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.

Apple has typically introduced new products at the Moscone Center or across the street at the Yerba Buena Arts Center in San Francisco or in the Flint Center in Cupertino. These locations accommodate under 2,000 guests. indicate that this year Apple may be planning to hold its rumored September 9 event, when it is expected to introduce its latest iPhones and possibly a new Apple TV, at the larger Bill Graham Civic Auditorium instead.

All signs point to Apple reversing its anti-stylus stance when the rumored iPad Pro debuts. For those with the current iPad or iPad mini however, there are already a lot of non-Apple stylus options. But regardless of which stylus you choose, you have to worry about losing it.  In fact, when he introduced the iPhone, Steve Jobs said "Who wants a stylus? You have to get 'em, put 'em away, you lose 'em."

Google has announced that it is now just one of the many business units that will be owned by a new holding company dubbed "Alphabet," and Google stockholders now own stock in Alphabet instead of Google. In the past, Google has launched or acquired a myriad of businesses that aren't directly related to search engines. This has caused some confusion for investors so they cheered this week's announcement. 

Zivix let me try its upgraded JamStik+ ($299.99). I reviewed the previous generation  back in January (JamStik without the "+" sign), and it is still available on the Zivix website, for $100 less than the new model. The JamStik and JamStik+ are ukelele-sized wireless electric guitars that connect to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac and act like a MIDI music source. With the right apps—from Zivix, Apple, and others—you can sound like a variety of instruments. JamStik offers several free apps including tools to help you learn how to play the guitar. You can see where to put your fingers on the frets, and get visual feedback in real-time.

I tried the Apple Watch Sport band for several months, but I'm not a fan. It was a great way to get the most affordable version of the Apple Watch, without stepping up to the stainless steel model which offers more band choices. My preference was the Milanese Loop. Thanks to the magnetic closure, it is infinitely adjustable and I find it to be more comfortable and breathable than the Sport band. But I wasn't prepared to shell out $150 just for a band.

Jimmy Iovine said in a recent Wired interview that he's got his hands full focusing on music, but he did mention a little bit about potential upgrades to Apple TV. Iovine is a music industry legend, although behind the scenes, so many people may not know him. They will get a chance to learn more about Iovine as well as Dr. Dre during this summer's Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. biopic. Ironically, while most folks were focusing on Donald Trump's performance during the Republican debate, I noticed two Apple-centric commercials that ran during the event, one for the Compton movie and the other for the next Steve Jobs movie.

The Apple Watch and the iPhone 6 with Touch ID combine to make Apple Pay a compelling method of payment, but how do you get those devices in the first place? BarclayCard thinks it has a better way to buy those devices. A special promotion lets you buy Apple gear with "deferred interest" and earn rewards in the process. The rewards are Apple Store gift cards based on how much you spend. You get 3 points for every dollar in Apple Store or iTunes purchases, 2 points for every dollar at restaurants, and 1 point for ever dollar spent on other purchases. 2,500 points earns a $25 Apple Store gift card. This is significant because Apple products rarely go on sale, especially at the Apple Store.

In an article published on PRWEb two music business "experts" claim that Apple Music is flawed, but the article is full of false and contradictory claims. SAE Institute's Dr. E. Michael Harrington blasts Apple Music as too late to the streaming party, while at the same time praising YouTube and Facebook for their yet-to-be-announced music streaming services. You can't have it both ways. Apple is too late, but those vendors will be timely? Apple observers know that Apple may not always be first to implement a particular technology or enter a specific market, such as wearables, but once it does, Apple is a force to be reckoned with. Music players, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches: all markets Apple entered "late" but dominated.

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