Todd Bernhard

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.

Phoozy iPad Case Review: Space Age Capsule Case Looks Both Retro & Trendy

By Todd Bernhard

I wrote this review on the anniversary of the moon landing. It's about time we had a space dividend for iPad users! Enter the Capsule Case ($59.99) that Phoozy sent me to try. The case is sold in a gold or silver finish that looks like something an astronaut would carry. For those who don't want that kind of attention, Phoozy also has a modern camouflage design or basic black. I prefer the gold, myself.

Review: Powerful USB-C Dock from Satechi Delivers Dual 4K HDMI & More

By Todd Bernhard

Like a lot of iPhone users, I use a MacBook at home and also at work. And I have large-screen monitors in both places. So I'm constantly juggling USB-C adapters that can accommodate multiple HDMI ports. Usually that means two different adapters, which is a hassle to plug in, and often the computer doesn't recognize which is the left or right screen and I waste time adjusting my display settings. So I'm always on the lookout for a better docking solution. I tried the J5 model, but it uses a software trick based on AirPlay to leverage the second screen and that disables unlocking via Apple Watch. It's a pain and I gave up on it.

Review: Casely's iPhone Case of the Month Club Is Affordable & Fun

By Todd Bernhard

If you consider an iPhone case a fashion statement, you can now make a new statement every month without breaking the bank. The folks at Casely gave me a sneak peak at one of their cases of the month, via their Case Club (starting at $15/month). It's a novel idea. Many of us like to change cases periodically, but that can get expensive. With the Casely subscription box, you can have a new case every month for as little as $15 per month, with free shipping.

Airframe Review: Compact, Sturdy Qi Charging Car Mount from Kenu

By Todd Bernhard

In my ongoing quest to find the best wireless car charger, I tested the Airframe Wireless Charging Car Mount ($59.95), which Kenu sent me. I appreciate that it works with any case (or case-free iPhone) with no special cases or magnets required. In fact, it should handle even the biggest phones in the most rugged cases thanks to the wide spring-loaded arm design.

Best Portable iPhone Chargers: Mophie Powerstation Hub Review

By Todd Bernhard

I travel a lot, so I'm always looking for the perfect portable charger. I think I may have found it with the Powerstation Hub ($99.95), which Mophie sent to me to review. It checks so many of my boxes. First, it has a 6,000 mAh battery. That's typically enough to either charge an iPhone twice or top off four devices. Mophie claims 36 hours of battery life, but that depends on the devices that are plugged in. The hub can charge up to four devices at once, via two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and a built-in Qi wireless pad. The USB-C port supports power delivery for fast charging with 18 watts of power while one of the USB-A ports supports 15 watts and the other supports 5 watts. The Qi wireless charger uses 5 watts.

SoundSurge 46 Review: Long-Lasting, Fast-Charging Bluetooth Headphones

By Todd Bernhard

I travel a lot, often by airplane, so I am always looking for a good workhorse set of headphones, ones that have a long battery life, the option of using a 3.5 mm cable when I forget to charge them, and over ear-design for comfort plus noise cancellation to drown out the airplane noise. Taotronics sent the SoundSurge 46 Wireless Headphones ($89.99) to review and they check all the boxes; plus, at under $90 (currently on sale from $110), they won't break the bank.

Wicked Ball Review: Autonomous Pet Toy Keeps Dogs & Cats Entertained

By Todd Bernhard

During the Space Race, the United States spent millions to develop a Space Pen that could work in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil. The lesson is that sometimes there can be too much technology. While numerous businesses are developing robotic toys and pet food dispensers, the folks at Cheerble have introduced a lower-tech, but still technically solid alternative. It's being crowdfunded, but I know it's a real product because they sent me a review unit of the Wicked Ball (starting at $34) to try.

Review: Affordable Smart Security Camera from Wyze

By Todd Bernhard

I've been researching and reviewing a wide variety of security cameras but the common thread seems to be that you have to pay a lot to protect your valuables. However, the folks at Wyze sent me their Wyze Cam Pan ($29.99). For around $30, you get a remarkably full-featured indoor camera that has capabilities beyond cameras costing twice as much. For example, the Pan in the name stands for Panorama. The camera actually rotates on its own, covering 360 degrees, at 110 degrees per second, sensing motion and recording in 12-second increments. You can even mount it on an industry-standard tripod mount. This makes it ideal as a security camera in a centralized, wide open area of your house. While it is for inside use only, it incorporates night vision thanks to 6 infrared LEDs, for 18 shades of gray.

SupWatch Review: Get Apple Watch Band Style without Apple Prices

By Todd Bernhard

A lot of watch band vendors try to offer something Apple doesn't, to differentiate themselves. I've reviewed such bands and I like having a distinctive look that other Apple Watch owners don't have. But sometimes I see an Apple Watch band that I really like, but I don't want to spend the Apple price, AKA the Apple Tax. Case in point, Apple charges $49 for its Fabric Sport Loop bands. I change bands often but it could be expensive to stick with Apple bands. So I thought it would be helpful to try an apples to apples (pun intended) comparison.

Bluetooth Headphones Review: Effortless SleepPhones with Wireless Charging

By Todd Bernhard

I have reviewed a number of SleepPhones wireless headphones from Acoustic Sheep over the years, and while they always do the job, namely serve as Bluetooth headphones integrated into a soft headband, suitable for sleeping, I did write that I wish they had could charge as easily as my Apple Watch and iPhone do. I'm glad to announce that they now come with wireless charging!