By Todd Bernhard
If you like taking notes on paper, the traditional way, but you also want the benefits of digital record keeping, the RoWrite ($129.99) Smart Writing Pad from Royole can accommodate you. The intelligent notepad folio transfers your notes and drawings to a smartphone or tablet, and can even recognize and digitize your handwritten text.
By Todd Bernhard
Summer is here and it's time for partying outdoors. I can't think of a better iPhone accessory to do that with then the TikiTunes Wireless Speaker and Ambient Light ($39.99) from Limitless Innovations. It's a fun, attractive wireless Bluetooth speaker that can be paired with a second TikiTunes speaker to provide true stereo sound. At $40, it's reasonable to get two for that purpose.
By Todd Bernhard
I'm glad I didn't rush my review of the 3dRudder ($99) in January after CES 2018, as 3dRudder subsequently dropped the price from $179 to $99. At this new price, this game controller for feet is a lot more palatable and worth giving it a try. You still need to spend on other Virtual Reality equipment, and possibly games, but once you do, you will have a whole new way to interact with VR games. Instead of waving your arms around (or perhaps in addition to that) you can sit down and use your feet to control action.
By Todd Bernhard
My day-to-day case lately has been an Urban Armor Gear case that I picked up at CES 2018 and I'm quite happy with it. Recently, I got to try UAG's Monarch iPhone X Case ($59.95). This model carries on UAG's tradition of using heavy-duty materials and a rigid skeleton design, and goes even further with solid metal screws for support in the corners, which are the most likely points of impact when an iPhone is dropped. Indeed, the case meets 2X Military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6.) The 10-year warranty is likely to outlast your iPhone!
By Todd Bernhard
Like most people, I am a fan of the Harry Potter universe, including Fantastic Beasts. I've seen all of the movies and even saw the new play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, in London last month. But to review Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (free + in-app purchases) from Jam City, I had to turn the reigns over to my daughter, Ariel, who is a Harry Potter superfan. In fact, she just returned from a trip to Scotland, where she visited the places where J.K. Rowling wrote the books, including the cemetery where she got the names for a number of characters. My daughter is heading to college next year, so it was fun for her to receive a virtual acceptance letter from Hogwarts and get to "attend" classes at that school, answer trivia questions, and more! So, the review below is from her viewpoint:
By Todd Bernhard
Scosche has added another powerful mount to its product line up, and it supports Qi wireless charging for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X. The MagicMount Pro Charge ($59.99) delivers up to 10 watts of Qi-based wireless charging and can be mounted on your car's window or dash.
By Todd Bernhard
There's a lot to like about the Defense Ultra iPhone X case ($39.95) from X-Doria. This attractive, protective iPhone X case is rugged without being bulky or interfering with the iPhone's audio quality. In fact, I had a hard time thinking of anything I didn't like about this case.
By Todd Bernhard
How often do you find yourself hunting for a charging cable and even a USB port to plug it into? I try to keep a set right by the door of our house, but that makes it easy for the kids to grab on their way out. The result is that the cable is never there when I need it. The Rabbit Charger ($49.95) may be the solution to this problem. First, it mounts, via a screw, to a standard duplex electrical outlet. That means it will stay put.
By Todd Bernhard
There is now officially no excuse for not having an indoor security camera (or two) because Momentum offers the Cori HD Smart Home Security Camera 2-pack ($59.99). At $30 per camera, you could have two or even four around your house, or share one with a friend if you have a small apartment. There are no wires to install, just A/C power required. The cameras transmit over Wi-Fi and can store video recordings in the cloud, if you pay for a subscription, or just use the microSD card slot to store up to 128 GB on your own storage card.
By Todd Bernhard
For something as obscure as a pillow speaker, I've actually had the opportunity to review a couple of offerings. The latest, the HUMU Augmented Audio Cushion ($279) addresses many of the issues with previous attempts. Unlike the other pillow speaker I reviewed, this model uses USB to recharge as opposed to a proprietary power brick. The HUMU speaker cushion is also more compact and has a handle. All of these features make the HUMU more portable and easier to travel with.