanical Keyboard Review: Woo-dy Combines High Tech with Old-School Materials

By Todd Bernhard

I love the juxtoposition of high-technology and old-fashioned materials, like leather and wood. That describes the Woo-dy Mechanical Keyboard (starting at $99) that UNICK sent me to review. The keyboard is being crowdfunded but it has already passed its goal and I was able to try a real unit. Here are my impressions. First, it's beautiful. Customers can choose the wood type and key cap colors, and then use the software (Windows only, currently) to customize the backlighting and keyboard layout. While mine had a "WIN" key, it worked just like an Apple Command key.

Review: iOttie Car Mount with Alexa

By Todd Bernhard

I have reviewed quite a few car mounts over the years, and a few years ago, the Easy One Touch Connect ($69.95) that iOttie sent me to try would have been the best ever. It does things no other car mount I've tried does, namely integrate the Alexa voice assistant. This is a luxury that I now consider a necessity. I love being able to request navigation or music or weather without pushing a button or swiping a screen and taking my eyes off the road. 

Protect Your Privacy with a Camera Cover for Your iPhone

By Todd Bernhard

I go to a lot of trade shows, not just technology ones like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas but also the NY Toy Fair, hoping to find smartphone-related gadgets that would be of interest to iPhone Life readers. That's how I discovered BLOCKERZ Camera Covers ($13.99) from Zorbitz. They are a wholesaler but you can find their products at Amazon, Urban Outfitters, and other retailers. They gave me a sample to try and it turns out, it's not just for iPhones.

Review: Control this Robotic Vacuum with Alexa or an iOS App

By Todd Bernhard

While others may have more name recognition, Ecovacs is a strong contender with nearly a dozen different models to meet the needs of specific customers. They sent me their most popular model, the DEEBOT 500 ($259.95), to try. For me, with primarily hardwood flooring, it works well. This particular model travels somewhat at random, stopping at walls and other obstacles and changing direction, but Ecovacs has more advanced models that can be programed via the app based on your floor layout.

Nex202 Wired Earbuds Review

By Todd Bernhard

There's a lot to like in the NEX202 Dual Drivers In-Ear Headphones (starting at $47.99) that RevoNext sent me to try. They have an elegant, twisted cable, which is a good point to remind readers that these are wired earbuds. The earpieces are built well with a metal housing and rugged-looking Torx (star) screws to keep the gadgetry in place. There are rubber cord protectors for ear comfort and to prevent fraying. They include different size ear tips and are sold in a couple of variety of matte finish colors, black or gray, and with or without microphone ($2 extra for the microphone.) And they sound great thanks to dual dynamic drivers.

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wired earbuds

Review: Choetech All-In-One Charger for Apple Watch, iPhone, AirPods & More

By Todd Bernhard

Just when you think there's no way to innovate when building a charging dock, along comes the Wireless Charging Station ($92.99) from Choetech. This thing has everything; an integrated Apple Watch charging port, a Lightning port, and a Qi wireless charging pad. If that weren't enough, there's a USB port on the back so you can add your own cable, for another Apple Lightning item or a USB-C or microUSB device. All of this could generate heat, so the charger has two cooling fans that expel heat from the bottom.

Review: Can the AU Stream Earbuds Set Themselves Apart from the AirPods?

By Todd Bernhard

The folks at Ausounds just announced, and sent me, their new AU Stream ANC ($149.95). The design clearly emulates the Apple AirPods, but that's a good thing. Apple has had several generations of the AirPods by now, yet they still have some deficiencies. And that's where the AU-Stream ANC can shine. They sound, look, and feel great, but so does the Apple version. So here are some differentiators.

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